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Ecole Setsuko is a holistic health education school that offers both workshops for general interest and full certification programs in the field of natural therapy, massage therapy, acupressure and energy work. Located in Montreal, Quebec for our on-site teaching clinics and in person training, we can also access a larger audience by offering online trainings.
Our unique approach to learning includes a multidimensional awareness to health, wellness and balance. Each educational component is accompanied by an IN-body, somatic experience. In this way, combining physical, emotional and the energetic/spiritual aspects creates harmony and balance. Without this awareness, the dis-stress in our lives, can eventually show up as physical pain, emotional unrest, mental instability or a diagnosed dis-ease.
"My number one goal is to create awareness for my clients, who is essentially a student of their own life. I have a strong sense of community and family life, always striving to find balance between work/personal/self-care and development. Part of this inspiration comes from my ancestors, who have guided me along this path of service and healing. Our teachers are old souls who have a wealth of knowledge and experience and I serve as the bridge between the older and newer generations. "
Natalie embarked on her enriching journey at Ecole Setsuko in 2008, initially diving into the world of Massage Therapy. Since then, her passion for holistic health has led her to explore and master a diverse range of techniques and disciplines. Natalie is proficient in advanced massage methods like Deep Tissue, Ayurvedic Head Massage, Reflexology, Cupping, and Chi Nei Tsang, among others.
In her role as the School Administrator, Natalie brings a wealth of experience in customer service, communication, and technical skills. These talents are instrumental in creating a supportive and thriving environment for students and teachers alike at Ecole Setsuko.
"As an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Student, Naturopath, Massage Therapist, and Holistic Health Coach, I have dedicated my life to understanding the intricate balance of the human body and mind. My journey in holistic health has been enriched by my studies as a Certified Holistic Life Coach and Mind-Body Practitioner. Specializing in Neuroplasticity Coaching, I focus on harnessing the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Additionally, my studies in Somatic Coaching, especially in the areas of Anxiety and Trauma, allows me to offer a comprehensive approach to wellness that addresses both physical and emotional healing. As a teacher, I am passionate about sharing this knowledge, empowering others to achieve their optimal health and well-being."
Program Director Nutritherapy, Community Herbalism and Teacher
Are you a woman who struggles to eat right? Cathy Cochrane is a holistic nutrition consultant who looks beyond calories and nutrients to help you take back the reins on your own health. She sees your relationship to food and eating as a doorway to a deeper relationship with your Self. For over 13 years, Cathy has been guiding women through that door by exploring their physiological needs from a place of soul.
Cathy has practiced privately, out of the Montreal Centre for Integrative Medicine and is currently an associate at the Ottawa Integrative Health Centre. Educated at NHC Institute, she also taught there for 5 years before its close. She gets nourished by conversations on the energy and spirit of food, and writes the occasional blog about a deeper & broader understanding to what you eat.
Cathy is honoured to be sharing her soul-based approach to nutrition and physiology as a foundational part of the naturopathy stream at École Setsuko. Her courses present an eye- and mind-opening perspective on what constitutes healthy food and eating.
Program Director of TCM program and Teacher
Marjorie Silcoff is a skilled therapist and talented teacher. She started her private practice in 2006, as a practitioner of the TCM branches of Acupressure, Dietetics and Moxabustion, with a special emphasis on emotional healing. She has been teaching TCM for 10 years, is the Director of the Acupressure program at Ecole Setsuko and teaches Clinic to the graduating students. She also teaches workshops and gives lectures to interested groups, most recently the doctors and staff at the Montreal Pain clinic and the Anglican Diocese.
Her unique approach to teaching includes demonstration, storytelling and real-life cases which inspire connection and integration of the material.
Monica Giacomin is an educator, community herbalist, forager and emissary of the green nations. She created “HERBS on the SIDE”, an educational herbal sanctuary and home to over fifty medicinal plants which she has been teaching students how identify, nurture, harvest and transform into food and medicine for the past three decades! Monica continues to offer apprenticeship programs and classes combining the best practices of herbal medicine, active living, nature awareness and nutrition in pursuit of optimal wellness.
Tony is a certified massage therapist, yoga and bodywork instructor, who has explored extensively the world of bodywork for over a decade. He specializes in osteopathic approaches, which include Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Neural Manipulation, Somato-Emotional Release, Myo-Fascia Release and Brain Therapy. He treats the body as a whole and not just looking at the symptoms. With his extensive bio-mechanic background and subtle approach he is able to look at the body, its issues from different angles.
Janine has been teaching Traditional Chinese medicine and acupressure at Setsuko for the last 4 years. She has a B.A. from McGill University in Psychology and Religious studies. For 8 years, Janine ran a holistic health practice in Montreal as well as workshops integrating yoga and Chinese medicine. Currently living in BC, Janine is thrilled to continue to teach at Setsuko from a distance. Her passion is to empower and educate people with the tools to live a healthy and balanced life.
Claire Elliot is a clinically trained herbalist and herbal educator passionate about the cosmology of wellness comprising the body, mind, emotions and spirit. She will support you in listening to your body while teaching you how to bring herbs into your life.
While healing is cyclical, wellness is multifaceted, and one is in constant change woven by the relationships to our environment, self and community. Claire is devoted to helping women and people who menstruate know their cycles, to make informed choices about their health.
Claire's herbal training includes the wonder of weeds with Monica Giacomin, clinical herbalism with Marianne Beacon, Vitalist and Evolutionary herbalism with Sajah Popham, Herbal Medicine for Women with Dr. Aviva Romm. With an innate curiosity, Claire continues her studies and professional development in Traditional and Medical Astrology and herbalism.
Nicolas developed a love for massage therapy after many sessions as a patient. His training in dance, particularly Ukrainian dance, helped form his knowledge base for body movement which now complements the anatomy and kinesiology principles he's learned through the massage therapy program.He graduated from the Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy in Vernon, British Columbia, in 2015. Soon after, he started teaching a variety of courses including musculoskeletal anatomy, neuroanatomy, and preparatory courses for the provincial board exams.
After his graduation, Nicolas has taken a keen interest in modalities such as visceral manipulation and biodynamic cranial-sacral therapy. Adopting a holistic approach, Nicolas looks at different layers of depth when teaching to ensure the students’ comprehensive understanding of the body.
Hi my name is Paule Guérard. My formal training has been as an energy healer (Barbara Ann Brennan School of Healing-99), a kabbalist (A Society Of Soul-05), a spiritual psychotherapist (School of New Directions-88) and a specialist in understanding early love maps (Center for Intentional Living-15) . I bring to the table a love for words, stories and metaphors (MA creative writing -84) that transcends linguistic barriers. A double BA(Con U-07) in Psychology and Applied Social Sciences nourished my understanding of transference, archetypes and shadow work. I am a strong believer that what I perceive in the World, in some way reflects what is within me. My latest interest brings the body into greater focus as so much of what affects us travels from the body to the brain on the wandering vagus nerve. Play and creativity possess tremendous healing potentials and are almost always part of the tools I bring to the table. In the end being able to reframe, or re-assess, or re-experience and in turn integrate what has been hidden or frozen is a choice way to be more fully open and alive. Teaching is a passion: it combines an ongoing desire to learn with an active love of deep group sharing and the emergent support inherent in a group.
Marco started his journey in the holistic arts at a young age. Being initiated with crystals and the esoteric arts, he dived into magic and divine readings. His path led him to practicing martial arts and chi-gong where he learned how energy and the breath can enhance one’s life and it has become an integral part of all his practices.
His ongoing journey then brought Marco into the healing arts and polarity therapy. He had the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest pioneers in polarity therapy, where he has gained 2 lineages in the healing system. With this background and knowledge, Marco has obtained several certificates in Polarity Therapy.
Marcia Thomas is a vibrant healing enthusiast. She began practicing in the field of Chinese medicine 4 years ago yet has been involved in the world of traditional holistic healing most of her life. Through her own personal ailments: chronic migraines, eczema, back/neck/shoulder pain, allergies and fertility to name a few, it has been her mission to find alternative forms of healing that align with and support her body.
Marcia’s dedication to personal growth and desire to be of support to others has led her to a career in Social Services. There, she learnt to be a solid presence, a clear communicator and a consistent and supportive ally. In the midst of establishing a career as an Educator in Youth Protection she found herself dabbling in the world of holistic therapies and following a new passion for Acupressure and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Through this lens she developed an appreciation for the body’s capacity to self heal. Understanding ‘Qi’, the body’s life force energy and its desire for equilibrium, the interplay of dietary properties and lifestyle, Marcia has been successful in alleviating her ailments.
Her passion is to create a space for people to access means to holistic health by promoting healthy lifestyle, conscious eating and balanced emotions.
Michelle Beckles is a Certified Athletic Therapist and a Certified Kinetic Swedish Massage Therapist. She comes to Setsuko with a plethora of knowledge in the sports science and manual therapy background. In her 16 year career she has worked with Quebec Soccer, Canada Soccer, Quebec Football and many more elite and amateur athletes. She is grateful to have been able to see the world working with different teams. She worked at Dawson College for 13 years managing the Athletic Therapy Clinic, treating all of the varsity athletes and supervising internship students from Concordia University from the Athletic Therapy Department.
Michelle is passionate about education. Whether she’s teaching students or her clients, she is always looking to inform everyone about proper movement and optimal care for their body. She has taken continuing education courses to further her knowledge in sports rehabilitation, manual therapy and osteopathic approaches.
As she moves away from field work with teams she continues to treat and educate with a holistic approach of appreciating the mind, body and spirit connection.
Liddy Flewwelling, B.Sc., B.Ed., N.H.C. has worked as a teacher/healer for over 30 years. She is a Natural Health Consultant and a member of the Canadian Order of Practitioners in Naturopathy.
Liddy was a teacher at Institute NHC over a span of 17 years where she taught Applied Kinesiology, Energetic healing, and Herbology. She currently offers classes in Shamanic Healing, Plant Spirit Healing, and guides personal and group ceremonies.
In 2000 she completed Plant Spirit Medicine training with Eliot Cowan, and in 2012 she completed Pam Montgomery’s Plant Spirit Healing Apprenticeship. She continues her studies at ISM (Institute of Shamanic Medicine) where she recently completed the Shamanic Practitioner Program.
For the past 20 years Liddy has primarily been working with the spiritual dimension of plants, incorporating Chinese Medicine, Shamanism and Energetic Healing into her work with her clients. She has also created a deck of Plant Spirit Healing cards called ‘Messages from the Plant World’.
Shanice Nicole is a Black feminist educator, facilitator, writer, and (out)spoken word artist. Her debut children’s book Dear Black Girls published by Metonymy Press is now available for pre-order and she is also the curator of free community resources such as Jobs & Things, All Black Everything in Montreal, and the BFCN Scholarship Directory. Shanice works closely with education and community-based organizations and believes that everyone has the power to make change.
Heather Allice is a leading authority in teaching women how to naturally and gracefully transition through the menopausal years and beyond founded on the traditions of Chinese Wisdom. She is the creator of Fuel Your Vitality: An Energetic Approach to Nourishing Naturally. A live online wellness education workshop to help women feel like themselves again. She educates and inspires at Ecole Setsuko in the core program of Acupressure & Chinese Energetic Medicine.
Carina has been immersed in Yoga for over 20 years and is devoted to bridging the gap between modern science and the therapeutic benefits of Yoga.. Having a strong academic background in health sciences, her approach integrates anatomy, physiology, immunology and cognitive psychology to establish equilibrium between Stress and Relaxation Responses. Carina is the founder Yoga Re:source – Montreal’s first Yoga Therapy School, focusing on health education – where ‘health’ is considered to be a collective response of all systems working fluidly together.
Her passion and her mission continue, in order to teach the principles of health; and how to attain these in a manner that is accessible, sustainable, complementary, and, ideally, enjoyable.
I’m Elly (They/Them), a bodyworker and artist, living as a guest on
unceded Indigenous lands in Tiohti:áke/Montreal. I holistically support
my clients through a primarily Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) lens,
using acupressure, food, herbs, and flower essences, always taking into
account both body and mind.
My deep connection with LGBTQIA2S+, disabled and chronically ill
communities motivates me to create a safe environment, especially for
those who experience systemic oppression or slip through the cracks of
mainstream medical systems. My approach is compassionate and
multifaceted; as a creative and curious person, I am committed to
ongoing learning practices and self-education, so that I can offer
versatile and inclusive sessions, and support clients at all junctures
in their healing journey.
My professional education and trainings include a Diploma of Acupressure
and TCM Dietetics, certificates in Cupping Massage, Flower Essences, and
Meridian Reflexology from École Setsuko, and a certificate in Trauma
Informed Care from Sick Kids Centre for Community Mental Health.
Disclaimer: All content and material is for educational purposes only. Although certain aspects of these courses may be therapeutic, they do not constitute or replace therapy. All results are hypothetical, and the School/Teachers/Speakers are not responsible for any claims or outcomes as a result of information shared.
