Physical and psychological wellness go hand in hand. As a psychiatrist who recognizes the impact of stress on the whole person, Caroline Giroux, MD, FRCPC, aims to guide every patient holistically in reintegrating mind, body and spirit. As such, she provides care within a biopsychosociospiritual framework: assisting individual patients in rebalancing or healing all of these dimensions, with the support of their loved ones when needed, to foster their growth, empowerment in making decisions to improve one’s health, and recovery.
A psychiatric evaluation with Giroux includes one consultation followed by up to two (2) follow-up sessions. She works in collaboration with conventional and complementary medicine practitioners and is dedicated to ensure each patient can access the multiple healing systems that can be used to enhance emotional wellness.
An emotional wellness consultation with integrative psychiatry will result in a treatment plan that is specific and unique to each individual and will aim to decrease inflammation, promote more restorative sleep, increase energy, improve focus, and facilitate emotional regulation. The modalities used may include any combination of the following:
- Conventional psychotherapies such as CBT (including deconstructing trauma schemas), insight-oriented therapy, Eriksonian (stages of development), bibliotherapy, and motivational interviewing
- Evidence-based use of conventional medications (such as anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, sleep aids)
- Supplements and botanical or herbal remedies
- Nutritional coaching
- Pharmacogenomic testing (identifies key genes in your body’s DNA that affect how it responds to medications, supplements, micronutrients, or foods)
- Ayurveda and yoga therapies
- Meditation, mindfulness, guided imagery, mantras, and relaxation through body awareness and deep breathing to expand awareness and with an emphasis on accessing your own intuitive capacities to guide your life
- Expressive or creative arts therapy, including journaling
- Jungian dreamwork and exploration of archetypes
- Transcendental practices or environmental approaches such as such as Hygge, Shinrin-Yoku, blue spaces, Sisu, meaning-finding, and joy philosophy
Giroux is dedicated to co-create with each patient an individualized health plan that aligns with their values in collaboration with their health providers to offer an integrated approach.
