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Our team is here to support you ❤️
We aim to provide our patients with a model of healthcare that addresses the root cause of disease, whether it be lifestyle, physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. Our team of passionate professionals is dedicated to delivering genuine care, compassion, and the support necessary for complete healing.
Dr. Tammy Grime
Dr. Grime completed her premedical training with honours at the University of Guelph in Biomedical Science and her medical education at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM), totalling 9 years of post-secondary education. She continues to advance her training yearly, including completing advanced studies in Environmental Medicine, Intravenous Nutrient Therapy, and the Ontario Drug Prescribing Exam.
Dr. Grime has also done additional training in Gestalt Psychotherapy and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to help her patients quickly resolve emotional factors that contribute to stress and health issues.
Other certifications:
BSc. (Hons) ND
Hormone Therapy Prescribing
Cupping
Low Dose Immunotherapy
Live Blood Analysis
IV Ozone Therapy
Prolozone
Meso Therapy
Mistletoe Therapy
Port a Cath and PICC Line Access
Extra certifications in various IV therapies
Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome
Biological Medicine
Environmental Medicine, MCAS, MES
About Dr. Grime
My passion is reducing the suffering of others in any way that I can. I want to connect with and be of genuine service to my patients; that is what gives my life purpose. Biology and psychology are endlessly interesting to me. I want to understand life, how living things work, and what healing is. This fuels my desire to continue learning.
I feel blessed to play such a privileged role for my patients. To help them heal and overcome. I want to help them live their lives, reach their potential, so that they can positively affect the world around them. I believe this can only happen when people aren’t suffering.
This profession is not an easy one. It comes at a great sacrifice for those who choose it. The study of Naturopathic medicine is academically rigorous, expensive, and requires endless learning, jumping through numerous hoops, and overcoming obstacles. Conventional medicine comes with acceptance, power, financial rewards, academic respect, and numerous opportunities.
But conventional medicine also comes with a restricted connection to others and little ability to help heal the root cause of chronic disease. Increasingly, I am seeing GPs and specialists in weekend workshops and continuing education classes in functional medicine who share this sentiment.
While our health care system offers invaluable techniques and care, it saves many lives, and it outshines health care in many other countries, it is also limited in what it can do to help people regain health, prevent illness, and be healthy. People need much more that what the health care system can offer, to actually get their body to a better level of health and better quality of life and improved human potential. It does not provide quality care for those managing chronic conditions or the ability to heal the root cause of their pain. Most chronic diseases are disease of lifestyle, stress, lack of knowledge, epigenetics mixed with genetics and can be prevented, healed or at the very least, improved on using strategies that work with the body to regulate, normalize, and ‘clean up’ toxic, deficient, and stressed-out systems.
I am impossibly idealistic. I choose the harder, less sexy path. I choose to roll up my sleeves, get into the trenches, and help you navigate your way out. Because this path has far more meaning to me. I value this more than society’s current valuation of the two professions. I believe that we need both sides, both versions of medicine.
For me, though, naturopathic medicine is a more rewarding and interesting vocation.
Dr. Taylor Blixt
BSc. ND
As an evidence-based practitioner, Taylor takes a foundational approach. He believes that every health journey begins by addressing the fundamentals of our health, including diet, lifestyle, and mindset. He uses a combination of treatment approaches, including clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, and lifestyle counselling, to help alleviate symptoms while also addressing the root cause of concern.
He is a strong advocate for mental health and aims to create a non-judgmental space where people feel safe to express their concerns.
In his free time, Taylor is an avid snowboarder, hiker, gardener, and meditator. He can often be found walking in Tommy Thompson Park or along the Don River trails. He also enjoys spending time with his family and friends while utilizing his downtime to rest and rejuvenate.
Dr. Taylor Blixt is a graduate of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM). Before completing his degree at CCNM, Taylor attended Western University, where he completed a Bachelor of Science with a major in Medical Sciences. With his training, Taylor skillfully integrates traditional and modern medical practices to develop comprehensive, individualized treatment plans that are empowering, allowing his patients to confidently achieve realistic and attainable health goals.
Dr. Kim McKenzie
MD
Dr. McKenzie is an Internal Medicine Specialist, ICU, and Geriatrician with specialties in Dementia, Stroke Management, Chronic Pain, and Functional Medicine. He leads mindfulness-based stress reduction programs.
Augusto Olachea
MD (Peru) - Pain Specialty, IV Technician
Dr. Augusto completed his medical training in Lima, Peru, and has six years of experience as a General Practitioner, including medical training in endoscopic surgery and Endocrinology at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami Hospital in Miami, Florida. He obtained his certification in IV administration and phlebotomy, and recently completed his master's degree in Pain Management in Clinical Practice at the University of Salamanca, Spain.
He arrived in Canada in January 2021, in the midst of the pandemic. Since then, he has been studying and working hard to validate his medical license in Canada. He has a special interest in functional medicine, pain management, and IV nutrient therapy. We are pleased to have him on our IV staff while he pursues his equivalencies.
He strongly believes that we treat patients, not diseases, and that we should consider them as a system that includes physical and emotional symptoms. He would describe himself in a few words: family-oriented, dog lover, soccer enthusiast, medical professional, and advocate for a healthy mindset and lifestyle.
Jolene Casella
Over a decade ago, Jolene graduated as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (CSNN). To accommodate her young family, she maintained her career in both healthcare and education, working with individuals with learning and/or physical disabilities while starting a part-time, private nutrition practice.
Spurred on by a personal tragedy in 2018, Jolene undertook some soul-searching and decided to dedicate more of her time to what she is most passionate about – food and nutrition. She is thrilled to be working in a collaborative environment with other professionals whom she can learn and who share the same philosophy about health and wellbeing.
Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN)
About Jolene
I love everything about food. Growing it. Eating it. Cooking it. Sharing it with others. But I am most passionate about the healing power food holds. One of the most rewarding aspects of being a holistic nutritionist is witnessing the transformation that occurs when individuals commit to making changes to their diet and lifestyle.
I thrive on the skeptics who embark on a holistic nutrition journey as a last resort. They have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes medication, are unable to shed unwanted weight, or just feel ‘crappy.’ And they see amazing results with just food.
It is powerful and uplifting each time a client begins to see the impact food has on their health. I take pride in and love winning over skeptics.
Dawn Buccigrossi
Office Administrator
Dawn is our amazing office admin staff. She is a woman of many talents and has a heart of gold. She is dedicated to serving her community, and we are grateful for her help and care here at VCIM.
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