You’re sunk into a wide, white leather couch sipping on herbal tea. The sun is beaming through the windows, casting light on the exposed brick walls.

It’s easy to forget that you’re here to see the doctor.

In 2008, Drs. Meghan Walker and Erin Wiley set out to create a health centre where patients are treated as more than, well, patients; a place where a wellness plan goes beyond a prescription to include complementary therapies like naturopathy and chiropractic; and, where people are empowered to set their own path to health.

And so, the Integrated Health Institute came to be.

In this wellness community, expect your doctors to consult and communicate with one another about you – from discussing treatment options to avoiding medication counter-indications.

We call it alternative-traditional. Medical doctors work in tandem with naturopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists, nutritionists, clinical counselors and osteopaths. Whatever is best for the patient is the modality used.

Drs. Meghan and Erin so believe in the concept of wholeness, of looking after the entire body and soul, that they have also incorporated a studio where classes like yoga or HypnoBirthing are held.

Yep, HypnoBirthing. It’s exactly as it sounds - natural childbirth made easy through self-hypnosis. No more screaming like a banshee when you’ve tricked your brain into thinking you’re on a secluded beach with the waves lapping.

It’s all part of their integrated approach to wellness.

And, if you forget a few of the unpleasantries that usually come with a doctor’s visit, well, doesn’t that just add to you feeling better?