Pay Want You Want – Running our Business Differently

At the Wellness Centre, many of our services are offered as Pay-What-You-Want. This applies to all our Integrated Health and Wellness Treatments.

What is Pay-What-You-Want?

It means you get to choose, every-time, anonymously and without judgment for us,how much you pay for our services. We don’t care if you make $10,000 per year, $100,000 per year or $1,000,000 per year. We don’t care if you drive a 94 Jetta or a Tesla, live in a yurt, tent or a mansion We only care that you pay what you feel comfortable with.

For example, our Island Community Acupuncture clinic has a minimum charge of only $20. So some people pay $20, some pay $23 (which is what is covered by MSP) and some pay all they way up to $50.

I know for myself, some days I feel wealthy, I feel called to share financially more openly, and some days I feel broke, and sharing my money feels unfair. At the Wellness Centre, we know your health is always changing, and want to take back some control and come visit us. And since people have a differing ability to pay, and this too is constantly changing, or pricing model reflects that.

Why do we offer our services in this unconventional model?

First, it allows us to offer services for less than we would be able to otherwise. This is because many people actually pay more than the minimum. If we did not offer this pricing model, we would not be able to offer acupuncture for $20, which is what many of our clients can actually afford. At this price we do not cover basic operating costs and the practitioners are making their minimum.

Second, all our practitioners are compensated as a percentage split with the Wellness Centre. So when you pay more than the minimum, the practitioner gets more. Many of our practitioners offer their services here at the center for less than they do at their private practice, and they do so because they are committed to our model of providing accessible and affordable healthcare. You can also rest assured that the practitioner does not know how much you pay.

Integrated Health Opening and New Summer Hours

Integrated Health is now open at the Salt Spring Island Wellness Centre. This branch of our service offering includes a wide range of holistic treatments at an affordable cost in one central location. Check out the schedule here. We are now open from 9:00am until 4:30pm everyday with the exception of Sundays.

Our philosophy is a realization that when an individual falls into imbalance, this affects multiple systems. Holistic health adopts the premise that it takes attention to those multiple systems to bring them back into equilibrium. We are a team of highly skilled and passionate professionals that showcase some of the best healing modalities that Salt Spring has to offer. Together we teach based on experience and training both within traditional educational institutions and worldly knowledge passed down through spiritual/universal practice. Here at the Wellness Centre, all therapists are working together, offering our individual expertise in a collaborative environment to give you, the client the highest level of care.

Our clinic also includes a Community Acupuncture and Massage Clinic on a sliding scale to allow access to effective health care for all income levels. This model has had much success in other communities and we are excited to be able to offer this model here on Salt Spring Island.

Call, email or drop into our office to become a member and book an appointment with our passionate and skilled holistic therapists.

Our Integrative Health Team

Dr. Patrick Callas ND – Spinal Adjustments

Taz Ackerly – Deep Restorative Massage

Christin Boyd – Reiki and Bowen Technique

Chental Wilson – Life Coaching

Meghan Zuvelek – Health Coaching

Christine Grimes – Registered Massage Therapy and Community Massage Clinic

Bruce Winstone – Alexander Technique and Rolfing

Joanne Hope – Reiki, Access Bars and Ra Sheeba

Yaz Yamaguchi – Shiatsu Massage and Cranio Sacral

Deb Sawdon – Energy/Spiritual Healing

Petra Otten – MindBody Harmonization, Certified Reflexology and Jin Shin Jyutsu

Adam Cappuccino R.TCM.P – Traditional Chinese Medicine including Registered Acupuncture and

Island Community Acupuncture

Isabelle Ma R.Ac – Registered Acupuncture and Island Community Acupuncture

Cathie Grindler – Advanced Cranio Sacral Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique

Dr. Brad Dunstan ND – Prolotherapy

The Launch of the Plenty Project

Before the Plenty Project

Permaculture came alive in urban Ganges this April. As the founder of the Wellness Centre, I’d like to take this opportunity to offer sincere gratitude some of my personal after thoughts where at the Salt Spring Island Wellness Centre, the launch of The Plenty Project captivated Hereford Ave. This open and inclusive community event was the platform to transform and create the landscape of the formerly vacant Sports Traders & Living Strong Programs building.

Our community used recycled and natural building materials, incorporated permaculture design principles, and regenerated one small piece of earth: The result is a beautiful, yet rustic, edible landscape. Fruit and nut trees (fig, apple, pear, lemon), medicinal herbs and annual vegetables now grow for all to enjoy. The landscape is now designed built to add organic biomass back into the landscape naturally.

If you walked or drove by , you likely slowed to take in the scene, the dancing and energy was unconventional for many – especially those not accustomed to Salt Spring. It was over 50 people, of all ages, working together like they would on their own farm or home, but this time bringing love and joy to a commercial landscape. People travelled from off island to come take-part in the event and music enticed those with shovels to dance. Food was served in the park where children were led in organized games. The joy was contagious.

an impromptu team shot of our parmaculture warriors – (photo -syd woodword)

After (photo – Micheal Levy)

a street sign greets traffic on Hereford Ave (Photo- Syd Woodward)

A directional herb garden and raised beds

We demonstrated another way of working and building together. We did it with less than a couple hundred dollars and we fostered resilience in our community; but most of all, we had fun!

What surprised me most was the support of the community, and also the fear, resistance and anger that it trigged in a very small part of the community.

There is always resistance in movement and some attempted to deflate our efforts. Angry because traffic slowed, music thumped and we danced in the street – and maybe more – but visits from the police and insults won’t divide strong community. And while some people don’t like don’t like what permaculture looks like on the front lawn. I personally don’t like the lawnmower cut lines on over-watered suburbia lawns – drying up precious water resources on this planet up with no utility. I believe in open honest dialogue between community members – a coming together – rather than calls to the “right and wrong” police.

I guess I should have expected that doing things unconventionally would bring up fear and resistance. We are demonstrating an alternative way of living, not because its right, but because people have forgotten that there is another way. We have lost connection with our past.

I will always be the first to admit that lessons can be taken from this, as in any new bold venture. I will not apologize for this event though. I’m fired up and in love with this place and what we are creating here. Fear cannot exist in love so I’m resolute.

This project was built for and supported by the community. It’s beautiful, its unique, and its so Salt Spring. Thank-you for building it!

Greg Clayton