11/21/2025
Sheโs many thingsโฆ a ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ, a ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ, a ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฒ ๐บ๐ผ๐บ of three active boys, and a ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ at Kingston Health Sciences Centreโs (KHSC) Detoxification Centre.
โจTerri McNutt is all those things, and so much more.โจ
She provides specialized addiction health care to clients who have stopped using substances and are in the earliest, most vulnerable stages of recovery. โI focus on keeping people safe and comfortable while their body clears the substance and starts to heal,โ says McNutt. โI also provide primary care, as many clients donโt have a family health-care provider.โ
Her deeply human role at the Detox Centre over the past 20 months has been to help move the centre toward a more medicalized model of care.
โItโs been life-altering for both clients and staff,โ she says.
Today, with McNutt and Dr. Wilna Wildenboer-Williams available Monday through Friday, care is immediate, integrated, and person-centred.
โWithout medical staff consistently on site, clients would have to be sent elsewhere for minor health concerns, or if they didnโt have their own medication for concerns like heartburn or a headache.
โWe can safely evaluate and manage withdrawal symptoms, prescribe as needed, and address other substance-use-related needs and general medical conditions. That continuity of care has had a real effect on recovery.โ
๐ ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ท๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐
She truly loves making a real difference in peopleโs lives and says she is โespecially proud to be a listening ear and an advocate for people who are often misunderstood, misjudged, or treated unfairly.โ
โClients are often ashamed, afraid of how the medical team will see them. So it is essential to create a sense of safety, dignity, and respect.โ
In some cases, sobriety takes several attempts, and when clients return to the centre, McNutt greets them with empathy.
โIโm glad you came back โ that tells me youโre still trying,โ she said to someone before they worked together to adjust the care plan, ease symptoms, and build trust. The client completed detox and asked for a referral to further treatment.
โThat experience reinforced my belief that compassion and patience are often the most powerful medicines we can offer.โ
On another day, a client was ready to leave against medical advice. โInstead of arguing, I sat with them, acknowledged they were scared, and explained in simple terms what their body was going through. A few minutes later, their breathing slowed. They stayed.
โI try to remember that how we show up matters as much as what we do. Being calm and compassionate can make the difference in helping someone to feel safe, seen, heard and confident in accepting care.โ
๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ, ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ซ
Her skills are rooted in keen clinical judgment, adaptability, and teamwork, but her practice is shaped just as much by personal experience.
As a varsity wrestling athlete and member of the national program, she learned early on to focus on what matters most. That mindset proved vital during her journey as a cancer survivor, when she experienced firsthand what itโs like to be vulnerable within the health-care system. Now, motherhood draws on that same resilience and keeps her grounded and grateful.
โBalancing life as a single mom, a full-time nurse practitioner, and someone whoโs faced a major health challenge hasnโt always been easy, but itโs possible because of the incredible support I have around me. I truly believe it takes a village, both at home and at work.
โIโve learned that asking for help isnโt a sign of weakness, itโs a sign of strength. I remind clients of this often.โ
Her commitment is mirrored by a team she describes as โamazing.โ She credits both colleagues and leadership with supporting the bold changes that have made the centre more compassionate and effective.
She also recognizes that community collaboration is key to helping clients transition successfully from detox to the next steps in their recovery journeys, and she and her team are committed to building those supportive, stable bridges together.
When asked who inspires her, McNutt mentions several mentors in accessible addiction care, and says clients are a constant source of motivation.
โThe determination they show โ coming back time and again to try, even after setbacks โ is a powerful reminder of why this work matters. Their resilience, their honesty, their willingness to trust us, even when trust hasnโt always served them well, inspires me to show up every day with patience, humility, and hope.โ๐
