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Wednesday 1pm - 6:30pm Friday 9:30am - 3:30pm Saturday 9:30am - 1:30pm

Niagara Healing Arts

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Canada
Saint Catharines, ON
Niagara Healing Arts

We work together through phases of relief, rehabilitation and regulation. I continue to be fascinated by human suffering and resiliency.

Craniosacral Therapy, Medical Qigong/Daoist Energetic Medicine, Visceral Manipulation

Book an appointment: https://niagarahealingarts.com

Subscribe to read my essays on Substack https://open.substack.com/pub/niagarahealingarts Nancy Dougherty RMT MQP

★Craniosacral Therapy/Somatoemotional Release Technique
★Visceral Manipulation
★Medical Qigong Therapy/Chinese Energetic Medicine
★Somatic (Body-based) Trauma & Emotional Processing
★Qigong Exercises & Meditation/Daoist Inner Alchemy
★Mindfulness Meditation

Patients receive attentive care and a gentle, precise treatment that helps to acknowledge and reorganize dysfunctional physical, mental, emotional and spiritual processes. My education and training is ongoing with an emphasis on Medical Qigong Therapy through mentorship with Dr William Welch Jr. (Temple of the Celestial Fire), who is a longtime and Senior Student of Professor Jerry Alan Johnson of California. I am disciplined in the practices of Qigong and Meditation and have maintained a private clinical practice since 2005. I value an ethical and honest approach to assessment and treatment, and expect patients to consider all of their life conditions as part of the treatment plan. Relief from suffering extends beyond the experience of our physical symptoms, and this includes establishment of healthy boundaries, self-esteem, attitudes and relationships. This realization compels me to teach about the value of meditation, self-awareness, social determinants of health, self-regulation and natural breathing. I came to this work 20 years ago from a background in Employee Benefits Consulting, and am led by my ongoing healing journey from chronic pain, mental health challenges and injuries. Chinese Energetic Medicine works with the complexity of the continuously changing human experience, and is therefore a good lense through which we can explore healing possibilities for sufferers of chronic physical, somatoemotional or psychospiritual conditions. Craniosacral and Visceral techniques, both forms of manual medicine with roots in Chinese Medicine and, more recently, osteopathy, are skillfully applied to engage the deeper tissues in the body and transform dysfunctional tension relationships that might be causing pain, or inhibiting posture and movement. Your initial appointment is an opportunity to be heard and to identify circumstances inhibiting your recovery and wellbeing. Each person is unique, and treatment plans vary according to all factors considered, including your goals and expectations. Born & raised in the Niagara Region, I graduated with honours in Massage and Hydrotherapy from Canadian Therapeutic College in 2005 and promptly entered into private clinical practice. Continuing Education includes, but is not limited to:

Thai Yoga Massage Introduction with Lotus Palm School---
Craniosacral Therapy 1 & 2 with Upledger Institute---
Somatoemotional Release 1 & 2 with Upledger Institute---
Visceral Manipulation 1 - 4 with Barral Institute---
Chinese Energetic Medicine/Qigong (ongoing) with Dr. William L. Welch Jr, D.T.C.M., D.M.Q. (China) ---
Mindfulness Meditation Facilitation Training Intensive with Michael Stone

Book your appointment online .niagarahealingarts.com

10/27/2025

There are many misconceptions about healing work that patients might bring to their session. Allow me to bring some clarity.

1. “The therapist will figure this out for me”. The therapist is a skilled mediator, negotiator and facilitator. Even when the therapist has special assessment or intuitive skill, the patient still needs to acknowledge, accept and transform what needs healing most, which might not be what the patient expected (especially when the treatment focus was on the physical body).

2. “I feel better so I am healed”. This might be true, or this might be a stage of temporary relief. A change in symptoms can be a good thing, but this isn’t always an indication that the pattern fueling the problem has been addressed. Dysfunction that is missed or avoided can show up in different ways. This is why we ask so many questions.

3. “The therapist doesn’t need to know about “X””.A skilled therapist knows more about you than you think. When you omit crucial information for whatever reason (forgot, don’t think it’s important, are ashamed to disclose, etc) it is likely to arise during a session in some way at some time. Feeling safe to disclose information is integral to healing, and every moment of your life experience matters.

4. “Healing will bring me peace”. Perhaps, but before peace arrives we must let go of what is causing us to feel anxious, restless, angry or distracted. This might be difficult or take some time to work through. Healing is a process, not a destination, and something must be sacrificed or resolved in order to create space for peace. We also need to learn what peace feels like for us.

Healing work can go fast or slow depending on many factors. Timing is everything, and it helps to consider practical things like financial, work and relational obligations and supports. There’s no one way to work with suffering. Choose what suits you and what you’re willing to engage honestly with.

Thanks for reading.

Nancy

10/26/2025

Sinus Congestion & Pain

I had a Craniosacral Therapy session myself this week, and attention was drawn to a chronic cranio-facial pattern of mine that tends to result in stagnation and mucus accumulation in my left frontal sinus. This sometimes causes pain, but mostly blocks the left nostril airway somewhat. The day following my session, and after a steamy shower, I was able to blow my nose multiple times to discharge the mucus. (It felt like it was stuck to my brain, lol) It was quite a bit, and I was grateful to free that airway.

These are the type of techniques that are difficult to perform for oneself, and necessary when the problem is complex. You see, it’s not just about my sinuses, and in order to work with the whole-body pattern I need to be in a relaxed and receptive state with someone facilitating the process.

Helpers need helpers too. Our own challenges are what keep us humble, and motivated to learn and grow as therapists.

If you struggle with sinus congestion, blockages or other respiratory complaints once the cold weather arrives and your heat turned on in the home, remember that Craniosacral Therapy is a relaxing and gentle way to get relief. It is possible to avoid the headaches and pain associated with mucus & phlegm, dryness, irritation and other reactions to dust, viruses, sniffling, coughing, etc.

Nancy Dougherty RMT CST MQT
www.niagarahealingarts.com

10/24/2025

Get Right with Rest

As we transition into winter, our bodies and minds naturally crave slowness, warmth, and restorative practices.

Winter hibernation is important, and there are lots of things you can do to conserve energy and nourish your Shen (Spirit) during the winter months.

The key is to avoid overstimulation (caffeine, screen time, emotional disturbances) and promote calm & relaxation (cozy clothing, meditation, warming soups and teas, incense and soothing music).

You will know when your Shen needs nurturing if you experience symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, irritability or foggy thinking. Stress, overwork, overexertion and a poor diet can destroy our efforts to feel well.

The winter’s diminished sunlight, which a vitalizing Yang energy necessary for health, can be replenished by gathering Divine Light through meditation and prayer. We naturally absorb this light when we are still, relaxed and receptive to it.

Deep rest is supremely important for our health and longevity. Sadly, it’s counter-cultural. It’s not indicative of weakness or laziness. It’s not an indulgence. It’s an act of self-appreciation. It’s what we need to feel whole and connected to life.

So, get your fuzzy socks out and put the kettle on.

What are your favourite nurturing and rest activities during winter?

Thanks for reading.

Nancy

Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Unsplash

See this article to learn more about the Shen in TCM. https://holisticacupuncture.net/the-shen-in-chinese-medicine-nurturing-the-spirit-for-optimal-health/

10/23/2025

About Last Night.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our first Qigong practice at the new clinic.

The consensus was that we succeeded in “Transforming our Chaos into Calm”.

(The mood lighting definitely helped).

There’s a class scheduled every Wednesday evening at 6pm until December, and anyone can join for one or more classes on a Pay-What-You-Want basis, space permitting.

Register at www.niagarahealingarts.com

10/22/2025

In my work as a Medical Qigong Therapist (Daoist Energetic Medicine) it is essential to maintain a routine practice of Qi cultivation and personal transformation.

What does this mean?
This means that in order to offer powerful energetic medicine to others, I must also practice the medicine myself. As life conditions change, we change. As we age physically and grow spiritually, our practices must change also. So, some sort of intentional daily practice is necessary to work with what’s arising in our bodies, minds and spirit to be transformed.

What does this look like?
That depends. I have a daily Qigong workout routine to stretch the tendons, relax the tissues, focus the mind and connect with heaven and earth energies to gather and store Qi. This takes under an hour to do, but sometimes I do a shorter practice, depending on my schedule. There are many Qigong exercises and meditations I can perform specific to my physical and emotional state. I do many of my daily tasks in prayer and gratitude. I also enjoy an evening meditation and prayer session (about 30 minutes).

It takes a regular practice of returning to a balanced and grounded state to be able to notice when you’re “off”. Life happens, and our habitual patterns of thinking and feeling will show up unexpectedly. If we notice our harmful or unskillful responses to life soon enough, we can perhaps avoid making things worse. We can do something to interrupt or change the pattern (if we want to).

This is the process of transformation, and it is possible for everyone.

Thanks for reading. Nancy

10/19/2025

Years ago I had a patient arrive who was referred by her daughter, a physiotherapist, for Craniosacral Therapy (CST) and Somatoemotional Release (SER). This form of bodywork allows the patient and therapist to work together, using therapeutic dialogue and imagery, to locate and release “energy cysts” in the tissues formed by suppressed emotional energies.

Her persistent mid-back pain had bothered her for a year, and she had tried various methods of treatment including Chiropractic, Massage and Physiotherapy. The patient was otherwise healthy.

During her session I eventually paused on the painful area. I could feel her liver’s heaviness and immobility. Her spine in this area was very rigid. I could perceive, through intuitive imagery and sensation, that she harbored frustrated with someone in her life. So, I asked, “is this the location of your pain”? She replied, “yes”. Then I asked, “is there someone in your life that you are frustrated with lately”? She replied, “yes”, then burst into tears, sobbing. I continued to monitor the tissue changes with my hands. The muscles softened, and I was able to gently mobilize the rigid spinal segments and improve the dural glide through this area. Once things felt like they were moving well, I ended the treatment.

Afterwards, the patient told me that her husband retired about a year ago, and ever since then he had been home “all the time” and she felt frustrated with this change. She was used to taking care of the house and other activities on her own time without interruption. Also, her husband was not adjusting well to retirement, and this had been causing arguments.

Her pain began shortly after her husband retired. After this one session, she reported the pain was completely gone. At a follow-up appointment a month later, the pain was still gone, and she was better able to communicate with her husband and work with her frustration.

This particular patient’s story moved me because it showed me how simple & transformative the process CAN be. I was so happy for her.

Sessions like this were very validating early in my career, and also very humbling.

Thanks for reading.

Nancy

10/18/2025

When someone arrives in my clinic I always prioritize listening, noticing and clarifying.

Part of my clinical approach is to discover more about what the patient truly wants and needs on a deeper level. Often what the patient thinks they need is not what the body is “saying” they need, and my job is to help the patient reconcile this conflict.

One of my philosophies is this: if you want to feel more like “yourself”, you need to trust that your body knows what to do and is always trying to reconcile conflict in the tissues.

This conflict could be one of a values misalignment at work, beliefs about yourself and your place in the world, or a habit putting the needs of others over your own.

The conflict might also be between a non-conscious pattern that once kept you safe, and the conscious desire to heal from the fatigue and pain of maintaining that pattern now that it’s no longer needed.

This inner conflict is often experienced as “stuckness” or confusion, keeping us in a loop of repetitive thinking, feeling or actions.

Any inner conflict, once felt and acknowledged, can lead to great relief and a sense of safety and trust within your body and mind.

Conflicting beliefs and physiological patterns, when suppressed and prolonged, creates physical tension, energetic depletion, anxiety, worry, fear and the negative health effects that come along with them, such as migraines, high blood pressure, digestive and respiratory problems, joint pain, lowered immunity and more.

This is why we need all the tools available to us to work with our body, mind and spirit as a more fluid, unified field.

Listening, noticing and clarifying in this therapeutic context is a subtle artform that is essential to true healing, and I can facilitate the process with you.

Thanks for reading.

Nancy

10/16/2025

Welcome! I’m Nancy

I’m a Registered Massage Therapist in St Catharines with patients from all over the Niagara Region and beyond.

I help people heal from problematic and painful patterns of movement, breathing and low vitality.

I also help people connect these habits to their patterns of thinking and feeling.

How do I do this? Through years of discipline, study and practice of various forms of manual therapy, mindful movement and meditation.

Specifically, I apply modern Massage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Medical Qigong Therapy skills for a precise and comfortable evaluation and treatment.

Considering the principles of Chinese Energetic Medicine, we feel best and most like ourselves when body, breath and mind are in harmony.

When sufficiently relaxed and aware, or when we have a balance of calmness and alertness in mind and body, Qi, Blood and other bodily fluids can move freely through us for better health.

I can help facilitate this experience for you and teach you how to return to regulation on your own.

I began this work 20 years ago with a mission to understand human suffering and learn how we can sensibly bridge the gap between modern medicine, ancient medicine and mysticism.

Now, my clinic attracts professional helpers and healers of all kinds, and I have made a vow to help them avoid burnout. We need all of the heart-centered, intelligent and skilled medical and mental health practitioners we can get.

Whether you are simply interested in wellness or suffer from a complex health condition, I can help in some way. Sometimes in a profound way. Always in a unique way.

Thanks for reading,

Nancy

P.S. I also write essays on Substack! See links for details.

10/09/2025

Here’s another sneak peek into the new clinic space!

I found this location while scouting for a place in St. Catharines to hold Qigong and Meditation classes.

I’ve been telling people that this space is a combination of my favourite things about my various clinic and teaching locations, such as:

- the quiet, private, accessible & professional medical environment with lots of parking and a bright, clean aesthetic as with
- The rectangular teaching space (just the right size), partially underground (to gather the yin earth energy) with lots of natural light (to gather the yang solar energy) as with
- The modern flooring and cozy treatment room of my Port Dalhousie location.

Added bonuses in the new space are:

- TWO private bathrooms
- a large storage room
- an office for virtual appointments and writing my Substack essays
- an additional treatment room with a private entry (available for rent maybe? To be determined…)

I’ve been doing my Qigong and Meditation practice there, and the space feels great already. I can’t wait for you to visit.

If you have any questions about the new location, shoot me a DM.

Nancy

10/08/2025

Here’s a sneak peek into the new clinic space!

My Dream Team is back in action, creating another sacred space for community practice and healing. Most of the prepping, painting, design and decor is well underway, and I’m pleased with the results so far.

Lots of work to do yet, but I am on schedule and sleeping like a log.

Online booking is open for my remaining appointments in Niagara Falls as well as my expanded schedule in St. Catharines.

Here are some things to know about getting to Glenridge Medical Building:

- If you are travelling from Niagara Falls, you can take Thorold Stone Road through the Thorold Tunnel and exit on either a) Sir Isaac Brock Way (towards Brock University) and descend the Brock hill to Glenridge or b) Glendale exit and pass Pen Centre to Glenridge.

- If you are travelling from the QEW,
take the 406 exit to the Glendale exit and pass Pen Centre to Glenridge

- Nearby landmarks are St. Julia Catholic Church, Denis Morris High School, and Cat’s Caboose Restaurant.

- Parking is free (don’t let the defunct ticket box fool you) and there is a spot beside the entry dedicated to Niagara Healing Arts which you can use if it’s available.

If you have any questions about the new location, shoot me a DM.

Nancy

09/10/2025

This summer I practiced Qigong outdoors a lot and had the mosquito bites to prove it. Thankfully, my new clinic has a perfect sized space for indoor practice.

When practicing indoors with others, not only do we benefit exponentially from each other’s Qi cultivation, but we also infuse the ceiling, walls and floors with our combined Qi.

I invite you to join me in some Pay-What-You-Want Qigong classes starting October 22 on Wednesdays from 6-8pm. There are 9 classes scheduled into December.

All are welcome, no experience necessary, online registration required. (Link in Bio or www.niagarahealingarts.com)

Payments can be made upon arrival by cash or credit card, or in advance using the secure “Buy me a coffee” program. (www.buymeacoffee.com/nancydougherty)

You can pay as you go or for all classes at once. You choose the amount.

Hope to see you!
Nancy

09/07/2025

🍂New Clinic 🍂 Tips for Autumn 🍂 Qigong Classes - https://mailchi.mp/32c3b5ef2daa/stay-cool-summer-update-9254230

Address

103/1 Belton Boulevard
Saint Catharines, ON
L2T3Y4

Opening Hours

Wednesday	1pm - 6:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 3:30pm
Saturday	9:30am - 1:30pm

Website

http://www.niagarahealingarts.com/, https://niagarahealingarts.substack.com/

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Nancy Dougherty has 14+ years of private clinical experience in manual therapy and practical self-care. Whether you are a young athlete, recovering from a surgery, suffering from stress or managing a chronic condition, Nancy is a compassionate partner in providing the most efficient and effective treatment possible. She has sought out exceptional teachers that devoted their lives researching and developing techniques that help people achieve greater health and harmony on many levels.