McCain Whole Health Care, PLC

08/23/2025

In the ever-evolving attempt to keep who I am and what I do integrated yet distinct, l've created new instagram and Facebook accounts under the username dr.arlenemccain

There, I'll share all my creative and entrepreneurial ventures for whole health and healing.

If you're interested, follow me there!

08/06/2025

🌿At Sacred Paradise Aesthetics, we’re proud to offer you skincare choices that reflect your values and your skin’s needs. Whether you’re a fan of our trusted Obagi products or looking to explore something new, we’re excited to introduce a high-performance, plant-based alternative: the EXO|E Skin Revitalizing System.

🌿This three-part system—D|TOX, RE|PAIR, and EXO|GLO—is built around clean, vegan formulations and advanced plant-derived exosomes that deliver visible results with no compromise in purity.

🌿D|TOX – Clean Start for Every Skin
Prepare your skin for treatments or your daily routine with this gentle detoxifying serum.
• Boosts natural hyaluronic acid production
• Calms and clarifies the skin
• Use before treatments or as a daily prep serum

🌿RE|PAIR – Deep Recovery & Renewal
Support skin regeneration post-procedure—or use daily to target aging and inflammation.
• Stimulates collagen and elastin
• Reinforces the skin barrier
• Calms irritation and restores glow

🌿EXO|GLO – Weekly Radiance Mask
This luxurious collagen mask infused with 24K gold and plant-based exosomes soothes and illuminates the skin.
• Plumps, hydrates, and reduces redness
• Perfect post-treatment or as a weekly self-care ritual

🌿Your Skincare, Your Choice

🌿The EXO|E system can be used:
• As a daily, standalone skincare protocol
• As a pre- and post-treatment system
• Or as a clean, plant-based complement or alternative to Obagi

🌿Whether you’re committed to your current Obagi regimen or curious about cleaner options, we offer both—giving you the flexibility to customize your skincare without compromise.

🌿Ready to try plant-powered performance?
Let us guide you through the best ways to integrate EXO|E or combine it with your existing regimen. Ask us at your next visit or reply to reserve your set.

08/06/2025

MWHC Musings: Lux in Tenebris

Dear Beloveds,

7 years ago today, 8/6/2018, I opened the doors of McCain Whole Health Care, and you entered.

Thank you. Again and again, thank you.

With you, in you, through you, because of you, my world was turned upside down and inside out and has been irrevocably changed. The “theology” of grace, the intellectual study to understand and articulate perfect love freely and unconditionally given, has become “word made flesh” in our time together.

What I’ve LIVED over these 7 years is that perfect love isn’t some unattainable “out there” wish I’ll “never have” because I’m not perfect enough to earn it.

Rather, perfect love meets me right here and right now in all the painful, imperfect moments of vulnerable relationships, and endlessly creates unexpected, unbelievable, unpredictable, utterly amazing things. I simply need to notice. And because of the space we’ve created together, I’ve noticed. And can’t stop noticing. And upon reflection, I notice even more things that I didn’t notice the first time around.

On day 1, eager to offer a new model of medicine where time was suspended for an hour with heartfelt conversation and whole person care, I was brought back to earth at the end of the visit as I said good-bye, with one simple question, “Are you going to check my blood pressure?”

Day 1, hour 1, patient 1, and I didn’t even get the most basic of basics done in a doctor’s appointment.

Every negative thought I had about myself coalesced and I jeered at myself, “Who do you think you are? How dare you try to be different and try something different? You can’t even get this one simple thing done. Look, you’re already a failure and this dream will fail.”

And there, right there, as my body was frozen in a flood of self-criticism, self-questioning, self-doubt, and self-hate, I looked into this patient’s eyes and saw curiosity instead of my harsh self-judgment.

In that moment everything stood still and the choice was clear - would I take his blood pressure or be defeated and give up on McCain Whole Health Care?

It sounds so dramatic to put it that way, but I can’t emphasize enough how that one interaction with that one patient in that one moment would affect the trajectory of this practice.

I could either accept that I was not perfect and keep going, or not accept it and give up.

I could either accept myself and be gentle with myself, or reject myself and endlessly second-guess myself.

I could either surrender control to trust in relationship, or keep control and surrender relationship.

And there – day 1, hour 1, patient 1 – perfect love met imperfect me in vulnerable relationship with this one person and offered me a choice.

And love won.

I took his blood pressure.

Peace, health, and wholeness- Arlene

(Image courtesy of Velleda and Sallye)

08/02/2025

Dear Beloveds,

Seven years ago today, 8/2/2018, I left Carilion to start McCain Whole Health Care.

Seven years ago today, Teresa left Carilion to travel another road until we resumed our journey together in 2020.

Seven years ago today, Randi was walking with me to create a Spirit-led, heart-centered, person-centered medical practice.

Seven years ago today, each of your paths was leading you to meet mine.

And here, on the other side of not-knowing what would happen 7 years ago, is confirmation that there really is no need to fear.

No matter what was, or is, or will be — Love wins.

Yesterday morning, in the company of the Spirit that I’ve been walking closely with these past 7 years, I wove the words “sacred”-”strengthen”-”scattered” together in my solitary prayer.

Yesterday mid-day, in the company of 2 women I’ve been participating in group spiritual direction with for 4 years, before I shared anything, the words “spirituality”-”stabilize”-”separate” (see quote below) bookended contemplative sharing about the heights and breadth and depths love in our individual, spiritually embodied, journeys.

Yesterday late afternoon, in the company of the massage therapist I had my 4th session with, without my saying anything, she worked on my legs (to ground me), piled cedar stones on my body (to anchor me), and used sound therapy (to release—for lack of a better way to describe it now— new syllables ready to emerge from the depths of me).

This morning, the recognition came– when I am true to my soul (my True Self) the other side of “sacred” is “freedom.”

It is only when I lose myself, forget myself, avoid myself, and reject myself that the other side of “sacred” is “scattered/separate.”

The reason that McCain Whole Health Care exists is because as I became increasingly fragmented as a person, I was less able to offer whole person care. But as our paths intersected over this season, the fragments in me have re-integrated, and parts I never knew I had – because of knowing you— have been illuminated and become a part of me.

We can only give what we have to offer. You’ve given me so much, and given me so much more to offer in my work of healing. Thank you.

Love was constrained in the system I knew, so I had to create a space where Love could be free. Thank you for taking the leap of faith into freedom with me over these past 7 years. I look forward to 7 (x7??) more!

Peace, health & wholeness- Arlene

Spirituality is what stabilizes us in the middle of confusion and gives us energy to go on doing what must be done even when the rest of life taxes and fatigues us and separates us from our own resources (Joan Chittister, A Spirituality for the 21st Century)

07/11/2025

Dear Beloved,

Come to our "Happy Place"!

After a year, the MWHC-SPA has a skincare suite of offerings that aligns with my vision of whole health care. Just like the SuzanObagiMD skincare line we carry, we offer a balance of “powerful ingredients and purposeful exclusions.”

I like to keep things simple.
What small steps lead to big changes?
What is minimally invasive and maximally effective?
How can I be gentle with myself in the midst of change?

The skin is our largest organ. It protects us from external damage AND expresses internal imbalance. Unlike our insides, we can see when our skin isn’t balanced and have ways to address it.

The beauty industry often focuses on "combating" signs of aging and upholds weird standards of perfection.

I personally love aging. I love the experiences, wisdom, and relationships that have developed over these multiple decades of life. I find it interesting that we try to erase “smile” lines and the “11’s” (lines between our brows that happen when we worry). We seek an unlined face … as if we’ve had an unlived life.

I love looking at my mom before she’s put on any makeup. I love gazing at the dynamism of her face— the lines around her eyes and her mouth that emphasize her joy and highlight her sadness— during early morning conversations. I love that without makeup, the abundance of her love for me illuminates her face with an ethereal glow that I simply bask in.

I find that her makeup masks her **transcendental beauty and makes her more conventionally beautiful. Neither is "better." She simply has both the richness and depth of an inner life that overflows as transcendental beauty, and the ability to apply makeup to enhance her external features for aesthetic beauty.

(**Transcendental Beauty goes beyond surface-level aesthetics to the essence of what is beautiful — that which leads us to a sense of awe, wonder, and spiritual connection.)

I personally am learning to embrace my imperfections. I keep discovering (because I just can’t believe it’s true, and keep testing it) that I don’t have to know it all, do it all, and plan it all perfectly in order for things to work out perfectly (that is, exactly as they should, versus what I want them to be).

So, just like MWHC disrupted the medical industry to offer primary care through conventional and holistic care, the MWHC-SPA is disrupting the beauty industry to illuminate aesthetic and transcendent beauty through offerings that include conventional skincare and the Wild Feminine program.

You know that for me, life is less about either/or… it’s about both/and.

How can I take the usual practice of family medicine and expand it to a higher reality that aligns with my vision of primary care? As I started MWHC, it was hard to clearly articulate how the focus isn’t on what insurance covers, but what our relationship includes.

How can I take the usual practice of medical aesthetics and expand it into a higher reality that honors my vision of beauty, which encompasses infinite diversity and seeming imperfection? As I’ve opened the SPA, it’s been really hard to articulate SPA offerings, because unlike a focus on “anti-aging” and “fixing imperfections,” we’re focused on “embracing ourselves” and “being gentle with ourselves.”

For both the medical practice and the med spa, it’s mind-bending.
Medical care can include a patient's vision of health and wellbeing?
Medical aesthetics can encompass a person's inner and outer beauty?

So, all that to say… the MWHC Skincare suite offers powerful options and purposeful exclusions — for men and women– to promote healthy skin and address precancerous skin changes early on.

1. At home self-care: Obagi Medical skincare

How? In contrast to over-the-counter skin care which sits on the skin surface, medical-grade skincare penetrates the skin and has more active ingredients.

How often? daily

2. AquaFirme plant-based, stem cell facials

How? Hydration is foundational to healthy skin. Between external stresses, internal imbalances, and prescription medications, it’s challenging to keep our skin adequately hydrated.

How often? monthly

3. AlphaPro photofacials (Intense pulsed light therapy (IPL))

How? Broadband light penetrates the skin, produces heat, eliminates damaged skin cells (along with redness and pigment) and stimulates the natural healing process.

How often? 3-6 initial treatments, then maintenance

4. (NEW!) NouvaDerm “laser facials” (1927 nm thulium laser)

How? This laser works at the skin surface to create microscopic columns of heat that eliminate damaged skin cells and stimulate the natural healing process to promote new skin

How often? 1-3 initial treatments, then maintenance

5. Scarlet Radiofrequency Microneedling

How? Radiofrequency heats deeper layers of skin, and microneedling uses tiny needles to create micro-injuries, which together trigger the body’s natural healing response to promote collagen and elastin production and rejuvenate the skin

How often? 3-6 initial treatments, then maintenance

Gentle Reminder: true beauty isn’t about using “make-up” to “cover-up” imperfections.

True beauty is about embracing our full make up (that is, all the parts of ourselves), to “offer up” our lives as gifts of love to one another.

Peace, health & wholeness, Arlene

06/26/2025

Tonight's the night! Wild Feminine 🔥 speaker series starts off with Elizabeth Shoop of Rivers Way Counseling.

Need some calm 🕯️in the midst of
chaos 🤪?

Let's sit together and take a collective breath. 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

Curious, but could use a little nudge?
- Lucy 🐶 needs some extra loving
- we'd love your feedback on our signature SPA treats 🍬
(mango caramel and passionfruit!)
- we've got "wild" 🐅 Obagi swag bags to "lift" you up 😉
- self-care is sacred, and we can't to it alone. So why not join us? 😘

Think BIG, dream BIG, live BIG!!!🌸🦋

06/18/2025

05/07/2025

With all the flurry of preparation for our Wild Feminine Cinco de Launcho, I didn't have a chance to post heartfelt gratitude for the additional surprise flowers we found at our front door on Monday morning! We are so blessed to have such generous friends who gift us great beauty!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!😍💕🌸
Here are the flowers, me waving thank you, and the PiVoT-TAL team with post-party joy.
Be blessed today!

05/06/2025

Wild Feminine program update!

Lucy is tired after our Cinco de Launcho party yesterday- she's still sleeping, and I've been awake for 3 hours 😂🤣

So, since even our Wild & Precious Lucy needs to rest, I'll follow her lead and we'll ease into the Wild Feminine program NEXT TUESDAY 5/13 from 5:30p-7:30 pm, starting with our contemplation of my book - Embrace Grace: New Medicine for a Wounded World.

If you're interested in joining our Wild Feminine program, text 540-738-7279.

05/04/2025

Wild Feminine program kick-off at our Cinco de Launcho event for Sacred Paradise Aesthetics tomorrow!! 🎉🎊🥳

This is the SPA's program to nurture your soul as you embark on your journey to nourish your skin.

It includes:
* self-directed weekly practices (because small, consistent steps lead to big change)
* monthly group meetings (because creating a safe network of connection supports us as speak boldly into the world)
* (optional) book studies exploring the feminine perspective on the spiritual life (because deeply rooted, heart-centered, inspired action changes the world)

Think BIG! Dream BIG! Live BIG!

Don't forget, 5/5 @ 5 pm
2058 Pro Pointe Lane, Harrisonburg

Your PiVoT-TALL team