The “Core” of Noyau

Some of you may be asking yourself “what the heck does Noyau mean anyway?” It’s a question we were asked often as we went through the process of seeing our dream for a collaborative, holistic wellness center come to life. Luckily it has an easy answer: Core.

Noyau is a French word meaning simply “core”. When we visualized a center where people could come and have their lives transformed with a positive, total mind and body experience, the first decision we had to make was what to name it. We barely gave the question much thought to be honest with you. Not because choosing a name would prove to be easy but because we knew it would. As it turns out naming your goals is difficult, even for two therapists! But as the weeks went on we saw that our name would symbolize more than a location or letter head logo. It would speak about us, symbolize us, the very core of us and thus Noyau came into being.

Once we moved past creating a name and what it meant, the really important questions started popping up. “What do you do?” Fortunately, this one was easy to answer because it was something we had both spent considerable time focusing on in our daydreams. We had noticed a gap in the healthcare system, a gap that could easily be remedied with collaboration.

Routinely we referred our clients to other practitioners in the area who offered services we ourselves could not provide to them. Being therapists we could expertly work with clients on the behavioral, cognitive, and emotional side of issues plaguing them, yet work in that one area alone will not always get a client where they need to be. While we could see the other areas that needed to be addressed and refer our clients to experts in those fields, rarely could all of the practitioners meet and collaborate on how best to serve the client. But what if they could?

The more we discussed what a benefit it would be to have multiple therapists from various professions under one roof, the stronger our determination grew. Collaboration would be the key to our vision. But who to collaborate with? Who in our minds would make up a therapeutic “dream team” of practitioners?

And yet again we were stuck. We knew the mind body connection was instrumental in the lives of each of our clients as well as ourselves. We also knew that to treat only one area would hamper the ability for successful life long change. Accordingly, we had to include practitioners that would work towards helping others achieve that goal of fulfillment. There were many options for us to examine, which we did, adding months of to the process of opening our doors to the public.

Not only did we want to consider who was needed, but what was lacking in the facilities that were readily available. We wanted to offer services that were in tune with our vision for the future of wellness. Ultimately we decided a more natural, holistic approach would afford our clients the greatest probability for success.

This is not to say that we are anti-conventional medicine, quite the opposite actually. Every person who walks through our doors is seen as an individual, unique in their history, their experiences and their biological make up. For some, medical intervention is a necessity, one that we whole heartily encourage. For this reason, we have many close ties to physicians, specialists, and psychiatrists in the community.

However, medication is not for everyone. Contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as a “happy pill”. Many of our clients seek alternatives to medication for their treatment, which is why our practice includes the grouping of experts that it does.

Holistic medicine has a long history. It includes acupuncture, natural remedies, vitamins and nutrient supplements to treat a wide range of both mental and physical ailments. In line with that is also massage and body work, both of which are cornerstones at Noyau. The next piece that we decided would be fundamental to a well rounded and balanced collaboration would be nutrition.

Along with the counseling services we provide, these professions make up what we believe is an equation for positive living. Giving clients the experience of working with a group of experienced practitioners who work alongside them as one team, with one goal, that is our vision…that is Noyau.