A Stories Project: Humans of Heart & Hands

Christina is a magician, and the H&H is a beautiful, respectful space for collective healing. I began seeing Christina for my Graves’ disease. At that time, I was struggling with significant anxiety and minor heart palpitations. I had no energy and felt exhausted all the time. During our sessions, Christina…

I have been seeing Christina regularly for about a year, and wow, what an incredible support she has been in my chronic illness recovery journey. It has been remarkable to experience the internal shifts she facilitates each session, and the sustained impact of those shifts. As someone whose body can…

I didn’t expect acupuncture to have such an impact on me, but walking into Heart & Hands has opened up a whole new world of self-care for me. Right from the start, Christina’s deep level of care stands out. Her confident touch, crisp efficient movements, and even the cozy tuck-in…

I have been a client of Christina’s for over a year now and it has been one of the best decisions that I have made. I was having some discomfort in my side and for the life of me could not figure out what it was. I was desperate in…

From my very visit, Heart and Hands made their way into my gratitude practice – I can feel myself loving me every time I am there. I have felt safe and held by every practitioner I’ve worked with, and the impacts of this healing modality have been deeply felt in…

I’ve been going to H&H since I was about 18 (like 9 years ago)! Christina and all the lovely and skilled folks who have welcomed me to the space have been a beautiful part of me growing up. So many different life stages and stressful periods have happened over this…

I first got connected to Heart & Hands a few years back through my network of queer farmers on Vancouver Island. As a immunocompromised small-scale farmer who didn’t necessarily have the income to do private acupuncture sessions, getting connected to Heart & Hands was exactly what my body and mind…

I recently started going to see Christina, Jade and JO at Heart & Hands. I’m a survivor of domestic violence and have been terrified of touch and being in public, and have struggled to find trauma-informed care that isn’t pathologizing. Christina and her team make me feel safe in so…

I’ve had a pain in my neck, for months. I went for one Gua sha treatment with Jade. The next night, I was getting ready for sleeping and I noticed, the pain is gone! What a relief to know I can address this stress with healing before it becomes so…

I’ve been getting acupuncture from Christina for over 6 months now.  I have lived a lifetime of trauma and abuse growing up and it’s affected my thinking patterns and caused a great deal of anxiety and depression. In 2016 I suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which was not diagnosed…

This October, we can hardly believe it ourselves, but Heart & Hands turns 14!!!AND we are inviting you to share with us your Humans of Heart & Hands stories!Tell us about the impact we have made in your lives and be entered in a prize draw! We love community. And…

A heart-warming thank you card dropped off by one of our lovely doula Community Acupuncture clients who has presently just landed back in the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, otherwise known as Toronto. It has been an…

J.W. landed in Lekwungen Territories for a few weeks before heading to Ontario and they decided to give Community Acupuncture a try in the hopes of dealing with endometriosis and the accompanying intense, painful and dysregulating menstrual cycle. And to add a layer of six degrees of separation, J.W. also…

It’s been a few weeks operating at 2612 Quadra St and we’ve had a few scheduling mix-ups, so we are taking the opportunity to reintroduce two members of our acupunking team with somewhat similar names… Jaay (Jade) Kulhawy-Bartlett, R.Ac. If I were to describe myself in 3 words: Curious, considered,…

This is a Humans of Heart & Hands appreciation + cross promotional post of one of our talented H&H clients of which Christina has formed both a professional and personal relationship with. This is a great opportunity to highlight our client’s wonderful, vibrant and joyful body of work! I have…

SO, it’s official, WE ARE REOPENING Monday July 15th!! And we are also excited to unveil the completed acupuncture room, we’ve left it au naturale for inspection, but clouds, moon and stars go up this weekend, stay tuned for more updates… I remember waaaaay back in 2010 when I wrapped…

My name is Jade or known around H&H as “JO”. I am a white, able bodied, small to mid-fat cis-woman who is a 3rd generation settler born andraised in Winnipeg. The Traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Denepeoples and homeland of the Metis Nation. I have roots in…

Thursday May 30th at 1:46pm, we received news of another babe born with the assistance of Community Acupuncture!!! Congrats to momma and her growing family and to another efficient and successful birth! Dear Friends & Family Everywhere, We’re thrilled to announce the arrival of our beautiful son.  C.M.P. was born at home…

Heart & Hands has been an integral part of my self-care and health-care through multiple chapters of my life. I first visited Heart & Hands as a stressed, anxious and overwhelmed student in 2018, and continued to go through career & life changes. Though I no longer live in Victoria,…

This thank you card was gifted to Christina by a new acupuncture grad, Erica, who had the opportunity to participate in clinical observation and run our front desk reception from October 2023 – February 2024. Dear Christina,It’s been a real pleasure working alongside you these past few months. Thank you…

As a registered midwife new to this community, I had heard of Heart & Hands and recommended them to clients on local resource lists, but receiving care from their team has given me the opportunity to truly understand the incredible value of the care they provide our community. I have…

Jade or JO (she/they) came to studying acupuncture and TCM with an interest in providing accessible care and working in outreach. They believe acupuncture and TCM can be a powerful tool to build resiliency, restore a sense of connection and safety within the body and can help support and manage…

This exciting email arrived in our inbox on Sunday March 17 at 4:57am: Thanks so much Christina, Sarah and Jaay! My daughter Norah was born early this morning. Thank you all so much for your tender and attentive care during this pregnancy and all that came with it! Looking forward…

An essential factor in my well-being. I originally started coming to Heart & Hands a few years ago for acupuncture treatments to help with tension migraines, which I had suffered from my whole life. With regular treatments, those migraines have become basically non-existent. I also participate in sports (powerlifting and…

What a gem of a place H&H has been for me! I went to Christina for the first time in November 2022 while they had their farmer promo after experiencing a big burn out and some big life transitions. I felt like a shell of a human upon entering and…

I have been coming to Heart & Hands for just a couple of months, and already I notice a difference in my overall wellbeing. I have been struggling with chronic pain for most of my life due to endometriosis. Before my first visit, I completed a detailed intake form and…

I have been going to Heart & Hands for the past year, and always look forward to my sessions in the relaxing environment provided. Christina and Sarah are both very perceptive and I always feel well taken care of. I’ve noticed a great improvement in my mental health and stress…

Hello community! I hope this finds you relatively well. What a wild time to be alive! 2024 will be a year of integrating the accumulated learning, refining and practicing that took place over previous year. Having completed the Balance System Acupuncture certification in November 2023 with the esteemed Dr Sonia…

Hello everyone! I hope you are all keeping warm and getting lots of rest during this Yin time of the year. I have been spending lots of time resting, reading and learning fun new skills to keep me busy! I’m looking forward to seeing your faces in the chairs again…

Hello all of you in 2024! I hope your holiday times were quiet and gentle (this is what I’m hearing most often from people in clinic). I mostly rested and enjoyed the company of loved ones, while reflecting on the last year what I’d like for the next. This year…

A fellow client and Sagittarian dropped this sweet thank you note at the clinic today. Dear Christina,Thanks so much for all the care this year – the acupunk and the clients!It has really made a positive impact on dealing with my health issues to have accessible, affordable health care. I…

A lovely, courageous and grateful new mama dropped by the clinic today with a giant box of chocolates and this beautiful card. Her babe is now 7 months old, healthy and growing fast! Dear Christina,With the end of the year in sight, I wanted to take a moment to thank…

I started acupuncture when I was in 1st and 2nd year nursing school and I was how do we say it? Stressed out to the max and on the verge of breaking. Someone mentioned acupuncture and Heart & Hands was an affordable place I could go while living off of…

I came to Heart & Hands earlier this year after I suddenly lost hearing in my left ear due to a virus. I could hardly walk because of vertigo and I was extremely sensitive to sound with intense ringing in my ear. Sarah Strohan and Christina Chan were so kind…

When I walked into my first acupuncture at Heart & Hands on June 3, 2021, I had no idea how literal their name would become for me. I started seeing Christina to treat chronic pain originally because acupuncture had been recommended by friends who also struggle with pain management. Since…

Heart & Hands Health Collective has been a true blessing since I started working with the clinic in 2012. I was brought to this clinic by my Doula when my labour stopped in hospital and the staff were trying to encourage me to be induced. My Doula first brought me…

“The ways we can make new, what was previously lost and I think that becomes one of the central questions and central work of many immigrants to in effect make their own history part of their contemporary work.” ~Stephen SatterfieldS1 E13 Point of Origin Podcast Heart & Hands Health Collective…

Heart & Hands, our little clinic who could turns 13 on October 6th, 2023. OMG, we’ve made it through ANOTHER YEAR!! This October, we are inviting you to share with us your Humans of Heart & Hands stories.Tell us about the impact we have made in your lives during this global…

My name is Jaay (Jade) Kulhawy-Bartlett (she/her) I am a 14th generation settler to the lands of this continent, at the furthest extent of my genealogical history. My paternal grandmother’s line was primarily made up of 17th century colonizers of “New France” from France. My paternal grandfather’s line was a…

Jade (she/her) is a white, trans woman settler who came to holistic medicine after 7 years of work in activist communities. In them she honed collectivist values and observed a shared need to address our physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies alongside liberation work for the social body. She is deeply…

My love for H&H began in November 2020 — a time when my body was wracked with anxiety and change. The tender care provided by Christina, David, and others at H&H left a strong impact on me, and I fell hard for the way that H&H not only brings people…

After years of migraines, regular acu-naps really calmed them down ! Also, recovering from a recent major health issue, regular accupuncture and Christina’s magic touch really facilitated a great recovery! I so appreciate access to quality care that Heart and Hands provides… Namaste! A.S.

I am grateful for you Sarah and Christina! I moved to Victoria almost a year ago from Ontario, since moving here I have not been able to access the required medical care I need for advanced degeneration in my spine and pelvis. Thankfully I stumbled across Heart & Hands website…

We LOVE getting snail mail and in the past year, we’ve had a number of our clients send us postcards from faraway places including Haida Gwaii, the UK, Morocco, Mexico and Costa Rica. This postcard that arrived last week is likely the farthest away from Lekwungen Territories, all the way…

I started going to Christina shortly after being introduced to acupuncture. I quickly learned to love it to help with my anxiety and Christina has been a huge part of my wellness care since. I feel safe and cared for and find huge benefits to my mental and physical health….

Life will bring challenges and through that grows change. At Heart & Hands I have felt what it truly means to be cared for by the community. In this past year, I’ve taken a brave step towards caring for myself and Christina has opened a whole new part of me…

I came to The Heart and Hands Collective last year after realizing I needed help managing the stress that was accumulating in my life as well as pain I’d been suffering with from osteo arthritis. Christina came to my rescue. The acupuncture treatments and support I’ve received from her have…

I’ve been seeing David for cupping for the past little while. It’s basically magic, melting tension from my chronically tense neck and shoulders – I’m starting to need to see him less often which makes me super happy, but also sad that I get less magical tension dissolving. Thanks for…

I had never had cupping done before, but when it started being offered at Heart & Hands, the place where I began my acupuncture journey, I decided to take a healthy risk and book it to see what it would offer me. I immediately noticed David’s warm energy and felt…

So often folks in the community will try and help farmers. Ideas that require additional work by farmers (for free) with unknown demand or outcomes. It can be exhausting. Thank you to Heart & Hands for not asking more from us, for putting us first and giving us a chance…

Hi Christina! Wanted to let you know that our little one made an appearance! Amelia Luna Ayi Aba arrived Sept 27 evening. Thank you so much for your incredible support and expertise. I look forward to seeing you again soon and hope you’re doing really well.  Warmly,  L.S. 

Heart & Hands, our little clinic who could turns 12 on October 6th, 2022. How time flies… Pandemic practicing is not without its trials, tribulations and quirks. There is no manual for what we should be doing.We continue to be driven by the persistent belief that acupuncture is a tool…

My name is Sarah Strohan (she/her).  I am 3rd generation Canadian settler. I have Ukrainian ancestry on my fathers side and Norwegian and Irish on my mothers. I was born on Treaty 6 and Metis Homeland (Saskatoon, SK) and lived there for the first 20 years of my life. When…

Dear Sarah, David and Christina, I would like to follow up and thank you for being part of my prenatal team!   I ended up going into active labour on Saturday afternoon after my 3rd acupuncture session at 41 weeks and 2 days. Little Senko was born at home later that evening, just…

Snail mail from a former H&H acu-napper K.O. who is as we speak is cycling across the country! The first postcard marks their passage through Alberta, the second, making their way through Saskatchewan. Last we spoke, they were entering Manitoba!! Their ultimate goal is to make it to the East Coast…

Sarah (she/her), is originally from Saskatoon, but has been living (mostly) on the west coast for the past 13 years. During this time she studied acupuncture and East Asian Medicine at Pacific Rim College in Victoria, BC. Sarah’s journey with acupuncture has helped her through her own personal struggles with…

Thank you for all the healing you’ve brought to to my life, especially throughout my pregnancy.I’m grateful to feel so taken care of during such an exciting and vulnerable time. Love Laska & baby

We have been following K.F. throughout their fertility journey and once pregnant, also supported them through all the ebbs and flows of how the body changes as it is gestating a new life! We are delighted to add another babe to our annual spring-summer baby wave!

Another mission accomplished with 2 acupuncture labour induction sessions over the weekend. Safe, drug-free, potent and traditional. I’m glad it did the trick A.Q., see you in a few weeks for some post-partum follow-up!

Hey y’all, I’m David Gillese, (he/him). That surname is anglicized Irish gaelic and is confusingly pronounced gill-eece. I am a 2nd generation Irish-Canadian settler on my Dad’s side and with French-Canadian and some more Irish heritage on my mom’s side. I was born on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen…