Stephanie Babbitt, B.Sc.N., R.N., D.O.M.P., D.Sc.O.
Any variation from the health has a cause, and the cause has a location. It is the business of the osteopath to locate and remove it (the cause), doing away with disease and getting health instead.
– A.T. Still MD, DO, Founder of Osteopathy
Promoting health and empowering you to take charge of your well-being is the cornerstone of why I love being an Osteopathic Manual Therapist (OMT). I have always been interested in healthcare and began my career as a Nurse. I studied Nursing at Laurentian University and worked in disability management, specializing in severe spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation management, for several years after graduating with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1997. While this was a rewarding career, I wanted to focus more on health promotion and take a more active role in health rehabilitation.
My interest in Osteopathy began while I was training for my first marathon and I was surrounded by people who were continually dealing with running injuries, including myself! I began seeing an OMT to treat my own injuries and help me achieve my marathon goals and, as I successfully progressed with this new treatment, I became more interested in understanding the why behind illness, pain and dysfunction and my curiosity about Osteopathy was piqued.
Osteopathy is rooted in a very holistic approach to the assessment and treatment of the body. This philosophy resonated with me and I enrolled at that Canadian College of Osteopathy (CCO) and began my studies and training in 2006. I have been treating patients, using the osteopathic approach, since 2009 and after 5 years of formal study and a few more years to complete my thesis, I graduated from the CCO in November 2015 and became a member of the Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (OAO).
I am grateful for all the support I have received from my colleagues and mentors along the way and I am especially thankful for each of my patients who entrust their care to me and who teach me something new every day!