| • Chiropractic • Wellness Coaching • Acupuncture |
• Counseling • Massage Therapy • Body Movement • Support Team |
“The healthy, the strong individual, is the one who asks for help when he needs it. Whether he has an abscess on his knee or in his soul” — Rona Barrett with over 100 years of combined experience and varied educational backgrounds, you are assured of finding a practitioner to meet your specific needs. As a team we focus as much on personal growth as we do on professional training in order to serve you in a caring and dedicated way. As experts in wellness, our doctors, practitioners and coaches have received extensive training from state accredited schools, have specialized education in their field, and use their invaluable experience to connect with you and create a personalized plan to meet your needs.
Chiropractic
Dr. Michelle Robin, DC, FASA, CCSP, CCWP
Founder & CWO
Doctor of Chiropractic
Dr. Michelle Robin has been passionate about wellness for 26 years. She is the Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) and Founder of Your Wellness Connection, PA in Shawnee, Kansas. Dr. Michelle Robin has been around wellness for 28 years. She is the Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) and Founder of Your Wellness Connection, PA, located in the Kansas City, Missouri Metro area. She graduated Cleveland Chiropractic College in 1991 and opened her own practice shortly thereafter, in 1992. In 2001, her vision to change people’s lives by connecting them to holistic wellness practices and treatments led her to build a state-of-the-art healing facility. She leads a team of 30 members and operates one of the most successful healing centers in the nation, focused on integrative healing disciplines such as chiropractic, Chinese medicine, massage therapy, functional medicine, counseling, nutritional counseling and coaching, wellness coaching and movement arts.
Dr. Robin and her dedication and service to the Kansas City Community has been recognized in a myriad of ways, including national recognition by the Master’s Circle, Chiropractor of the Year (2007); House of Menuha, Community Service Award (2005); designation as one of Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business (2003); and named by Kansas City Small Business Monthly as one of the Top 25 Under 25 Small Businesses (2002). She is a regular contributing writer for flourish! magazine, a publication for executive business women, a regular contributor to other community publications focusing on health and wellness and the author of Wellness on a Shoestring, slated for publication in 2010.
Giving back to the community and to the world is very important to Michelle Robin. She has held board positions for a variety of not-for-profit organizations, including KC Free Health Clinic, House of Menuha, an organization dedicated to providing women a quiet space for rest and renewal; and SAFEHOME, an organization hoping to end domestic violence of all persons and providing a home for women and children in crisis. Currently, she serves on the Board of the Menorah Legacy Foundation, Advisory Board for KC Free Health Clinic and Turning Point.
Dr. Robin has been a member of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP), since 2003, an organization, started by Barnett Helzberg Jr. Hemp supports local entrepreneurs through peer-to-peer mentoring. Robin actively seeks ways to share her wellness message through local and national speaking engagements, collaborative efforts with other wellness practitioners and she also works with a myriad of corporations, assisting with the development of wellness programs to keep employees well and thriving. Robin’s other interests include: spirituality, travel, reading, biking and basketball. She recently competed in her third triathlon and is committed and striving to be in the best shape of her life.
Involved with chiropractic care since childhood, Michelle Robin has a vision to enhance wellness in people’s lives by empowering them to connect to themselves and get back to basic wellness practices. Dr. Robin is a passionate and committed international wellness advocate and her personal mission statement reads: I connect and inspire people to live well.
Click here for her complete CV.
Shannon Pishny, DC, FICPA
Doctor of Chiropractic
Dr. Shannon Pishny earned a degree in Human Biology before attending Cleveland Chiropractic College, graduating in April of 2005. She is certified in Prenatal and Pediatric Chiropractic and has undergone training in Craniosacral Therapy with Dr. Carol Phillips of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. In addition, she has received specialty training in: Diversified , Cox Flexion Distraction , Pro-Adjuster, Logan Basic, and Pediatric Chiropractic .
Dr. Pishny’s philosophy is centered on the wellbeing of the family. To do this, Dr. Pishny informs clients on the options of childbirth and is dedicated to spreading awareness on how to raise healthy children.
She chose chiropractic because of the awesome power the human body possesses to heal itself. Her intention is to help people achieve their optimal health while living life to the fullest potential.
spishny[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Brooks J. Rice, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic
Proud to work with an integrative team of accomplished physicians, Dr. Brooks Rice is passionate to stay on the cutting edge of health care. In 1997, he received a B.S degree in Human Biology from Graceland University and then, attended Cleveland Chiropractic to earn his Doctor of Chiropractic.
Dr. Rice’s expertise is chiropractic neurology and through copious training and research has the accreditation to specialize treating learning disorders, Autism, ADHD children, and mood disorders. More specifically, he is DAN certified (Defeat Autism Now) as well as certified in Cox Flexion-Distraction, Pro-Adjuster, and Applied Kinesiology. When treating his clients, Dr. Rice believes the body should be treated from a nutritional and mechanical standpoint, which allows the root of problem to be self-healed by the body.
brice[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Melanie A. Smith, DC
Doctor of Chiropractic
Dr. Melanie Smith graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cleveland Chiropractic College in August 2006 and received the Clinic Excellence Award and the Clinic Service Award. She has additional training in Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP) with over 100 hours in Postgraduate Pediatric, Pregnancy and Craniosacral Therapy and training through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, Diversified, Cox-flexion, Logan Basic, and Pro Adjuster. Additionally, she has certification in the Webster Technique. She also specializes in Crainiosacral and Myofascial Release.
Dr. Smith decided to pursue a career in chiropractic when she experienced how it benefited her four children. Once she made the connection between chiropractic adjustments and nervous system functioning, she realized she wanted to help families develop that same connection. When each family member is healthy the whole family functions better!
In addition, she acknowledges the importance of empowering the client through education and implementation of clear goals. Through this, she enjoys watching her clients regain control of their health.
msmith[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Wellness Coaching
Shelly Murray HHC, AADP
Wellness Advocate
Shelly Murray, A Wellness Advocate at Your Wellness Connection, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and is certified by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, which is affiliated with Columbia University in New York, as a certified Health Counselor. Shelly also is a board certified member of The American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She attended the Graduate Counseling Program at IIN earning her certification in Integrative Nutrition and she is also a Certified Swedish Massage Therapist.
Shelly has long been aware of the importance of healthy practices such as yoga, meditation, exercise and especially the inclusion of fresh foods in one’s diet, and has implemented them into her own life for many years. Since she has long held a strong desire to live a healthy life and encourage the same for her family, this field is a natural for her – and when you work with her, that passion and enthusiasm shows!
Her primary focus is on Whole Food Nutrition as it relates to comprehensive health and wellness strategies. She has become a recognized local resource for integrating whole foods in an intuitive and practical manner that fits the active, everyday lifestyle of her clients. Her focus remains keenly on arming her clients with the ability to lead themselves to a more vibrant life through incorporating whole foods in addition to holistic life management.
What really excites Shelly about the wellness field is that she can help make a difference in peoples’ lives. Through motivation and education, she can work with the client to make small changes that will have significant impacts on their health. She believes that by bringing people to awareness about lifestyle changes, she can aid them in remaining healthy, vibrant and able to do the things that are important to them while improving their quality of life.
smurray[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Acupuncture
Shamayne Tate, Dipl. O.M. Lic. Ac.
Acupuncturist
Prior to joining Your Wellness Connection, Shamayne Tate owned a private practice in Colorado Springs. She has a BA in Psychology from the University of Kansas, followed by a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College. In addition, she is a Diplomate for Oriental Medicine, has extensive training in Beijing, China and her acupuncture license. She has received certifications in Facial Rejuvenation and Clean Needle.
Shamayne specializes in acute and chronic pain, Chinese herbal medicine, emotional balancing, digestive disorders, and cosmetic facial rejuvenation acupuncture. With over 12 years of experience in the health care field, she is dedicated to serving by empowering individuals through providing support to clients to make informed decisions. She is passionate about spreading wellness awareness while improving therapeutic avenues inherent in the body. Also, she recognizes the interrelationship of body, mind, and spirit to ensure long-term, result-oriented treatments.
state[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Counseling
Crystal Jenkins, LCPC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Certified Hoffman Instructor
Crystal Jenkins specializes in wellness and behavioral counseling for individuals and groups. She is experienced in treating a wide range of psychological issues with adults and children, with emphasis on anxiety and depression, relationship concerns, life transitions, and grief and loss. She also has a special interest and skill in small-group counseling in the area of women’s health.
Crystal graduated from Emporia State in 1980 with a BS in Education and a Minor in Psychology. She then went on to receive her Masters Degree in School Counseling. Not only is Crystal a counselor at Your Wellness Connection, but she is also a Hoffman Institute Teacher intern.
Twenty years of working with children as a school counselor and sports coach equips her with an in-depth understanding of conflicts and problems facing today’s youth.
She is trained in a multitude of techniques, such as Advanced Enneagram. She also uses collages, art, mission statements, pattern tracing, timelines and roll playing. Furthermore, she works with behavioral patterns and things people do to set them up. Crystal has had additional training in EMDR (Eye Movement De-sensitization and Reprocessing). This is an innovative clinical treatment that has successfully helped many individuals who have experienced and survived traumatic events and life-changing experiences. This special technique helps the brain to heal its psychological problems at the same rate the rest of the body is healing its physical ailments.
Her passion is helping others see their purpose and potential in life through identifying the origin of hurt and understanding the mind/body/spirit connection to inner peace and balance. When it comes to healing the mind and body, Crystal says, “You really can’t look at one area alone; both live in the same house and it’s imperative that they get along!”
cjenkins[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Joyce Vancrum, LCPC, NCC
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Joyce Vancrum, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, specializes in helping individuals, couples, adolescents and families build self-esteem, improve relationships, and navigate life’s transitions. She has 13 years of experience using cognitive behavioral, solution-focused therapy to guide couples to peaceful co-existence. Highly accomplished, she has a degree from the University of Kansas in Education and a MA in Counseling and Guidance from UMKC. In addition to her work at Your Wellness Connection, she is the President of the Board of Safehome and a member of Johnson County Young Matrons.
Joyce enjoys helping people through life transitions, grief and loss issues, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, caring for aging parents and women’s issues with aging, menopause and intimacy. Her passion is helping others to find the answers that lie within themselves: “Every day brings new possibilities for hope and healing.”
jvancrum[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Massage Therapy
Katie S. Jones, MT
Massage Therapist
Katie Jones, a massage therapist for ten years, graduated from Massage Therapy Training Institute in 1997 and then worked at afacility where she not only performed massage, but also managed the massage staff. Currently, she sits on the Board of the High Tech Massage Institute.
Katie focuses on deep tissue and relaxation massage therapy. Since people’s lives are so stressful, she feels blessed to be able to help them take time to relax. Katie not only wants to help through massage, but also through education, such as promoting self-care. When people understand the importance and benefits of massage and wellness, and then implement them into their lives, it makes a significant difference.
She believes each person is on their own individual journey, and her place as a practitioner is to help them figure out where they are and provide them with the necessary information to set them on a positive road. She encourages clients to start with small steps and work from there.
kjones[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Tanya Galusha
Massage Therapist
A graduate of Myotherapy College of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, Tanya has bee practicing the art of massage therapy for 12 years. She received her National Certification from the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in 1998 and completed an AAS in Massage Therapy in 2004. She taught massage at a two year local college for 4 1/2 years and later owned her own massage therapy business. Tanya enjoys working with clients to improve their quality of life using a combination of deep tissue, Swedish, reflexology, Lastone, trigger point and energy work.
tgalush[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Jennifer Yadon, MT
Massage Therapist
Jennifer graduated from BMSI Institute in Overland Park in 2007 and received her national certification in 2008. Her work includes combining deep tissue, Swedish, reflexology, myofascial release and prenatal massage. She believes that stretching is an integral part of the healing process and incorporates it into her massage sessions as needed. She also teaches her clients a variety of stretching exercises that can be performed at home, so as to continue the healing process.
jyadon[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Linda McIntyre, MT
Massage Therapist
Linda’s passion is energy work, which is a technique that involves working with chakras and auras. Some of the techniques she incorporates into her work include Reiki & Lomi Lomi (ancient Hawaiian massage) which incorporates energy and prayer, along with soothing long strokes. She also is trained in hot stone massage, Swedish, & raindrop therapy, which involves using a high grade of essential oils to help detox, boost the immune system and increase overall wellness.
Linda does energy work that is a combination of working with the chakras and aura called Reiki and Lomi Lomi (ancient Hawaiian) which incorporates energy and prayer with soothing, long strokes. She also does Raindrop Therapy using a high grade of essential oils to help detox, boost the immune system and overall wellness.
Body Movement
Rafael Duran
Certified Yoga Instructor
Rafael Durán has been teaching yoga for over 12 years and is a certified yoga teacher from Yoga Alliance. Through Rafael’s experience he was instrumental in developing the first yoga teachers’ training in the Kansas City area with senior level teachers.
In 1983 he began his studies under Senior Intermediate Level III Iyengar Yoga teacher Laurie Blakeney and today continues his training with senior instructors. In 2000 he traveled to India to study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune.
He began studying yoga to ease pain associated with Spondylolysthesis and later moved into his specialty of Iyengar Yoga. Iyengar Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga which focuses on the structural alignment of the physical body through the development of asanas (postures). Practicing the asanas helps to unite the body, mind and spirit for improved health and well being. Iyengar yoga is also known for its use of props, such as cushions, benches, blocks, and straps.
Rafael’s advice on wellness is to remember to breathe.
Jennifer H. Parker
Yoga Instructor
Jennifer’s 10-year yoga practice and 5-year meditation practice have helped her to be stronger, more flexible and better able to face the challenges of aging with equanimity. A former hospital and hospice chaplain, she noticed that patients and their families were often unprepared to meet the crises of life. She has experienced how the regular practice of yoga and meditation can help us open to full enjoyment of life’s pleasures and to the grace that sustains us through hard times. Her goal as a yoga teacher is to share these tools with others – to help each student grow in flexibility, strength and clarity of body, mind and spirit. Jennifer’s greatest joy is to see a student who lacks flexibility begin to open and to watch a student who thinks she can’t, find that she can. Her special interest is helping those in the second half of life to age gracefully and to manage chronic aches and pains with a minimum of suffering. Locally Jennifer practices regularly with her teacher, Rafael Duran. As often as possible, she travels to attend yoga workshops with senior level Iyengar teachers and meditation retreats with teachers from the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Meditation Center.
Support Team
Janet Vogt
Operations Director
Janet Vogt, the Operations Director at Your Wellness Connection, has fifteen years of experience in managing health care and has worked in physician offices. In addition, she is certified as a Chiropractic Assistant from The Masters Circle, where she developed stronger skills in caring for people, processes, nervous system anatomy, billing, payment plans, and client flow.
She enjoys the energy and excitement of a progressive wellness center, which Your Wellness Connection provides. In her role, she facilitates wellness care through team leadership and operational efficiencies. Also, Janet understands wellness as a continuum, where improvement can always be found. However, she believes one unhealthy decision does not mean it is time to give up. Instead, we have the option to choose health and wellness on a daily basis.
jvogt[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
Elizabeth Farmer
Billing Director
Elizabeth Farmer has been part of the Your Wellness Connection team for over 6 years. In addition, she is certified as a Chiropractic Assistant from The Masters Circle, where she developed stronger skills in caring for people, processes, nervous system anatomy, billing, payment plans, and client flow.
Elizabeth grew up in the Kansas City area and graduated from Shawnee Mission West. Elizabeth’s pride and joy is her three sons. Even at the tender ages of 7, 4, and 2 she teaches them the importance of wellness. She believes that you should use wellness in the daily nutrition of your family through chiropractic, diet and supplementation.
efarmer[at]yourwellnessconnection.com
OUR ON-SITE COLLEAGUES
Life Coaching and Energy Practitioner
Jill Tupper
Body | Mind | Soul
We are excited to have Jill Tupper, Life Coach and Energy Practitioner sharing office space and working with the team at YWC. Jill is a Life Coach certified with Martha Beck Inc., Jin Shin Jyutsu Practitioner and Resonance Repatterner with her BS in Occupational Therapy and MA from Seminary in Leadership.
As a Life Coach, Jill’s focus and passion is to help you reach your fullest potential professionally and personally by focusing on your Body*Mind*& Soul*. Your sessions will be individualized with a series of assessments, exercises and tools specific to achieving life to the fullest. Jill’s Life Coaching sessions are unique in that she incorporates many of her “Tools for Life” to enhance growth and support change.
Jill is honored to be a part of what we collectively strive for at Your Wellness Connection, working with her own clients and assisting ours as well, focusing on the Energetic, Psychological & Spiritual Quadrants of the YWC Wellness Model. She is a welcome addition to the family of services that we offer at YWC and us in our enthusiastic commitment to health and well being.
Colon Healthcare
Caroline Cawrey
Specializing in the Natural Approach for Gentle Detoxification
Caroline offers extensive experience and remarkable talents in colon hygiene. Graduating with more than 500 hours of theory and practical application from the prestigious Detroit Holistic Training Institute, Caroline is also certified at the advanced level III with the International Association of Colon Therapists. Equipment is I.A.C.T. and F.D.A. approved, utilizing disposables, filtered water and sterile environment.
For more information call Caroline at (913) 422-8500, or visit her online at www.carolinescolonhealthcare.com
