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Sylvan Lake doctor encourages women to be kind to themselves

Dr. Ieleen Taylor is hosting workshops for women dealing with stress and burnout
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Dr. Ieleen Taylor poses with staff at the Sylvan Lake Municipal Library after dropping off a donation for the Little Free Pantry, which was gathered from her recent workshop. Helping others is a passion for Dr. Taylor, as is giving back to the community which she has done through gathering donations to the Little Free Pantry at the library. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News

Sylvan Lake doctor Ieleen Taylor is helping women dealing with stress and burnout through workshops and group discussions.

The workshop gives women three keys to help deal with stress and burnout.

Taylor says the idea for the workshop came after seeing many of her female patients come to her expressing concerns, and fearing they were the only one to experience the same type of stress.

“They would come to me in tears saying they are failing, that they aren’t good mothers, that they can’t cope any more,” Taylor said. “There are so many women in our community who are just stretched too thin and think they are alone.”

A key teaching from the workshop is to be kind to oneself.

Taylor says one of the best ways to stave off the oncoming burnout is to simply be kind to yourself.

“If we treated ourselves the same way we treat our friends, our lives would be much simpler and kinder,” she said.

Taylor has held two workshops so far, both of which filled up well before hand. She also plans to hold more in the future.

She believes the two workshops filled up so quickly because women in the community see the need for it same as her.

“The workshop and group talks help others to not feel alone. They can see their experiences mirrored in someone else, and that really helps to show that they aren’t the only one who feels this way.”

There are two more burnout workshops planned for the end of March at the library. Taylor says she will continue to host they events as long as the need is there.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to give back and to help others, these workshops are just one way I can use my knowledge to give back,” Taylor said.

For the time being, Taylor will only be hosting women-centred workshops. This is for a number a reasons, one being women are the patients she sees coming in to see her about stress and burnout.

The second is she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking with a group of men on this topic at this time.

“Men absolutely feel stress and burnout as well. But, their experiences and triggers are different than mine, and I’m not sure I am comfortable speaking about that,” she said.

Taylor added it is possible to see a workshop for men in the future, but for now she wants to keep it to what she is comfortable with.

Dr. Taylor will be hosting two women’s burnout workshops at the Library on March 24 and 30 from 7-9 p.m. Registration is required for the free workshop, though a donation for the Little Free Pantry is encouraged.

To register for the event text 403-877-2259.