The Practical Healer

10/26/2026

May you always have the chance to notice the beauty in the changing seasons.

10/23/2026

Somatic work focuses on the body’s experience.

Our bodies are constantly responding to the world around us, and sometimes to experiences that happened long ago.

A memory, a conversation, or even a passing thought might bring tension to our shoulders, butterflies to our stomach or an instinct to curl inward. We may not always have words for what we’re experiencing but our bodies are participating in the conversation all the same.

Somatic work invites us to become curious about these subtle sensations and responses.

Through awareness, breath, movement, touch, and inquiry, we can explore what the body is experiencing without necessarily needing to explain, change or suppress it.

Sometimes this allows an instinctive response to find a sense of completion. Other times it opens up new possibilities for how we move, respond or relate to an experience.

In any case we’re supporting the body in recognizing what’s possible now rather than remaining bound to patterns shaped by the past.

Somatic therapy can be a beautiful complement to talk-focused therapies as it offers space for the parts of our experience that words alone won’t always capture.

I’ll be sharing a longer reflection on how somatic work integrates on my Substack a little later, stay tuned ✌️ for now, enjoy the epic fall view out my window 🍂

10/22/2026

Sage has a particular affinity for the digestive, nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems with a warming, slightly bitter, aromatic and savoury flavour and energy. It is gently stimulating toward calming states, offering service for states of illness, infection, stagnation or stress.

Sage will be in a starring role in my next seasonal tea, focused on immune, digestive and respiratory well-being as part of my Seasonal Vitality Tea Blending workshop coming up on Nov 9th. Alongside lemon balm, hibiscus, calendula, yarrow and a few other herbal allies - we’ll be blending together a cup of seasonal nourishment just in time for the next peak of cold/flu ;)

https://practicalhealer.substack.com/p/sage-the-wise-and-healing?r=2ggxr4&utm_medium=ios

10/20/2026

Most people I meet are craving the kind of change that can only happen with s p a c e - which for most of us requires a reworking of |structure|.

Those two are constantly in relationship, but like any relationship things can get a little wonky.

When we hold too tightly in our physical nature or our grip on the metaphors of life, the structure turns rigid and removes space.

The paradox of space and flow is that it requires structure and stability.

There’s space between everything, but space is impossible to sense without a boundary to provide contrast.

Some of the very early practices I am sending people home with have very little to do with fancy regulation, somatic or therapeutic effects and much more to do with simply bringing structure into their awareness through ritual, simple practices or movements that provide touch points.. anchor points to their days.

Most of us are very good at keeping ourselves busy enough that busyness becomes our structure, and chaos reigns within it. By taking even a moment of awareness outside of these rigid routines of chaos and endless reaction, we set the foundation for a structure that allows spaciousness in- instead of chasing it out.

Open Studio attendees were treated to stunning Oct light this evening as we explored an embodied version of these concepts in the ever mystical The Hollow Reed SOHA 🌞

10/17/2026

😬🫶🏻

10/15/2026

Herbs are a kind of somatic therapy.

Getting to know plants requires body awareness and access to our experience of our senses. They don’t communicate verbally and what we can “know” about them on paper is one thin layer of what they offer.

Whether it’s time spent with nature or engaging in the use of plant medicines, plants invite us into our embodied experience.

Every time I blend an infusion for a client, or consider a herbal remedy of any kind, I’m matching both the textbook knowledge of the plant plus what I have learned about a client’s intentions and needs with the not so linear information that a client’s semantics,body language and expression along with how a plant expresses itself in the world.

Plants engage our senses fully, and through our senses we can be invited into our inner world.

I’ve learned much from simply sitting with plants, or dreaming about them.. almost as much as I’ve come to know about them from other people’s accounts in books, and what the existing research suggests.

More than this, plants offer relational healing. They work with us, not just on or in us. They respond to environments, inner and outer, and ask us to notice our place in relationship with them. They are whole beings that offer us a mirror in which to recognize ourselves in return.

The past few days blending up teas for clients has been a dance of working with colour, sensation, smell and intuition as much as it has been interpreting science and intention.

10/13/2026

One of the most pivotal lessons I was taught in my early training as an AT was the importance of meeting a client precisely where they are at.

The importance of that hasn’t been lost on me the more I’ve learned and experienced working from a neurobiological and trauma informed perspective.

Part of this is finding the language and the style of communication that matches the client, and the pacing that matches their capacity. I am constantly listening and observing what’s said and what’s expressed both verbally and non-verbally when I sit with clients.

This has led me down a winding road of a wide spectrum of work.. from writing and offering community facing educational work, to individual sessions and intensive work in the physical therapy, body-mind focused personal development and holistic health realms.

There’s a depth spectrum here. What I offer to groups, in articles or in workshop settings is like touring the tip of an iceberg, whereas what occurs individually over the short and long term deal with the nuances of and the layers of rehab and healing.

What’s always amazed me is how the depth of what we find or comes our way is so often the right thing at the right time. Reading an article or seeing a video sparks things towards asking a question or seeking more info.

And interestingly as the years pass in my practice I find myself having to be more aware of depth and breadth. They say the best lessons are the one you come back to over and over. Experience and more tools in the tool box simply mean a practitioner must become not only better at using them all but also at knowing which one is used and how/when.

As always, thankful to have found so many wonderful outlets to share and explore in the therapeutic space, and for all the wonderful clients that grace my space 🫶🏻💃

10/12/2026

It’s always so fascinating to me how a plant can sit in our cupboards, sometimes for years, relatively untouched - or used just in the most standard of kitchen recipes. And then a season comes along where it stands out as almost a one all be all for timely support.

Join me, on this dive into Sage: the one who cures.

A year round ally that stands out in cold and flu season

09/28/2026

👋 I’m Kathlyn Hossack, but you can call me Kat.

I’m a Certified Athletic Therapist, Somatic Practitioner and Clinic Herbalist offering trauma-informed, body-based care in Winnipeg.

I work at the intersection of injury and illness rehabilitation, somatic therapy, movement, and the more subtle art of listening to the body. My practice bridges conventional approaches to rehabilitation with body and breath-based techniques, intuitive facilitation, and traditional perspectives on health and healing.

What does that actually look like?

Sometimes our work together is focused on recovering from an injury, building strength, or restoring movement. Sometimes it’s about exploring the ways our bodies have adapted to chronic pain, illness, stress, or challenging life experiences.

A body has a history. It adapts, protects, compensates, communicates, and changes in relationship with the world around it. With a foundation in physical rehabilitation and movement sciences, and extensive training in manual therapies, acupuncture, trauma-informed somatic facilitation, breathwork, coaching, energetics and herbalism, I specialize in offering an intentionally blended approach to care. One that supports health, cultivates resilience, and makes room for the connection between body, mind and soul.

Each session is an intentional blend of what might be useful for the person in front of me. My own experiences with injury, chronic pain, and illness have shaped the way I practice. They’ve taught me the value of bringing different perspectives together, and the importance of care that makes room for the whole person, not just the symptoms or circumstances that brought them through the door.

Simply put, my work puts you, the client, back in the lead role and everything I offer is intended to support you in returning to an empowered relationship with yourself.

These days, my work also extends beyond the treatment room into group experiences, seasonal workshops, mentorship, and writing.

I am incredibly fortunate to do this work from my nature infused studio within St. Norbert Arts Centre - SNAC - surrounded by long used sacred grounds.

Thank you for being here 🙏

Kat 🌞

09/25/2026

As September begins to end, I’d love to invite you to my fall schedule for group offerings.

I’m delighted to be working with The Hollow Reed SOHA and utilizing their vibey studio space for all these offerings. Expect cozy group sizes, intentional practices and insightful moments in each of these containers. Swipe on for further details!

These are guided practice sessions that fit the needs of the day, the season and those arriving. Instead of working with a specific theme this fall, I am hosting practice containers that are designed for regular clients seeking a curious place to drop into ongoing practice with support, or new to me clients intrigued by somatic/breath focused sessions in a small group format.

Space is very limited and I have virtual attendance as an option too.

My seasonal support offering this fall is focused on immune, respiratory and digestive well being with our colder, darker season in mind.

Join me to get to know some supportive herbal allies, blend your very own vitality tea and explore a seasonally inspired breath and Somatics based practice.

A day retreat filled with nourishment, plant work, breathwork, somatic contemplation and creative expression.

Sense into yourself in this season of becoming.

Space very limited.

Subscribers and clients who receive my newsletter, check your emails for your special invite rate 😉

Full details available on my main site, link in bio. Or just message me!