by Tina Ding
Helping others become well on a physical, emotional and spiritual level through annual exams, family medical practice and comprehensive programming describes a day’s work for Rhonda Jolliffe at Lifeways Clinic. As a holistic nurse practitioner, Jolliffe practices Holistic and functional medicine and is certified as a nutritionist and acupuncturist. Her clinic combines traditional and integrated medicine so clients are self-empowered to become well.
“We help patients become well in mind, body and spirit by promoting lifestyle changes while using a blend of traditional and holistic medicine,”Jolliffe said. “Each patient is unique and we like to offer ways to not only assess their situation, but prevent and help to make key changes that otherwise influence their health. And if needed, their diagnosis and subsequent treatment will be developed to support their optimal health.”
In their new location at 1001 Gateway Avenue at Bismarck, Lifeways Clinic offers annual exams, focused preventative care exams and medical lifestyle/weight management in a soft, serene spa-like setting. Warm neutral-toned wall colorings with inviting examination rooms help patients feel welcome and special. Jolliffe works closely with her RN, CNA, receptionist and adjunct health care practitioners in the clinic, offering a full gamut of services.
Diana Herner, LPCC, (“Choices Counseling & Educational Center”) provides mental health counseling services from a Christian perspective. Diana is located on the main level in Lifeways. Diana counsels individuals, marriage and families in transition. She is a BC/BS provider and accepts new clients upon referral.
Lifeways also offers a therapeutic lifestyle program, which promotes first-line treatments for chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as conditions such as menopause, fatigue disorders and those related to obesity. Through lifestyle coaching, consultations and testing, First Line Therapy helps patients establish realistic goals, monitor progress and learn how to choose healthy, nutritious foods. Additionally, stress management and healthful, safe exercise are addressed for weight management. Rhonda is also excited to add a new program this year: “Healthy Living with Beyond Organic”, a 12 week educational series that provides education on topics of healthy nutrition, exercise, mind-body-spirit, raising healthy children and organic cooking.
The lower level holds a Stott Pilates studio where two certified instructors instruct clients either privately or in small groups. Stott Pilates exercises are performed on a reformer (equipment) encouraging and benefitting one’s balance and flexibility, coordination and circulation as well as improvement of posture. Through basic core conditioning, the body functions and feels better with the use of the five basic principles: breathing, pelvic placement, rib cage placement, scapular movement and head/cervical spine placement. Certified instructors Susan Suchy, RN and Denise Enebo, PT student, work with clients of all ages, all abilities and help their client’s develop a fitness regime for a lifetime. The perfect complement to life, pilates will leave you looking toned, feeling revitalized, and moving with ease.
Also utilizing the studio is Pam Redline, personal trainer – who fills the need for individual training as well as post-injury and post-rehabilitation in the Bismarck-Mandan surrounding area.
Massage therapist Amy Leitner, specializes in therapeutic / clinical deep tissue massage for acute and chronic pain.
Tone-Lise Stenslie and Bel Neibel offer BodyTalk. A certified practitioner of Body Talk will help clients restore vital communication between various parts of their body and mind via muscle-testing and facilitate the body’s ability to heal itself. They encourage patients to learn how to help heal the body, however will not substitute for medical treatment or diagnosing illness.
Having an appreciation for the restorative properties of being outdoors and enjoying sunshine, Jolliffe also recognizes the dangers of prolonged sun exposure. Since many enjoy tanning throughout summer months, yet hope to do so safely, she sought a healthful way to tan. She recently welcomed aboard Megan Frohlich’s Smile of the Sun mobile spray tanning.
Jolliffe encourages her patients to utilize breast thermography as a tool for both early detection and prevention of cancer cells at an early stage. This diagnostic tool takes infrared images (digital photography and computer programming) that detect heat to measure the physiological activity in a breast. Thermography does not replace a mammogram, however serves as an additional screening tool for breast tissue.
Jolliffe has been recently trained in Medical Acupuncture and is now providing this as an additional therapy for many conditions, including acute pain from injury, chronic pain, smoking cessation, appetite control, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and hormonal imbalances. There are five mechanisms for understanding medical acupuncture: 1. Produce effects by stimulating nerve fibers in skin and muscles, thus promoting local healing; 2. Reduces pain in a segment of the body where the needles are placed; 3. Reduces pain throughout the whole body; 4. Provides a calming effect and improves wellbeing; 5. Inactivates myofascial trigger points. Jolliffes future plans are to add an additional service of “facial enhancement” or “facial rejuvenation” as an alternative to more invasive procedures of providing a more youthful appearance.
Jolliffe and the staff at Lifeways partner with patients to help them learn more about becoming healthy through individual lifestyle and habits. Each staff member works to help support an end result of optimal health by offering a holistic and functional medicine approach to: healthy weight management, nutrition, exercise, sports injuries and physicals, thermography, stress management, aromatherapy, allergy testing, hormone balancing, metabolic repair, autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, inflammatory bowel disorders, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
“At Lifeways, we’re about providing ongoing support while our patients ‘become well’,” Jolliffe said. “We strive to empower our patients to come to know their own highest level of wellness on a physical, emotional and spiritual level.”
Rhonda is married to Nick and has two sons, Nicklaus and Ben. Watching her boys in athletic events is what she loves most in life. Additionally, she enjoys golf, outdoor activities, reading and other social events with family and friends.