Moving Minds
Holistic Mental Health Support - Online, Flexible, and Convenient
~Discover the incredible power of flower based energy healing~
MY STORY
Hi! My name is Mackenzie Ticknor.....
Growing up, I was always interested in the field of health and wellness. In college I decided to take the pre-med path, but by the end of my undergraduate years, I realized I really wanted to take an alternative/holistic approach to health care instead of a more mainstream medical path.
I graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor's of Science in 2009, and was accepted into the Masters Program at Indiana State University in Dietetics. My plans were to become a Registered Dietitian and help people find wellness through healthy diet. Plans didn't go exactly as expected, and my husband and I ended up moving to Warsaw, IN for his job in 2009. I was able to start my own nutrition consulting business after moving to Warsaw though, and in that time I did MUCH research on holistic healing.
Soon after moving to Warsaw, I gave birth to my son, Wesley. It was a very difficult and traumatic birth. The next day we found out that the birth had fractured his skull, resulting in him being permanently and profoundly deaf in his left ear. It was also quite noticeable that the left side of his face had less movement and muscle tone from day 1. Though quite upset with his birth injury, we were completely unaware of the real toll the traumatic birth would have on him in the years following. We were blissfully unaware.
A year and a half later, our family expanded again with the birth of my daughter, Mya. I was in full-time, non-stop mommy mode during those early years. My son was VERY "high needs", and during those chaotic years I was called to the beauty of flowers for soothing. I began photographing them and using their photos in jewelry pendants. It was a nice hobby/little business, and helped me keep my sanity.
After some time, we found out the traumatic birth had a much bigger toll on Wesley then we had thought. It had ultimately caused serious damage to several of his cranial nerves and spinal nerves. On top of being profoundly deaf in his left ear, he also had left side facial semi paralysis/weakness, left side upper body paresis, torticollis, and many sensory and functional issues due to the damage of those nerves that control these functions. Because of his injuries, he was subjected to many traumatic and toxic medical tests. All in all, the trauma, the damage to his nerves, the toxins he was subjected to, the inflammatory response already set off from the skull fracture, and his genetic susceptibility (that we soon found out he had after extensive genetic testing), all contributed to him having a nervous system and immune system gone awry. We didn't quite understand any of this at the time, and even carried on with routine procedures at the pediatrician's office that also contributed to a complete and utter immune mess. There were more concerns then I could ever even put into words. His physical symptoms were definitely present. He was nearly completely unable to sleep for his first 5 years of life. I don't believe there was EVER a single moment he slept for more than 20 mins in a row for 5 years straight. He experienced concerning motor and vocal tics, dizzy spells, severe stomach pain, severe sensory disturbances, burning red hot areas of skin, and mast cell degranulation just to name a few. However, most of all, my son experienced extreme emotional and behavioral challenges. He had extreme phobias/anxiety, severe OCD tendencies, behavioral difficulties, and many other incredibly worrisome emotional & behavioral issues. He was eventually diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Selective Mutism, OCD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, ADHD, and Tourette's Syndrome.
I searched high and low for everything and anything that could help my son, yet nothing we tried helped much. I have always been called to holistic forms of healing, so I began to study nonconventional forms of therapy RIGORIOUSLY. I did this for years. I learned EVERYTHING I could about child development, the brain, neurodevelopment, neurodevelopmental disorders, the immune system, microbiology, toxicology, genetics/epigenetic expression, autoimmune disorders, and eventually neuro-immune disorders. After learning about the latter, I finally figured out that Wesley had a neuro-immune disorder called PANS/PANDAS and all his earlier diagnoses were merely symptoms of his overriding neuro-immune disorder. I was/am a mommy on a mission and NOTHING would have stopped me from helping my son. After his doctor confirmed this diagnosis, I studied into the early hours of the morning, day after day, month after month, year after year, as the rest of the family slept. In the earlier years of this research, some form of therapy would catch my eye, we would take a leap of faith and shell out the money to try it, and nothing would make much of a dent. It became a vicious cycle. These were some of the darkest days of my life. My own health and happiness were no longer a priority. I would sleep for maybe a broken 3 hours a night, day after day, month after month, year after year. Almost all I would do in my free moments was study.
During this, I was at the lowest point in my life I had ever been. I developed simple partial temporal lobe epilepsy from the stress of it all (these seizures were the absolute scariest days of my life), and started having upwards of 20-30 simple partial seizures per day. Soon after this started, I also came down with a bad case of Shingles (and I was VERY young to have had Shingles at that time). It was the most intense sickness I had ever experienced. My own anxiety levels were at an all time high and something just had to give. One day, as I listlessly gazed out my front window, I noticed a little praying mantis just sitting there, ever so still, looking right at me. He stayed there with me most of that day. Something about him brought me comfort. To me, he symbolized new beginnings and a positive change that was about to unfold. Later that day, when conducting my daily research, I stumbled upon Bach flower essences. It just felt so right.
Finally, I found something that really resonated with me. Though I was finally making headway into understanding and addressing the physical roots of Wesley's struggles, I began to understand there are emotional/energetic roots in dis-ease as well, and that he also desperately needed emotional supports through the challenging and long road ahead regarding the restoration of his physical health. I knew this was it. This was right for us. I threw myself into learning EVERYTHING I could about these Bach flower essences and every little nuance of each of the 38 essences. They proved to be nothing short of miraculous and LIFE CHANGING for Wesley's emotional, mental, and behavioral state, and for all of us for that matter. I was (and continue to be) just amazed with them. I couldn't just keep this little secret I had found all to myself. I decided EVERYONE needs to know about this amazing system. SO, I decided to become a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner so I could help others with these amazing tinctures. This process took years, and my own extensive experience with them has had much trial and error. This journey led us across the country and back several times for training and certification, it led us to incredible healing, it led us to happiness, it led us to light. After much training, formal education, and hands on experience, this is now my calling, and biggest passion. I am proud to be a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner included on the International Register of Practitioners maintained at the Dr. Edward Bach Centre, and I am delighted to have the honor of being the first Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner in the state of Indiana. On top of that, I decided to specialize in working with "high/extra needs" children.
Throughout this journey, that little praying mantis still occasionally visits me outside my window. He always brings so much comfort and reassurance. It has had such a profound impact on me that I decided to incorporate praying mantis arms into my business logo. I felt it was also important for me to incorporate a lotus flower into my logo because of what it symbolizes. It beautifully applies to Wesley and I, but also to those I work with.
The lotus flower trusts in the light, and blooms most beautifully from the thickest and deepest mud...
I love hearing the amazing stories my clients tell me about how their lives and their children's lives have changed in incredible ways. I have found my purpose! All the hardships and struggles, along with all my previous ventures and callings, during the course of this journey had purpose and prepared me to go to the places I am going now.