MEET THE TEAM
NINA MENRAI, BSc. MBA
Nina Menrai is the co-founder of Access Inner Mindfulness. As an experienced counselor, facilitator, and coach, she brings a background in psychotherapy, training in mindfulness, and a mastery of various healing techniques.
Having had a successful career in the corporate world, Nina went on to study Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction. Within her practice, she integrates a balanced perspective, complementary healing modalities, and an in-depth understanding and respect for all world spiritual philosophies and traditions. Her well-rounded views provide a diverse tapestry of understanding when connecting with clients.
Known for her holistic client-centered approach, Nina has supported clients for the last 12 years to access their own inner wisdom to experience wholeness and peace.
After being introduced to meditation as a child, and through decades of practice, study, retreats, and intensives, Nina continues to experience the transformative power of meditation and mindfulness, and is passionate about teaching these practices to others. She has completed 160 hours of accreditation in the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher Training Program from the internationally recognized Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto, where she studied under Dr. Patricia Rockman, Melissa Negrini, Dr. Joe Flanders, and Gwen Morgan.
Nina is an ardent advocate for education on mental health, wellness, and suicide bereavement which inspired her to help create Heartache 2 Hope, a non-profit organization that supports survivors of suicide loss. She has designed and delivered mindfulness programming for those dealing with suicide loss and was a trainer for Halton Victim Services. Nina is a dedicated community member invested in in making a difference in people’s lives.
DR. MELISSA HOWE, RN (inactive),ND.
Dr. Melissa Howe, ND., is the co-founder of Access Inner Mindfulness. She brings a compassionate and intuitive hands-on approach to her unique body-mind integrative medical practice. She is passionate about helping patients achieve authentic and lasting solutions to their health care concerns. She believes that healing is natural and happens when a healing environment is created and cultivated in one’s mind, body, heart and soul. She has a thriving private practice in Waterdown, Ontario, and has been helping patients for over 29 years.
Melissa began her medical training at Toronto’s Ryerson, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and became a registered nurse in ‘92. Her true calling became clear soon after and she received her Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine diploma in ‘99 from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto.
MINDFULNESS TEACHING:
After meditating on and off for over 25 years, her passion for meditation really took root in 2018, along with her commitment to her Qi Gong practice (a slow and gentle martial art form).
Aware of the growing impact of stress on patients' health and wellness and the immediate and urgent need for mindfulness interventions to combat the overwhelming effects of the pandemic on patients’ mental and emotional wellbeing, she has taken action to be further educated in order to support people in one of the most effective ways to reduce stress, increase well-being and improve overall health.
She has received training in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s pioneering and internationally recognized, life-transforming program of MBSR through the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto. She has trained under Dr. Patricia Rockman MD, Melissa Negrini, Dr. Joe Flanders, and Gwen Morgan. Having recently completed 160 hours of accreditation in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher-training program she and her partner Nina, are able to fully welcome you to their life-changing training program.
