Dr. Colette Szalay was born and raised in Toronto as a first generation Canadian and is a 1997 graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, after studying sciences at Trent University and University of Toronto. Upon graduation, she was awarded 1st place for her internship research paper from the Chiropractic Foundation for Spinal Research. She studied acupuncture abroad in Sri Lanka during her schooling and later pursued continuing education in Pediatrics while maintaining a full-time practice, receiving her fellowship status in 2002. She ran a solo practice in Peterborough for 9 years and was the monthly health columnist for the local Peterborough This Week newspaper for 7 of those years. She moved to Ottawa in 2006 and took a teaching sabbatical (in Waldorf education) for 2 years to pursue this other background interest before she would embark on settling into family life.
Ready for life away from big cities after having her son in early 2009, she settled in Barry’s Bay later that same year where she resumed her passion for chiropractic healing. As part-owner of the Natural Health Centre in Barry’s Bay, she oversees the Centre’s behind-the-scenes operations. She brings with her 25+ years of chiropractic experience working with infants and elderly alike and continues to practice part-time and devotes the rest of her time to the Centre’s management and growth.
Her continuing education over the years has included nutrition, weight loss, researching the principles of healthy aging & longevity, and studying the interplay of the mind-body connection. Most recently her focus has been on courses since 2023 towards certification in Bowen Therapy, which she has now introduced into her practice. In her spare time she loves to read, do yoga, listen to podcasts while hiking, pet all dogs within reach, and hone her creative skills in the kitchen, all while trying to carve out more hours in the day to fit in all that life has to offer.