Osteopath, pain care educator, Pain Care Aware trainer, therapeutic pilates, yoga & somatics practitioner
Hi there!
Following my heart and my instincts over the years led me down an incredible path of discovery.
I’ve chosen professions that allow me to fully engage all of my senses, that challenge me physically and intellectually, that push me to grow emotionally and spiritually, that connect me to the deepest parts of others and that allow me to be a small part of someone’s path of self-discovery toward better health and well being.
How lucky am I?!
Always fascinated with movement and how the body works I started dancing at the age of three and haven’t stopped exploring movement since.
This love of movement is what drew me toward manual and movement therapies which are as much an art as they are a science . I feel privileged to be a part of both worlds.
Everything I am and everything I have ever done influences how I show up in my work.
My love of dance and movement in all its forms, my curiosity and connection to nature and wildlife, my interest in understanding who people are at their core all inform the intention behind my hands-on work and teaching.
Rather than simply fixing the 'issues in the tissues' I want to be a part of the recovery process, to getting people back to doing what they love most.
After 25yrs of working with the human body it continues to surprise me. Knowing that it always will is part of what keeps me coming back!
This is me...
As an Osteopathy my favourite part of any hands-on session is that moment when I can no longer tell where my hands end and their body begins.
There is profound beauty and connection in those moments. The rhythms of our breath, heart rates and nervous systems meld together and work to find the best path towards a better state of health for you. Osteopathy allows the body's inherent intelligence to be accessed more easily so you can essentially heal yourself.
We shape our bodies through the movements we do, the emotions we feel, the thoughts we think and the choices we make. Like anything in life it is all about balance.
If the way you move, feel and think is always the same and you continue to make the same choices this can create certain patterns in the body.
Many who seek treatment ask if I can 'fix' them. In truth, this work is more about removing whatever may be getting in the way of the body's natural ability to express optimal health.
About Me.
Seeking new and innovative ways to update my studies and refine my work
led me down many interesting paths over the years...
Teaching is a true passion of mine and one of my favourite ways to learn. When putting a course together it inevitably sends me back to the books and questions from students never fail to challenge my current ideas and inspire me to look at things from a different perspective.
My work has been influenced by an incredible mix of practitioners and methods. I feel honoured to have learned from so many incredible leaders in the fields of Pain Care, ACT, Athletic Therapy, Physiotherapy, Osteopathy, anatomy, embryology, mindfulness, functional nutrition, Feldenkrais, Fascial Stretch Therapy, Continuum Movement, Somatics, Body Mind Centering, dance, Anatomy Trains, yoga & Pilates.
This is an incomplete list because I will always continue to explore!
Intuitively following one opportunity after another has made my path a winding one, not a straight line and I am so glad.
Education
2019 - 2020
Profession Pain Care Educator
Pain Care U
This year long mentorship with Neil Pearson was fantastic! It beautifully marries the science of pain care with the world of yoga...two worlds I love deeply! As someone who lives with chronic pain, helping others is a passion. I enjoy the complexity of working with chronic issues. Every case is a new challenge, no two people are living the same story and I continue to learn from every single person that walks into my life.
2005
Thesis defense - The Effects of Osteopathic Manipulation of the kidneys on the strength & flexibility of the iliopsoas muscle group
This topic allowed my different worlds to collide! Movement, Athletic Therapy and Osteopathy all came together in the study of the psoas, an area of the body that continues to fascinate me!
1997-2002
D.O. - Diploma of Osteopathy
College d'Etudes Osteopatique de Montreal (CEO)
Craniosacral work requires a stillness of body and mind that were foreign to me at the time but are now such an integral part of my life & pain management routine.
When Osteopathy began to focus on embryology and treating the viscera, something shifted inside of me. Embryology tells the story of who we are and how we come to be in this amazing body that takes us through life.
Absolutely everything inside of us is interconnected and has a role in how we function, how we feel, how we live and how we express ourselves.
1991-1995
B.Sc. Exercise Science with a specialization in Athletic Therapy
Concordia University
It seemed too good to be true that studying movement was something you could make a profession out of! I loved every second of the three-year Athletic Therapy (AT) program.
As a student, I thought I knew so much about the body. This makes me laugh now. The reality was I had just barely scratched the surface! My AT mentor, Paul Evans, was in his 3rd year of Osteopathy when I was going to him for treatment after my back surgery. I was fascinated by the different techniques he used.
He manipulated my organs, did craniosacral work and spoke of anatomy not as different parts but as an interconnected whole and I knew that Osteopathy had to be the next step in my professional journey.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
NB: I spend most of my days in the clinic so please allow for 3-5 business days for a response.