ABOUT ME
My approach to osteopathy is heavily informed by my background as a scientist, athlete, and teacher. I completed a duel Bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology at the University of Western Ontario before completing a five year program at the Collège d’Études Ostéopathiques de Montréal in 2018. Throughout my studies, I gained practical experience as an intern-osteopath, volunteered teaching junior osteopathy students and offered pro bono treatments at the West Island Cancer Wellness Centre.
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I bring my life-long curiosity to my work as an osteopath. I look at each client as a whole person, including their physical, mental and emotional context, focusing on finding and addressing the root causes. I work closely with each of my clients to increase understanding and to address root causes to achieve long term solutions.
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I enjoy treating people from all walks of life and appreciate the opportunity to apply my skill set to complex cases. I have significant experience treating babies, pregnant women, seniors and everything in between as well as high level athletes, those with disabilities and chronic and acute medical conditions, including migraines and concussions. I strive to create a safe space for clients of all backgrounds.
MY APPROACH
I aim to work cooperatively with each of my clients to treat acute symptoms, address root causes, and provide long term solutions.
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I start my approach by conducting a thorough questionnaire to better understand my client’s history and current context. In addition to evaluating symptomatic area(s), I always conduct a full body evaluation including a posture and balance evaluation.
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My goal is to evaluate the whole person, including their physical, mental, and emotional context. This holistic approach is aimed at providing each client with the most thorough treatment possible. I treat each client manually during appointments, but I also aim to identify and help clients address habits, movement patterns, and other contributing factors in order to attain the best, longest-lasting results possible.
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My goal is for you to leave your appointment with an understanding the root causes behind the challenge(s) you are facing and a plan to address it.
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I aim to teach you more about your body and how to work with it, not against it.
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I want to provide you with skills and techniques to help you manage symptoms and achieve progress between each treatment.
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I hope you come prepared with a curious and open mind so that we can begin working together on progressing towards your goals. ​
TESTIMONIALS
WHAT TO EXPECT
During your first appointment, I will begin by asking you your reason for consultation, discussing when and how your current symptoms began as well as any potentially related factors. I will then ask you about your general health, your medical history and current context. After that we will begin the physical portion of the evaluation: starting with a balance and posture assessment and then a manual, full-body evaluation.
During the manual evaluation, I look at the position, mobility and vitality (blood and lymph flow, nerve function, etc.) of the structures of the body. I evaluate the whole body, looking for the source of the issue; while your symptoms may be located in one spot (e.g. shoulder), the source of the issue may be located elsewhere (e.g. diaphragm. I then develop an overall treatment plan, the plan for that day’s appointment, explain it to you and adjust as needed.
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We then proceed to the manual treatment. This can include gentle manipulations, stretches and mobilizations of different parts of the body. I may also ask you to participate by contracting certain muscles or by retesting symptomatic areas. I do my best to explain as I go and I encourage you to ask any questions you have
After the treatment, we reassess your posture and symptoms. We will repeat this stage at the beginning and end of each subsequent treatment. You might notice an improvement immediately, but improvements can sometimes be gradual. The type of issue you are experiencing, the length of time it has been affecting you, and a variety of other factors all contribute to the amount of time your body will take to heal – even with my help.
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After reassessing at the end of the appointment, we might discuss certain contributing factors, habits or movement patterns to work on. Sometimes I may show you something to work on in between appointments. This is especially likely if you are experiencing symptoms that developed gradually and/or have been present for a long time. In these cases, osteopathy can help provide some short-term relief and address certain limitations, creating a window of opportunity for change, but changing the patterns that lead to the development of the issue will be necessary to achieve more profound and long lasting results.
After this, we will schedule follow-up appointments in accordance with your treatment plan – balancing the desire for progress with scheduling needs, finances, and other factors.
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Throughout, I hope for my clients to be open and honest with me about their expectations and limitations and I will offer the same in return.
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Note also: after an appointment, the body continues to adapt and changes will continue to occur in the days following the treatment, especially if movement patterns have been altered. During this time, some people may experience soreness, fatigue or even other symptoms like light headaches. It is important to be gentle with your body during this time, paying attention to its needs (think hydration, sleep, gentle movement, etc.). Usually after 24-48 hours, your body will have adapted to any changes and you should be feeling the benefits of the appointment.