Squamish Physiotherapy And Wellness Centre Pt Health Team

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  Danielle Balik
  Physiotherapist - BSc (MBB), MPT, MCPA

  Speaks: English, Czech

  Danielle completed her Masters of Physical Therapy from the University of British Columbia and her Bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. She became interested in physiotherapy after going through the rehabilitation process herself for a number of sports related injuries. Currently, she lives in Squamish and enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, mountain biking, mountaineering, climbing and kiteboarding. Danielle has a specific interest in hand therapy and is working towards becoming a Certified Hand Therapist. She has taken several continuing education courses for the specific treatment of shoulder, hand and back related injuries. Being an avid mountain biker herself, she does bike fitting and enjoys treating bike related injuries. She believes in a personalized treatment plan that involves a balance of manual therapy, education and exercise management to restore musculoskeletal imbalances and to prevent further injury.
  
  
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  Amber Mawson
  Physiotherapist - MScPT

  Speaks: English

  Amber has been assisting people to keep moving for over 11 years as a registered massage therapist and a kinesiologist. She recently became a physiotherapist to expand her toolbox further. Her passion is enabling people to engage in activity and unlock their full physical potential. Amber has training in functional movement assessment (FMS level 2), Kinesiotaping (Level 2) and Modern Manual Therapy for upper and lower body. Her treatment approach is based on thorough assessment, diagnosis, education, application of manual therapy techniques and developing customized exercise programs for patients. She loves working with patients of all ages and abilities in the clinic, in the gym or in the pool! Amber has been a triathlete, runner, paddler, climber, skier, mountain biker and generally enjoys getting outdoors at all possible opportunities. Involvement in sport at both recreational and competitive levels has brought many injuries and set backs, but through these she discovered a fascination with the human body and its ability to recover. She is always on the look-out for new information that provides insight into how we can recover better and move with less pain.
  
  
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  Helen Honig
  Physiotherapist - BSc, MSc, MPT

  Speaks: English

  Helen completed her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at McMaster University, where she also played on the university's ice hockey team. She followed this with a Masters in Clinical Human Anatomy at The University of Western Ontario before deciding she wanted something more “hands on” and completed her physiotherapy degree at The University of British Columbia. Since finishing physiotherapy school, Helen has pursued post-graduate training in spinal manual therapy, mobilization with movement, intramuscular stimulation (functional dry needling) and the Selective Functional Movement Assessment to screen for injury risk. Helen is also trained in bike fitting for road, mountain and commuter cyclists. With an athletic but also injury filled background, Helen understands the frustrations which accompany an injury. She emphasizes individualized treatment plans combining manual therapy and effective exercise prescription to help her patients return to both work and play coupled with movement pattern analysis to help prevent further injury. Outside the clinic, Helen can be found exploring British Columbia on foot, bicycle or skis.
  
  
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  Suzie Beliveau
  Occupational Therapist

  Speaks: English, French

  Suzie completed her BSC in Occupational Therapy at McGill University in 2002. She worked initially in splinting, Hand Therapy, acute orthopedic, pediatric, traumatic brain injuries, community and home health. She has over 10 years of experience completing functional assessments, worksite evaluations, ergonomic assessments, job demands analysis, Return to Work Rehabilitation as well as Graduated Return to Work Plans in a multidisciplinary clinic setting. She has also provided numerous education sessions on body mechanics, pacing, ergonomics, pain management as well as coordinating disability management programs for employers seeking to manage occupational disability. In 2016, she completed her Matheson functional capacity evaluation training. Suzie’s work philosophy is having a positive outlook on all situations she encounters. She believes all individual have the tools to improve their functional performance and achieve their true potential.
  
  
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  Lisa Grierson
  Massage Therapist - BKin RMT

  Speaks: English, French

  I have always had a fascination with the human body. Being an elite athlete in school, I understood from an early age the importance of feeling strong and happy in my body! This interest brought me to the University of Calgary to complete a Bachelor in Kinesiology. With my degree, I worked alongside a physiotherapist developing treatment plans and providing exercises for my clients. Throughout the years, I travelled through Asia and Latin America and experienced how health and wellness is understood in other cultures. I began practicing yoga and meditation, realizing that there was more to my health than the physical body. This experience helped me understand the importance of living a balanced life and how our emotional, mental and spiritual health affects what we feel in our bodies. Eager to learn more and get more hands on experience, I decided to go back to school and become a Registered Massage Therapist. I enjoy massage therapy because I am able to build a relationship with my clients and educate them about how to take control of their own health. The key to a healthy body is self-empowerment and along with massage treatment, I like to give my clients the tools to use at home that will provide lasting results. My treatments focus on calming the nervous system and treating the body as a whole with swedish massage, myofascial release, trigger point release and dynamic stretching. I like to create a treatment plan that focuses on getting my client back to what they call their normal, whether it is playing a sport at an elite level, walking their dog daily or playing with their grandchildren without pain. How we live our life and carry out our passions is important, and my goal is to help my clients get back to what makes them happy!
  
  
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  Anna Greenwood
  Physiotherapist

  Speaks: English

  Anna graduated from Leeds Met University in England with a Bsc in Physiotherapy, she worked as a rotational Physiotherapist in Leeds for 3 years gaining experience in a variety of clinical settings from Musculoskeletal outpatients to the community. Following this Anna found her interest working in the Musculoskeletal / orthopedic setting. She focused her career by working in a hospital orthopedics department and then went on to work in the private sector where she was working in a rehab clinic with a focus on sports injury and post surgical rehab. Anna uses a combination of treatment options from soft tissue release, manual therapy, exercise prescription and acupuncture based on the individuals needs and focusing on the treatment goals. She also has completed training to fit for custom orthotics and custom knee bracing. Outside of work Anna enjoys snowboarding and hiking which is what brought her to make the move from England and began working in Squamish at the start of 2016.
  
  
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  Heidi Drygas
  Physiotherapist

  Speaks: English

  I have been both a Squamish resident and a physiotherapist for more than 25 years. I attended Howe Sound Secondary School but completed my final year abroad in Finland as a Rotary exchange student. I received my physiotherapy degree from UBC. I have completed my Part A/ Level 4 orthopaedic level exam and most recently I have become a certified Urban Poling instructor. In addition to working at pt Health-Squamish I am a community physiotherapist for Vancouver Coastal Health. With VCH, I do home care physiotherapy and run the exercise component of the Squamish Healthy Heart program. I also instruct the hydrotherapy program at the local aquatic centre.
  
  
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  Cathy Skain
  Physiotherapist - BScPT, B.PE

  Speaks: English

  Cathy Skain has been working at Squamish Physiotherapy since 1999. During her years at Squamish Physiotherapy Cathy has worked in both the outpatient setting and the rehabilitation programs. She is the WSBC OR1 and OR2 programs program manager in 2012 she became the clinic director. She went on to the University of Toronto to pursue her Bachelor of Science degree in Physiotherapy. After graduating from the University of Toronto, she had the opportunity to spend five years working as a Traveling therapist in the United States. Returning from the United States Cathy moved to Whistler seeking the outdoor life style she had been looking for all her life. After a few years in Whistler she moved to Squamish and now calls this her home.
  
  
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  Florence Paradis- Laroche
  Occupational Therapist

  Speaks: English, French, Spanish

  Florence graduated from McGill University in 2001 with a BSc in Occupational Therapy (OT). She worked in Montreal and London (UK) in a variety of fields such as return to work programs, neurology, hand therapy and acute medical care. During that time she acquired a wealth of knowledge on adaptive equipment, promoting OT and working within a multi-disciplinary team. Since 2014 Florence has worked solely at Squamish Physio PT Health providing services for post-concussion/neuro assessment, ergonomic consultation, education sessions on maintaining posture and respecting proper body mechanics at work, active rehabilitation, pre-driving screens, splinting and return to work programs. Florence is an avid road cyclist, hiker and skier. Her hobbies are cooking, knitting, traveling and reading. As an OT at Squamish Physio, her priority is to assist clients in improving their independence and achieving their goals in order to return to work and their other meaningful occupations.