brain & body health
For patients
healthcare…
but differently
If you are looking to feel better in yourself/your body and you are ready to devote some of your time to feeling better, you are in the right place. Sometimes all it takes to succeed is someone to point you in some possible directions and to walk the path with you.
I work with patients individually to realise their goals but also offer some exciting programmes that run in a group format. If you are in New Zealand, either of these options may also be supported by ACC.
I have experience working with people who live with neurological conditions such as stroke and musculoskeletal conditions such as back pain. I have also worked with people living with anxiety and/or depression, people who are preparing to undergo orthopaedic surgery or are recovering from surgery and many others.
Working with me is likely to look quite different to what you have experienced before when visiting a health professional. Below are some of the main differences. For more details, you might also like to check out the Frequently Asked Questions and Not so Frequently Asked Questions sections.
many active conversations
I start by listening to what is important in your life, what your goals are and what might work for you. We then work together to identify what steps you might take to get on the way [1]. This takes time, which is why all of our sessions take one hour. Depending on your preference (and weather permitting), walk and talk sessions might be a good option for literally active conversations. Walking while talking, aside from being good coincidental exercise (see below), has shown to free the mind and to allow for more creative thoughts to enter our minds [2]. If you have any physical health goals, then walking during our sessions also allows me to get a good impression of your level of ability.
home visit, telehealth or practice-
your choice
Working together in the comfort of your own environment has many benefits – apart from you not having to travel yourself. Your schedule and other commitments and the resources you have access to are all at the forefront. This allows us to really tailor your plans. Alternatively, and if you are in my neighborhood (the beautiful Bay of Plenty in Aotearoa), you are also always welcome at my home practice. I am set up with an open, distraction-free space with room for inspiring conversation, hands-on treatment and exercise. For anybody outside of my area, telehealth is a great medium. Many studies have shown that for many areas of healthcare practice, telehealth is as effective as in-person healthcare [3].
sleep, stress, diet…
All of these affect your mental and physical wellbeing. Together finding out what might be going on and learning more about how all of these aspects of your life interact and contribute to how you feel is an important piece of the puzzle [6,7,8]. While I am addicted to learning, I cannot profess to be an expert on all of these aspects. I am, however, very well-connected professionally, have many years’ experience working alongside other amazing professionals in multidisciplinary settings and am confident that together we can work out what is the best support for you to achieve your goals.
no quick fixes
Like most things in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it likely is just that. For that reason, I typically work with clients for a minimum of nine weeks, whether that is through individual sessions or any of the programmes I offer. This allows time for really testing what works and embedding new habits [4]. Sustainable change takes time and hard work. This does not mean that everyone has to slave away for hours on end every day to achieve a goal and there is a lot to be said for ‘incidental activity’ or ‘little and often’. In fact, with busy lifestyles and a multitude of commitments, this is often the most realistic plan and luckily has, for many goals including health goals (e.g., diabetes), been shown to be as effective as longer, individual efforts [5].
Check out current programme offerings here.
Power Within
A 9-week evidence-based individualised coaching programme to achieve your mental and/or physical health goal including a detailed initial assessment, 1 on 1 support and weekly sessions in a modality of your choice – in person at Powerx2 in Mount Maunagnui or in person at your home or online.
Think On Your Feet
A 9-week attention, concentration, memory and balance programme for all levels and abilties informed by the latest research with a detailed initial assessment to tailor weekly sessions to you and 3 weekly sessions in a social setting.
Sources
[1] da Silva, D., & Health Foundation. (2012). Evidence : helping people share decision making : a review of evidence considering whether shared decision making is worthwhile. The Health Foundation.
[2] Rominger, C., Schneider, M., Fink, A., Tran, U. S., Perchtold-Stefan, C. M., & Schwerdtfeger, A. R. (2022). Acute and chronic physical activity increases creative ideation performance: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open, 8(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-022-00444-9.
[3] Jang S, Lee B, Lee E, et al. (2003). A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Rehabilitation Using Digital Healthcare on Musculoskeletal Pain and Quality of Life. Journal of Pain Research, 16, 1877-1894. https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S388757 .
[4] Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674.
[5] Islam, H., Gibala, M. J., & Little, J. P. (2022). Exercise snacks: a novel strategy to improve cardiometabolic health. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 50(1), 31-37. https://doi/org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000275.
[6] Cobb, N. K., & Poirier, J. (2014). Effectiveness of a multimodal online well-being intervention: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2013.08.018.
[7] Gudlaugsson, J., Jonsson, P., Janusdottir, L., Janusson, D., Janusson, A., Gudmundsson, I., … & Aspelund, T. (2019). Multimodal health promotion–an approach to successful aging. European Journal of Public Health, 29 (Supplement 4), 185-223.https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.223.
[8] Zwilling, C. E., Strang, A., Anderson, E., Jurcsisn, J., Johnson, E., Das, T., Kuchan, M. J., &; Barbey, A. K. (2020). Enhanced physical and cognitive performance in active duty Airmen: evidence from a randomized multimodal physical fitness and nutritional intervention. Scientific Reports, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74140-7.
BRAIN & BODY HEALTH
INJURY RECOVERY
PREHAB
SUSTAINABLE FITNESS
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