My Profile
Professional History
Training


Professional History 1979 to 2000:

  • 1979 to 1981- I completed my Diploma of Physiotherapy at Otago Polytechnic
  • Dec 1981 to March 1983- I worked at Kew Hospital in Invercargill as a new graduate
  • April 1983 to November 1984- I spent travelling in the USA, UK and Europe, spending about 10 months of that time doing locum physiotherapy jobs
  • December 1984 to February 1989- I worked for the Wellington Hospital Board in an outpatient rehabilitation unit based in Porirua City, just North of Wellington. This role included working with people with neurological conditions, orthopaedic conditions, multi-trauma and spinal injuries and rheumatological conditions. We had a hydrotherapy pool which was used extensively everyday and introduced me to the great benefits of exercising in water. Most of my time I was the Section Head of the Rehab unit and for about 10 months as acting Charge Physiotherapist of the Physiotherpay Department at Porirua Hospital. I also completed 4 out of 6 2-week modules towards a post graduate Diploma in Neurological Rehabilitation run by Physiotherapist Margaret Draper at Canterbury Health Board. I was unable to attend the first 2 modules due to work commitments.
  • March 1989 to January 1996. I was raising my 2 pre-school children. I did the odd locum to maintain my skills
  • January 1996 to September 1998- I worked in a hospital level care unit at Sevenoaks Retirement Village for 3 mornings a week. I also worked part-time for a private practice in Paraparaumu owned by Rob Reed. The practice treated musculoskeletal injuries and back and neck pain. I completed 2/3 of a 3 year post graduate Diploma in Manipulative Therapy, completing the first year covering the extremity joints and the first of 2 years on mobilisation and manipulation techniques for the spine. At the end of the second year we went overseas as a family and I decided not to complete the Diploma as on my return to NZ in late 1999, I realised that my love was rehabilitation and I returned to this line of work.​

Professional History 2000 onwards:

  • June 2000- October 2015- I was employed by Capital and Coast District Health Board for 30hr/week role in a community rehab interdisciplinary team on the Kapiti Coast. During this time I worked mainly with people who’d had a stroke, Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions and with older adults who were falling or having balance and mobility issues. Vestibular rehabilitation gradually became a significant part of my role with over half the patients I saw having vestibular problems by the time I resigned. This area of work has become my passion.
  • 2003-2017: I worked 1 day/fortnight in the Neurology department in Wellington Hospital with Dr Stuart Mossman (Neurologist with a special interest in vestibular conditions). My role was doing vesrtibular function testing, initially caloric testing and then Video Head Impulse Testing since 2011. We also worked on a number of research projects together.
  • November 2015: I started my own private practice- Kapiti Dizziness and Balance Centre