Can you tell us a bit about your professional background?

I have worked the last 12 years of my career working in Women’s pregnancy and pelvic health, I have been an educator, tutor and mentor in the profession.  I have worked in all aspects of pelvic health and I am an advanced practice Physio in pelvic health.

I have worked on the gynaecological and maternity wards in various hospitals across Melbourne to broaden my breadth of experience.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, on a personal level? (Hobbies / family etc)

I am a mum of 2 (nearly 2.5-year-old boy and 5-month-old girl)

I have a beautiful 3-year-old golden retriever Teddy

I like to exercise for my own mental health and wellbeing. I used to row outdoors, now I am on the indoor ergo and bike. I try and do a Pilates reformer workout at home 3-4 times per week to keep strong and improve my core strength.

I enjoying cooking and baking for my family and I try to do some meal prepping on a weekly basis to stay on top of life and household tasks.

What areas of women’s health do you specialise in / what areas are you particularly passionate about? 

I have a special interest in persistent pelvic pain, complex bowel disorders including functional gut problems, IBD, faecal incontinence, perineal and pelvic floor trauma recovery. I also have a lot of experience in educating Post Grad Physio’s in prolapse assessment, pessaries for prolapse and advanced pelvic floor assessment.

I am a strong advocate for exercise across a woman’s life, and I am work with my clients to try and find a way to do their exercise that they enjoy safely.

What made you decide to become part of the Maven Centre team?

The values that the Maven Team aligned with my own ethos. I am passionate about empowering my patients to have an “A team” of medical and allied health professionals that all are focused on the goals of the patient and who are able to work together. The team at Maven centre have been able to provide the “A team” with the an amazingly experienced group of practitioners who are passionate and dedicated to the health and well-being of their patients.

What do you hope to achieve by being a part of Maven Centre?

Improved patient outcomes and helping patients be able to feel more empowered, healthier and able to manage their pelvic health concerns.

By being a part of a bigger team, I am hopeful that I we will be able to work together to research and advocate for more funding, treatment options and support for patients who have chronic conditions such as endometriosis and other pelvic floor dysfunctions including prolapse and incontinence.

What can patients expect when they come to see you?  

A good listener, someone who is empathetic and able to understand the patients’ main concerns and goals, formulate a suitable treatment plan which has things that I can offer them and things that they can do at home to help better manage their concerns.

I offer a wide range of treatment including; ultrasound therapy, pessaries, dry needling, massage, TENS, specific pelvic floor exercises (strengthening or relaxation – or combination of both), exercises and stretches.

Can you discuss a particularly rewarding or memorable experience you’ve had working with a patient? What did you learn from that experience?  

One of my most rewarding experiences was working with Dr Eddy and Dr Dent with a client who had endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain. She had undergone multiple surgeries, she had seen so many different specialists and she was still struggling to get out of bed each day, she wasn’t able to exercise, work full time and she was still having a lot of time off each month due to her pelvic pain.

Over a period of 18 months, we all worked towards her goals of being able to exercise and work full time, and with a graded approach. Physio treatment including pelvic floor dry needling, massage, management of her tight and painful pelvic floor muscles, exercise rehab we were able to get her back to work, managing her pain really well and she was able to run and mange flare ups herself.

It was such a great feeling to see how far she came with her treatment and that she was now able to have a “normal” life.

How do you work to empower women to take charge of their own health and wellbeing? 

I work with everyone by being goal focused and trying to help them find what matters to them. By finding what matters to them, e.g. being able to lift weights at the gym or to go for a run helps to give my patients something to work towards and that is meaningful to them. If it’s important to the patient it will mean that they are more likely to be compliant with their treatment plans and help to improve their overall health and wellbeing.

Finally, what do you hope patients take away from their interactions with you and the Maven Centre?

That they walk in and feel safe, heard and welcomed. This is key to ensuring a successful outcome for the patient and helping them to get better outcomes with their health and wellbeing.