A certified hand therapist, Joy Kirkwood has more than 15 years of experience treating injuries and conditions affecting the hand. Her main focus is on traumatic and post-surgical injuries. She also treats a wide variety of hand conditions including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Dupuytren's contracture, finger and wrist sprains and strains, skier's thumb, tendon and nerve injuries, and tendonitis.

For the past 15 years, Joy has provided physiotherapy coverage at many major games, including the BC Summer and Winter Games, the Canada Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the World Figure Skating Championships.

She has held top positions in the Canadian Society of Hand Therapists and the 4th Congress of the International Federation of the Societies for Hand Therapy. She is also a resident of the Canadian Academy of Manual/Manipulative Therapists (RCAMT).

Joy earned her bachelors of science in physiotherapy from the University of Toronto. She completed post-graduate studies in orthopedics and passed the Canadian Orthopedic Part A Manual Therapy Exam. She is a member of both the Canadian and American societies of hand therapy. She stays current in the field of hand therapy by taking one to two post-graduate courses each year.

 Joy's passion and dedication o her chosen filed is exemplified by her commitment to the development of the first Canadian hand fellowship program which she started at Hand Therapy Centre's Guildford location. In addition, she sponsors several private research projects a year. In her spare time she enjoys a good game of badminton, exploring new places or cavorting in the pool with her 6 year old.

Joy practices at our New Westminster clinic.

Kristan Ash is the Director of Operations. Previous to this, she was the Vice President of Franchise and Business Development for Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare Services Inc.

Her experience in building that company gave her a wealth of expertise to bring to the healthcare companies she works with. Kristan’s meticulous attention to customer service and focus on reducing “waste” in healthcare organizations while increasing the experience and value to the client is what enables her to grow the companies she works with.

Originally wanting to be a Registered Nurse, she couldn’t bear to see the environment in many institutional health care settings. Having spent her lifetime in healthcare with her chronically ill family members she developed a passion for looking at healthcare through the eyes of the people recieving the care and developing an understanding for what is important to them. She decided she wanted to bring this type of care to others and does so through her work with healthcare organizations. A people person, Kristan’s “Top 1” is to build the best team possible while ensuring the companies she works with are top employers.

Kristan is committed to a number of community organizations including the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Board of Governors, Kwantlen Polytechnic University Alumni Association and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Kristan holds a BBA from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and is currently working towards her MBA through Athabasca University. She is married and has beautiful two children.

Trevor graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Western Ontario in 1996. Postgraduate education includes a certificate in Intermediate Manual Therapy (Part A) and his Hand Therapy Certification (CHT). Trevor's caseload is primarily hand and upper extremity clients.

With over 10 years of experience, Trevor also provides UBC students and new hand therapists mentorship opportunities at the clinic. Dedicated to promoting the profession, Trevor frequently lectures to various healthcare groups on the benefits and practice of Hand Therapy in British Columbia.

Trevor volunteers physiotherapy services for a number of sporting events including: the Vancouver Sun Run, the Price Waterhouse Marathon and the 2001 World Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver. He is also the former president of the West Coast Hand Therapy Association (WCHTA).

In his spare time, Trevor enjoys weight training and hitting the slopes on his snowboard. Trevor is also an avid volleyball player and volunteers his time as the Chair of a local volleyball organization.

Trevor practices at our Guildford and Langley clinics.

Monica started with the company as a Front Office Team Member, working part-time as she finished her Kinesiology Degree, just over 3 years ago. During this time, she was given the opportunity to work as a Student Kinesiologist at the Coquitlam Clinic – an opportunity that developed into a full time position as a Kinesiologist for both the Coquitlam and Burke Mountain locations. With the growth and expansion of the clinics, Monica was then given the opportunity to move into a different role all together. She is now the General Manager of our 5 Physiotherapy, Hand Therapy, and Wellness Centres, working mostly out of our Guildford Location. When she isn’t busy managing our Front Office Team and Kinesiologists, she enjoys working out and travelling.

Alison obtained a B.Comm, in Finance and General Business from the University of Saskatchewan in 2000 and then went on to obtain a Masters degree in Physical Therapy from the University of British Columbia. Alison began her career in acute care in a hospital with a focus on safe mobilization and movement retraining post-acute illness. She has completed courses in vestibular rehabilitation and is currently completing her Orthopaedic Level 1 Manual Therapy and pursuing an interest in women’s health physiotherapy.

Outside of her professional activities, Alison enjoys trail running, hiking, yoga, and travel.

Alison works at our Guildford, Langley and Burke Mountain clinics.

Amanda graduated from Occupational Therapy in 2000. She has been practicing hand therapy for about 7 years. Amanda completed the Fellowship program at Hand Therapy Centres and obtained her certification in hand therapy in November 2009. Amanda's passion is hand therapy and international work. She is one of the founders of International Health Initiatives (IHI), a group of over 55 therapists dedicated to providing sustainable rehabilitation services and empowering people with disabilities in developing countries. IHI's first project is a hand therapy program in Cameroon, West Africa. Amanda also worked in Haiti with Handicap International in 2010 for one month following the earthquake to provide upper extremity rehabilitation to earthquake victims. Amanda is the current president of the West Coast Hand Therapy Association. She also works in the hand therapy department at Vancouver General Hospital and assists in hand clinic with hand surgeons.

Amanda practices at our Guildford and Langley Centres.

Bev graduated from University of Saskatchewan in 1985. Initially, her, work was in paediatrics within a school and at the Glenrose Rehab Hospital in Edmonton where she developed expertise within orthopaedics, neurology and gross motor dysfunction with children 0-17 years.

Over the years Bev has also developed an interest in TMJ dysfunction and went on to develop the program in a large acute care hospital in England as well as lecture in this area while living in England.

Bev's particular interests are paediatrics, pre and postnatal women, TMJ dysfunction as well as patient education.

Outside of the clinic setting, Bev is married with one daughter and enjoys swimming, music, theatre, tennis and ballroom dancing.

Bev practices at our Guildford and Langley clinics.

Cindy graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2000. She has completed her level 2 Orthopaedic courses in manual therapy and is in the process of completing her level 3. She also has completed her Acupuncture certification through the Acupuncture foundation of Canada.
With having 2 young children herself Cindy had a desire to work in Paediatrics and worked for a Child Development Centre as a Community Paediatric Physiotherapist. She treated infants and children with a variety of Developmental and Orthopaedic conditions including developmental and gross motor delay, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, and a variety of other syndromes. She believes in family-centered, goal-orientated care, and continues to take continuing education in this area as well.

When Cindy is not working she enjoys spending time with her family and their involvement in many school and church activities.

Kees works at our Burke Mountain location.

Courtney is a Practicing Kinesiologist through the BCAK. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Certificate in Health and Fitness from Simon Fraser University in 2010. She has a background in ‘fall and fall related injury prevention’ from working with Fraser Health Authority’s Falls Prevention Team during her co-op internship through SFU. Courtney also volunteered for several years with Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities where she worked with children with a range of disabilities using horseback riding as a form of therapy! Presently, Courtney is focusing on the Return to Work program and Functional Active Rehab, with hopes of developing new chronic disease management and prevention programs within the clinic.

Outside of the clinic, Courtney enjoys hiking, water sports and working with animals – especially her Siberian Huskies.

Courtney practices at our Guildford and Langley Centres.

Gareth graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelors of Science in Physical Therapy in 1994. Postgraduate education includes completing all courses of McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), successful completion of the MDT Credentialing Examination, and various orthopaedic courses (manual therapy, etc.). Gareth’s areas of expertise include assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries and orthopaedics.

With over 17 years of experience, Gareth has been a preceptor to numerous physical therapy students and continues to have a keen interest in mentoring physical therapy students and recent graduates.

Gareth’s other passions include soccer, windsurfing, fishing, camping, running, travelling, playing guitar, and studying the Spanish language.

Gareth practices at our Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam clinics.

Geetu graduated from Ch. Charan Singh University, India with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree in 2002. She completed her Masters of Physiotherapy from Garhwal University, India with specialization in Sports Rehabilitation in 2004. She also enriched her clinical knowledge by additional courses on Manipulative Therapy (Maitland’s approach) and orthopaedic medicine by International Federation of Manual/Musculoskeletal medicine.

Geetu enjoyed her role as a Physiotherapist and Lecturer teaching physiotherapy undergraduate students in New Delhi, India, for 4 years before moving to British Columbia in 2008. Geetu is passionate about providing her patients with the latest evidence-based treatment. She is also fluent in Punjabi and Hindi. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her one year old.

Geetu practices at our Guildford clinic.

Heather practices at our Guildford centre.

Ian works at our Burke Mountain, Coquitlam and New West clinic.

Jessa graduated from Queens University with a Masters of Physical Therapy in 2007. She has also completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Kinesiology Co-op in 2005. She has a large background in the health and fitness field having worked as a fitness programmer and trainer in several fitness clubs and recreation centers within the lower mainland. She has a keen interest in manual therapy, sports rehab and core stabilization. Jessa has also completed her certification and training as an Acupuncturist.

Jessa believes in an active approach to rehab and enjoys a number of activities including running, biking, hiking, snowboarding, surfing, yoga, basketball, ultimate frisbee as well as weight training.

Jessa practices at our Coquitlam clinic.

Joyce practices at our Guildford centre.

Kavitha works at our Guildford location.

Marissa Joel is a Practicing Kinesiologist through the BCAK. Previous to this, she was the a Health Coach, Student Kinesiologist, Human Kinetic Specialist, Basic Weight Trainer, and a whole host of other fancy-sounding titles. She now focuses on Functional Active Rehabilitation programs and Return to Work planning within the clinics, and also works as a Teaching Assistant at SFU.

Originally wanting to work in health promotion, she couldn’t bear the thought of working in rehab. Having spent her final co-op terms in a physiotherapy clinic, she developed a passion for working with injuries, helping to restore function to patients and developing an understanding for what is important to them. She decided she wanted to bring this type of care to others and does so through her work as a kinesiologist. Her professional interests include restoring and maintaining function and strength within the body, and taking an active approach to health promotion and disease prevention.

A people person, Marissa’s “Top 1” is to be a member of the best team possible while ensuring the companies she works for are top employers. Marissa is committed to a number of community organizations, but can't think of any examples at this time. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with Co-op from Simon Fraser University in 2010 and is not currently working on putting any other letters behind her name. Outside the clinic, Marissa stay active through running, hiking, trail running, boxing, yoga, and weight training. She also enjoys baking, music, and travelling. Marissa practices at our Coquitlam and Burke Mountain clinics.

Megan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia in 1987. She began her career working with clients with neurological deficits and was an assistant in the School of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Neuroanatomy course for 2 years. Megan then specialized in hand therapy in 1994. She was the Senior Occupational Therapist in Orthopaedics at Lions Gate Hospital from 1995 to 2001. Megan completed her certification in Hand Therapy in 1996 and has re-certified in 2001 and 2006.

Her special interest in the fabrication of custom hand splints, including those made of low temperature thermoplastic, fabric and leather.

Megan practices at our Guildford and Coquitlam clinics.

Nikki works at our Guildford location.

Having come from a Sports Science background, Peter trained as a Chartered Physiotherapist in London and obtained his BSc in 1994.

He has specialised in Hand Therapy since 2000 and became an Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Hand Specialist in 2003 at the principal hospital in Bath, England. He is a Certified Hand Therapist and moved to Vancouver from England in April 2008 with his young family. He enjoys cycling, music and mountains and looks forward to exploring Beautiful British Columbia!

Peter practices at our Port Coquitlam and Coquitlam clinics.

Bobby received his Masters of Physical Therapy and Bachelor of Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia. He has completed his Orthopaedic Level 1 Manual Therapy and is currently pursuing AFCI acupuncture certification. Bobby is results focused and has a keen interest in preventative medicine. He seeks to engage clients in an active lifestyle that extends beyond the duration of their physiotherapy treatment. Key success factors involve establishing trust and rapport with each individual client, taking time to understand and address their individual mobility goals.

Outside of his professional activities, Bobby is an avid rock climber, snowboarder, and downhill mountain biker.

Shaveen obtained a B.Sc., in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Victoria in 2003 and then went on to obtain a. Masters degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Western Ontario. He has completed the McKenzie Assessment and Treatment of Lower Back Specialty. He also has his acupuncture certification with the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute and uses anatomical acupuncture to assist in his physical therapy practice. In practice Shaveen focuses on manual therapy, exercise therapy, and pain control and has a special interest in the treatment of acute and chronic pain conditions. Shaveen also has a keen interest in sports rehab and sports specific training.

Shaveen likes to keep himself busy by playing basketball and training in martial arts.

Shaveen practices at our Guildford clinic.

Vanessa graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alberta in 2005, and attained American certification to practice in the United States under the NAFTA treaty. After returning form Texas she practiced hand therapy at the University of Alberta Hospital in outpatient Plastic and Orthopaedic Surgery for 3 years. She relocated to our Guildford Clinic in 2009 to continue her education via the hand fellowship program. She aims to become a certified hand therapist by November 2010.

Vanessa's passion revolves around bicycles; she rides cross-country, road, and downhill all year round.

Vanessa practices at our Guildford and Coquitlam clinics.

Victor practices at our Guildford Centre