My Story

I’m Andrea: a passionate physiotherapist, movement enthusiast, and traveller; and I love cooking, playing piano, and hand-making cards.

I had always wanted to become a physiotherapist, but upon entering the Masters of Physical Therapy (MPT) program at the University of British Columbia I had no true preference for any practice area and was willing to give everything a taste in order to find my direction.

In 2011, I was blessed to have the opportunity to complete one of my clinical placements in Koppal, India with Hilary Crowley of Samuha Overseas Development Agency (SODA).  Little did I know, I was about to begin a life-changing experience that has led me to where I am today.

My five-week placement took me down Koppal’s dusty alley roads on the back of a motorcycle to work with the most amazing children who had been diagnosed with various disabilities. When I realized I could laugh, play, and build meaningful relationships with whole families (no joke – the child, parents, aunts, uncles, neighbours, and the village cow) despite a heavy language barrier, I knew I had found the perfect fit: pediatric physiotherapy.  I thoroughly enjoyed my placement in Koppal however I often wished that I had more knowledge and experience to be able to contribute to these families more. I had a feeling that I would be back.

After gaining experience working for the fabulous Kids Physio Group in Vancouver, the stars aligned and I headed off again in January of 2014 – this time as a preceptor to Maegan Mak (who now also works at Kids Physio). During our time there, we identified several issues that could not be addressed in that 5-week period. Read about our 2014 trip in the January 2014 archives HERE.

I’m now heading to India for the third time, and will be dedicating six months to Samuha Samarthya to increase their self-sustainability and improve the level of care that they are providing to the people of rural South India. Stay tuned on my home page for updates about this upcoming trip!

In Vancouver, the focus of my practice is on pediatric orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions such as sports injuries, postural and alignment issues, muscle imbalances, and movement dysfunction.  I discovered another passion of mine – working with kids and teens with scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Earlier this year, I became certified in the Schroth Method and am steering my practice to mostly work with this very underserved group of adolescents in the lower mainland. I’m also trying my hand at writing and currently contribute to OrthoCanada’s national blog.

I’m lucky to call my passion my work.