Joni was raised in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia and attended Sackville High School before receiving her BSc at Saint Mary’s University in 2001. After a brief career as a laboratory technician, she attended Dalhousie University where she completed her BSc in Physiotherapy in 2006 and was awarded the fourth year Research Award for her team’s work on low back pain (1). While at Dalhousie, she had the opportunity to complete a placement in a rehabilitation center in Finland where her passion for ‘outside-the-box’ therapy blossomed.

Joni has worked in several areas of physiotherapy including private practice, pediatrics, schools, home care and most recently in long term care. She was recently praised by her former student as “an outstanding clinical teacher” that “taught me so much on how to be a memorable, empathetic, evidence-based, outside-of-the-box physiotherapist “ (2).

Joni prides herself on tailoring a personalized program for her clients centred on the client’s goals that are realistic and achievable as well as fun. She has implemented an adapted swimming program when working in pediatrics, an interdisciplinary community gym program for residents in long term care, and her favourite project was starting a seated boxing class which she included not only the residents, but family as well as staff! Her vision is not only to help her clients with their main concern, whether it is a broken arm, a recent fall, or a decline in function due to a recent illness, but to also help them find passion in health and wellness in their everyday lives. It is not uncommon to see Joni dressed up for Halloween or as a pink elf in December and she always goes the extra mile to ensure that physiotherapy is not only worthwhile, but fun.

Joni is a proud mom of two busy boys. When she’s not at the hockey rink or in the woods with her boys, she can be found hiking to waterfalls with her labrador retriever, Luna or outside enjoying nature with her camera.

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792240/

(2) https://www.dal.ca/faculty/health/school-of-physiotherapy/for-faculty-and-staff/for-clinical-instructors/clinical-education-award.html

Joni was raised in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia and attended Sackville High School before receivi... Read More