Physiotherapists:
Jennifer Harvey
Jennifer completed her Masters of Science in Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto. Prior to her physiotherapy education, she graduated with distinction from McMaster University with an Honours Bachelor of Science Kinesiology degree.
Jennifer has experience assessing and treating orthopaedic and neurological conditions in both adults and children. She is committed to providing individualized evidence-based treatment consisting of manual therapy, exercise and education to help her patients reach their goals. She strongly believes in finding the root cause of the problem and collaborating with her patients to maximize their recovery and quality of life.
Jennifer is dedicated to on-going education and professional development. She has continued her education by obtaining certifications in Basic Taping. Level I Manual Therapy and most recently specialized training to manage acute and chronic concussions. She is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and the Ontario Physiotherapy Association
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Olivia Skrastins
Olivia Skrastins completed her Masters of Science in Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto, and has a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Kinesiology degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association and is registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario.
Olivia is passionate about orthopaedic manual therapy and is committed to continuing her education in this area. She has completed a basic sports taping course, a soft tissue release course and has received her Level 1 Manual Therapy certification from the Orthopaedic Division of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. She is interested in sports rehabilitation and enjoys working with a diverse population. She has experience working with children and teenagers as a camp counsellor and during her placements in the Physical Therapy program. Olivia was a competitive dancer and taught dance at university during her undergraduate degree. She was also a competitive swimmer, and played ultimate Frisbee for several years. Olivia continues to lead a very active lifestyle, including strength training and conditioning, swimming and dance. Olivia is excited to have the opportunity to help patients reach their goals and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.
Charlotte Anderson
is a registered physiotherapist with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a Masters in Physiotherapy, and was awarded the Goldie Lewis Award upon graduation for the demonstration of strong personal attributes. Charlotte’s area of interest and focus subsequent to graduation has been in muscular skeletal practice. She has undertaken ongoing professional development certifications in the areas of: nervous system mobilization, joint mobilization, manual therapy, taping and bracing and dry needling.
Charlotte has experience working in a number of different health care settings, but primarily in outpatient orthopedics, treating a wide range of conditions related to sport, work and the rigors of daily life.
Her practice at ALPHA Health Services focuses on all aspects of muscular skeletal health, including but not limited to injury rehabilitation, chronic pain management, healthy aging, exercise prescription and regaining function and mobility. Charlotte has a particular interest in preventative and maintenance based physiotherapy, and works hard with her patients to prevent secondary injuries from occurring. She is a strong believer in preventative actions to avoid injury or disease, and works hard with patients to live a healthy, active life that prevents the need for rehabilitation.
Her research in clinical education for Canadian physiotherapy students has been published in the Journal of Physiotherapy and presented at conferences across the country. She sits on the Executive of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (private practice division) as the Education Lead. These background skill sets complement and support Charlotte’s professional practice particularly in the area of individual specific rehabilitation and preventative physiotherapy. She is an adjunct lecturer and PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences at U of T, with a focus on concussion management and rehabilitation.
Leeanna Maher
Leeanna graduated from the University of Toronto in 2004 earning a Honours Bachelor of Science degree with high distinction. Through her studies, she earned a specialist designation in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. This enabled Leeanna to study more in depth the human body’s response to disease on a cellular level. Leeanna was driven to take her knowledge out of the laboratory and apply it more directly to enhancing and optimizing patient recovery. Leeanna volunteered throughout university at an outpatient orthopaedic physical therapy clinic and thus, found her true passion.
She went on to complete her Master’s in Physical Therapy at The University of Toronto in 2006. Leeanna is a registered member of the Ontario College of Physiotherapists since 2007. She has worked and gained invaluable experience in multiple physical therapy settings in hospitals as well as clinics within the GTA. She has worked with a variety of clients of all ages and conditions including post-surgical cardio-thoracic, Parkinson’s, stroke, Lou Gehrig’s disease, post-operative knee and hip replacements, and sport injury musculoskeletal conditions.
Leeanna has committed her career to lifelong learning and as such, has devoted her time to completing many post graduate courses to enhance her reasoning and manual therapy skills. In 2012, Leeanna’s daughter was born and this sparked her passion for learning more about Women’s health and pelvic conditions. She went on to take a number of post graduate courses through Pelvic Health Solutions that focus on rehabilitation of conditions such as female and male incontinence, female and male pelvic pain, prolapse, pelvic floor dysfunction in pregnancy, and coccydynia.
Leeanna is truly committed to her clients in that she takes a collaborative approach to focus on her client’s goals. She believes in empowering her clients through education and truly listening to each one of their unique and individual stories. To book online with Leeanna, click here.
Joanna Schechter
Joanna Schechter is a registered physiotherapist in the province of Ontario. Joanna specializes in geriatric physiotherapy. Joanna has considerable experience in the fields of stroke rehabilitation, joint replacement pre and post surgery, deconditioned patients and physiotherapy for seniors. She has worked for many years at in patient units in major Toronto hospitals, and is excited to bring her expertise to a private clinic.
Her practice at ALPHA Health Services focuses on senior care, stroke and cardiac rehabilitation, joint replacement rehab, and increasing functionality and strength for the geriatric population. Joanna is also ADP (assistive devices program) certified.
Joanna is available for appointment at ALPHA Health Services Tuesday and Thursday 11am – 3 pm. To book an appointment with Joanna, please email info@alphahealthservices.ca
Winta Desta
Winta Desta is a dynamic physiotherapist registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Winta’s areas of interest include musculoskeletal, neurological, and paediatric rehabilitation. She graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology from Lakehead University, where she finished first in her class and has recently completed a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto.
Winta has accumulated many years of experience in youth athletics as a competitive basketball coach, recreation coordinator, camp counsellor, and past varsity basketball athlete. She has gained extensive experience in treating musculoskeletal and neurological injuries in acute, outpatient, and homecare settings. Throughout these experiences, she has worked with a variety of clients of all ages and conditions including stroke, acquired brain injury, developmental delay, concussion, complex orthopaedic injuries, and sport musculoskeletal injuries.
Outside of work, Winta has the pleasure of being the assistant coach for Can-Amera Boys Basketball team, a program that works with young athletes to reach their potential both on and off the court. She also likes to play basketball, hike, and eat good food.
Winta is committed to helping patients who have experienced an orthopaedic or neurological injury reach meaningful goals by integrating the latest evidence and techniques to her practice and by making it fun!
Lindsey Schwartz
Lindsey received her Masters in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto. She previously graduated with an Honours Bachelor degree in Science, majoring in Biology, from Queen’s University. She is registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and is a member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.
Lindsey grew up as a competitive dancer, which sparked her passion for physiotherapy. She has a strong interest in working with the orthopaedic and neurological populations and enhancing their quality of living. Lindsey understands firsthand the value and positive impact physiotherapy can have on an individual’s life and is excited to have the opportunity to help others in their rehab journey.
Upon graduation from the Masters of Physical Therapy program, she was awarded the Toronto Rehabilitation Patient Quality of Life Award for demonstrating the attributes and ability to improve quality of life for people living with a long-term disability as a result of illness, accident or the aging process. She was also awarded the CBI Health Group Prize for Excellence in Student Research. Lindsey is committed to continuous learning and has attained her Basic Sport Physiotherapy Taping certificate.
Massage Therapists:
Karen Kingsley
Karen is a graduate of Sutherland-Chan School & Teaching Clinic and is registered with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. She is also Dr. Vodder certified in Manual Lymph Drainage and Combined Decongestive Therapy. Prior to her training in massage therapy, she received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario.
Through her training and clinic experience she has experience in treating patients with the following conditions: Headaches/Migraines, Lymphedema, Cancer, Post Surgery Scar Work, Pregnancy, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injuries, Plantar Fasciitis, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and TMJ, to name a few.
Karen also has a special interest in Women’s Health, specifically Breast Health and Breast Massage. She believes it to be an area which often gets overlooked and she ensures that her patients are provided with an open and comfortable environment to discuss their breast health. This can be anything from dealing with premenstrual breast pain, pregnancy & discomforts with breastfeeding, to patients who have had a lumpectomy/mastectomy/breast reconstruction due to a breast cancer diagnosis. As a breast cancer survivor herself, she has first hand knowledge of how breast massage can help in the recovery process after a mastectomy and/or breast reconstruction.
During her youth and adolescent years, Karen trained professionally in ballet at the National Ballet School in Toronto and at the Quite Ballet School in Belleville. Having sustained her fair share of injuries during her dancing career, she understands how important it is to take care of one’s body and how helpful massage can be to aid in the recovery process. To book with Karen, click here.
Naturopathic Doctor:
Dr. Christina Carew recovered from a decade of fatigue, which had drained her body of its vibrancy, and became a Naturopathic Doctor and Change Agent. Today, she works as a medical investigator practicing strategic and functional medicine.
Christina helps remove the obstacles that stand in the way of living a healthy vibrant life. She focuses on empowering patients to make informed decisions on their health journey. She understands that busy lifestyles require unique solutions and works with her patients to find a strategy that works best for them.
Her approach to healthcare investigates you (your personal blueprint) and factors in your life experiences (where you have lived, worked, traveled) and your current obstacles to success. She pulls together these clues to look for biomedical reasons for symptoms that are often unique to each person.
Dr. Christina Carew is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and holds a Doctorate of Naturopathy from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is licensed under the College of Naturopaths of Ontario.
To find out more, click here , or to book online click here.
Kinesiologist:
Oggie Bovan
Oggie completed his Kinesiology & Health Science Degree at York University, after which he went on to complete a post-graduate program in exercise science. His focus is on Exercise Rehabilitation and Strengthening, and has spent his whole educational career taking courses in rehab exercise programming and general strength training. Oggie has experience in a clinical setting as well as a private/athletic setting; he has worked with clients of all ages whose goals consisted of anything from
- – improving or maintaining strength/mobility post-injury
- – athletes looking to get their body in an optimal state for competition
- – preventative general strengthening to move the body efficiently and decrease risk of injury
Oggie was a competitive soccer player for 10 years + and is currently involved in the high performance training of elite youth soccer players at an academy. He continues to work in a clinical setting as he believes regular exercises is pivotal in everyone’s life, including those who are overcoming an injury or health condition. Oggie provides home training to clients rehabbing from surgery, taking on a new athletic challenge, or looking to increase their overall health and wellness.