Physiotherapy at Guelph Women’s Health Associates (GWHA)
Have you ever wondered or felt:
- Where can I access these unique services?
- With a busy schedule, how can I manage or attend multiple appointments
- I am really not comfortable talking to my doctor about my concern
- I don’t think there is any treatment that will work and help me
- I want treatment that allows me to be in control
- Are there other options than medication? I am not interested in medication if there are other options
- After seeing my doctor, I am now waiting months for a specialist appointment. What else can I do?
Why are women choosing Guelph Women’s Health Associates?
People often tend to look after everyone but themselves, until one day a light bulb goes off and they realize – “it’s time to look after me”. When this moment occurs many people face the reality that they can’t ignore the signals that their body has been giving them. Stress levels and lack of self care hit a critical point and they feel like their health is in jeopardy mentally, physically and emotionally.
Those nagging symptoms like a little bit of urinary leakage have progressed now to stopping them from minor physical activity like an evening walk. Being inactive has heightened their sense of fatigue and overall feeling of sadness or depression, which is adding to both emotional and sexual strain in their relationships. In these moments people may feel helpless, but people also know that given that right resources that they are strong and can return to an optimal state of health.
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1453 Gordon Street
Guelph, N1L 1C9 - (519) 780-0606
- info@gwha.ca
Hours of Operation
Monday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Tuesday: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
Thursday: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday: 8:00am – 4:00pm
How is GWHA different?
GWHA’s professional team works collectively with you, applying our many decades of combined experience to your unique situation to find the solutions that are most effective, and easeful for you.
We recognized the need for a friendly, calm, and supportive environment where women can freely talk about their issues, while also getting excellent treatment. Our office location has accessible parking, an elevator to our suite (for those days when you just don’t feel like taking the stairs!) and a friendly bright feminine environment welcoming you upon arrival.
Sometimes our busy schedule doesn’t allow us to take time away from our family, and we understand that. New moms are welcome to bring their infants along with them during treatment sessions, as well as our facility is absolutely comfortable and welcoming of nursing moms– in fact, we support it!
GWHA’s professional team offers unique extended treatment sessions, so that while you are with us, you don’t feel rushed during your treatment, and feel as relaxed as possible.
Although we do offer a wide range of services, in some instances, your personalized treatment plan might require a separate visit to another Guelph community provider. We want you to receive the best care possible, and because of that, we are very open minded when it comes to referring our patients to other providers operating in the community. After all, our patients are number one– your success is our success.
Our Physiotherapy Services in Guelph Women’s Health Associates (GWHA)
Our Guelph Women’s Health Associates (GWHA) Physiotherapists & Staff
Janet MacKinnon
Registered Physiotherapist, MSc (PT), MSc (Bio Med), BSc Hon, Clinical Director of GWHA
Janet has a passion for keeping people active at all ages and stages of life. By working closely as a team with her clients, Janet is able to create a personal achievable program for any level of fitness. Janet works with all genders experiencing orthopaedic or pelvic health issues.
Janet is a graduate of University of Guelph and McMaster University. Having over 10 years of experience in both pelvic health and orthopaedic physiotherapy allows her to generate a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the whole body. Janet specialises in Pelvic Health having taken Pelvic Health Physiotherapy levels 1-5 (Female and Male Urinary Incontinence), Pelvic Pain, Pregnancy, and Anorectal Disorders as well as further courses for pregnancy and exercise. Janet has completed courses in acupuncture through McMaster University, as well as many running injury and female athlete courses.
Janet has taught at the University of Guelph and at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario sharing her passion for physiotherapy and health.
Janet can often be seen running around Guelph either driving kids to hockey, dance and swimming or herself running the roads and trails.
Areas of Specific Training:
Running rehabilitation
Female athlete rehabilitation
Pregnancy and pelvic girdle pain
Post-partum care including vaginal and cesarean birth
Urinary Incontinence
Dyspareunia
Acupuncture
Areas of Clinical Interest:
Athletic rehabilitation
Incontinence
Pelvic pain and prolapse
Exercise through the perinatal period
Menopause
Transgender health
Aishwarya Desai
Registered Physiotherapist, BSc (Bio), MPT
Aishwarya Desai graduated from Western University in 2020 with a Masters of Physical Therapy. She also obtained a Bachelor of Science with honours in the fields of Biology and Medical Physiology from the University of Waterloo in 2018.
Aishwarya offers over 2+ years of clinical experience in orthopedics and neural rehabilitation and has been treating pelvic floor dysfunction since 2021. Aishwarya has experience working with women of all ages, helping them overcome urinary, fecal and urge incontinence, as well as pelvic pain. She works alongside expecting mothers, with the aim of helping them prepare for childbirth, postpartum rehabilitation and returning to exercise and/or day to day activity following their pregnancy. She also treats pelvic organ prolapse and constipation and guides her patients as they undergo menopausal and peri-menopausal changes.
Aishwarya has worked with a wide variety of patient population, including those suffering from adhesive capsulitis, low back pain, carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis, post-operative rehabilitation, arthritis; cardiorespiratory conditions such as pneumonia, COPD, atelectasis; and neurological conditions such as stroke, MS, Glioma, and Parkinson’s Disease.
Aishwarya speaks English, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Marathi and would love to use this knowledge to provide the best possible care for her patients.
Areas of Specific Training:
• Level 1 Manual Therapy
• Hand and upper extremity rehabilitation from Roth/McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Center
• Level 1 and 2 of Pelvic Health Physiotherapy
• Post-partum rehabilitation following cesarian birth
Areas of Clinical Interest:
• Urinary, feal and urge incontinence
• Pelvic pain, including pain associated with intercourse
• Post-partum recovery, and post-partum return to exercises
• Acute and chronic neck and shoulder pain
• Mid and lower back and stiffness
• Pubic symphysis and SIJ dysfunction during pregnancy
Sara Riazi
Registered Physiotherapist & Pediatric Pelvic Physiotherapist
Sara is a graduate of McMaster University Masters of Physiotherapy program. Prior to this, Sara completed her Master’s of Science in Biomechanics and her Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics at the University of Guelph. Sara has furthered her education by taking a Soft Tissue Release course, Manual Therapy Level 1, Concussion Management, Vestibular Rehabilitation and Acupuncture. Sara has a keen interest in paediatric physiotherapy including paediatric pelvic health. She has taken courses in manual therapy, acupuncture and dry needling and has expanded her scope to treat children. Sara has taken courses in paediatric physiotherapy which includes paediatric pelvic level 1 (bowel and bladder disorders) and level 2 (paediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders). Outside of work, Sara enjoys cooking, baking, playing the guitar, and maintaining an active lifestyle.
Jessica Moretto
Physiotherapy Resident
Jessica is a new graduate from McMaster University’s Master’s of Physiotherapy program. She has a passion for pelvic health, is dedicated to ongoing education and looks forward to continuing to advance her skills in the field of women’s health. Jessica strives to empower clients with the knowledge and tools needed to optimize their health and well-being. She has taken courses to practice pelvic health physiotherapy, including attaining her level 1 (bowel and bladder disorders) and level 2 (pelvic pain) training, and is in the process of completing her level 3 training. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science, Honours Biology, and a minor in French from McMaster (2021), and a Masters of Science in Physiotherapy from McMaster (2023) as well. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys cooking, baking, volunteering, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and spending time with family and friends.
Lindsay Scheerle
BA, RPN, Psychotherapist
Lindsay is licensed with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN), and also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree specializing in Psychology. Lindsay is in the final year of her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, and has also met the eligibility of the IBCLC Commision to write the International Board of Lactation Consultant Exam in the fall. Lindsay has spent her nursing career working in various areas of perinatal and women’s health including a postpartum inpatient unit, mother-baby outpatient unit, obstetrical offices, colposcopy clinics, and a perinatal residence for women in need. Lindsay has completed specialized training through The Postpartum Stress Centre in postpartum mood and adjustment disorders, as well as having completed many certifications in lactation and infant feeding.
Megan Bendfeld
Part-Time Receptionist
Megan graduated from the University of Windsor with a degree in Family and Social Relations with a concentration in Gender Studies. Megan was a personal nanny for 6 years and joined the GWHA team in 2020. Once completing her degree, Megan started classes to become a Certified Lactation Counselor through the CAPPA program. She is currently working toward becoming an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant through the Newman Clinic. Megan’s goal is to educate and help new parents with feeding their babies; this could be through the means of breast/chestfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding, or formula use. Megan was recently married and gave birth to a beautiful little girl. In her free time, Megan can be found baking with her daughter, shopping at the mall, or practicing yoga.
Eliza Pereira-Karve (on leave)
Eliza has a special interest in women’s health and pelvic health physiotherapy. Her journey into pelvic health physiotherapy began not as a therapist, but as a patient. Her firsthand experience of the benefits of pelvic health physiotherapy and the positive influence it had on her quality of life, motivated her to pursue formal training in pelvic health.
Eliza graduated in 2009 with a Masters in Physiotherapy. She began practising in Ontario in 2011 with a diverse orthopaedic caseload and gradually transitioned to a focus on treating women. She has completed numerous courses focused on treating incontinence, pelvic pain, dyspareunia, vaginismus, diastasis rectus abdominis, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic girdle pain, to name a few. In 2021, she completed pelvic health focussed, clinical mentorship in the Integrated Systems Model (ISM) approach with Diane Lee and associates in British Columbia.
Eliza has experience working with women of all ages, assisting them to overcome sexual health-related challenges, prepare for childbirth, return to exercise and activity after pregnancy and age gracefully from peri to post-menopause.
Eliza strongly believes that optimal health is a combination of a healthy body, and a resilient spirit and mind. She uses a whole-person treatment approach that involves sensitive communication, education, manual therapy and individualized exercise prescription and modalities.
When she is not practising, Eliza likes travelling with her spouse to off the beaten path destinations. She also enjoys all things artsy and craftsy.
Areas of Specific Training:
• Diane Lee Integrated Systems Model ISM series
• Integrative menopause management
• Urinary system fascia mobilisation
• Diastasis rectus abdominis assessment and conservative management
• Piston science and female athlete rehabilitation
Areas of Clinical Interest:
• Pelvic girdle pain
• Post menopausal pelvic health
• Prenatal and postnatal rehabilitation including diastasis rectus abdominis, prolapse and incontinence
• Pelvic and abdominal pain including vaginismus, endometriosis, and interstitial cystitis
Lara Desrosiers
Registered Occupational Therapist
Lara has worked as an Occupational Therapist in the mental health and addictions field since 2009. In 2016, Lara launched Pelvic Resilience, an Occupational Therapy practice dedicated to helping individuals struggling with pain, pelvic health challenges, and other distressing symptoms to get back to living a rich and meaningful life.
As an Occupational Therapist, Lara firmly believes in offering approaches to pelvic health recovery that are creative, flexible, accessible and focused on restoring quality of life.
As a skilled mental health clinician, Lara also offers psychotherapeutic strategies in the work that she does with her clients. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are evidence-based approaches that guide individuals toward a more empowered and flexible recovery by offering new ways of managing symptoms and the emotions that are intertwined with them.
In her spare time, you will find Lara hanging with family, reading a good book, crocheting something special, or playing Ultimate Frisbee!
Janette MacMillan
Reception
Janette has just recently joined GWHA as a full-time receptionist and has many years working in Customer Service.
In my spare time, I like to spend it in my craft room crafting and creating floral arrangements for all occasions. You will often find me throughout the year being a vendor at various craft shows
Hannah Beaumont
Part-Time Receptionist
Hannah graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Human Kinetics. She is now pursuing her education at the University of Western Ontario, working towards a diploma in Pedorthics. In her free time, she loves to go to the gym, spend time with family and friends, and explore with her dog. Hannah can be found working the front desk at Guelph Women’s Health Associates.