About Helen
Helen qualified as a Physiotherapist in 1997 from The University of Birmingham University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Physiotherapy.
She has had experience working in different parts of the world, including Australia, Guatemala, Malaysian Borneo, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom (Wales and England). This included both Paediatrics and Adult services. The different countries gave her a knowledge of different approaches which she incorporated into treatments with great results.
Whilst in Australia she worked in their Neurological services and was the Lead Physiotherapist in the Multiple Sclerosis service and was called in to help the Pain Clinic due to her expertise with Chronic pain.
Helen has also studied to become a qualified Yoga Teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga and has trained in Myofascial Release to the level of becoming an Integrated Myofascial Release Therapist. She has combined her Physiotherapy skills and the alternative therapies to produce successful results within rehabilitation. She has also completed her Level 1 and 2 Reiki courses.
Through all her interests she decided that Neurology was her passion, and she has been specialised in this area now for over 18 years. She has worked in the NHS and Private hospitals, as a “Highly Specialised Neuro-Physiotherapist” and “Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist” (Band 8 level) before setting up Orchid Rehabilitation with Sheryl Thomas. She worked in the Regional Neurological service at Southampton General Hospital, in both The Traumatic Brain Injury unit and on the Acute side in Wessex Neuro (including the Neuro intensive care unit – NICU). She then went on to work in a long term Neuro Rehabilitation Hospital. This gave her experience with clients from the beginning of a brain injury to years down the line, so she has an understanding of the client’s journey and can empathise with their difficulties at each stage but can also give them tools to empower them to go further in their current situation, so they can reach the goals they are striving to achieve.
Through her career she has a wealth of experience with Disorders of Consciousness, Neuro-Behavioral clients, high level physical ability with or without cognitive difficulties as well as complex Neuro Rehabilitation cases.
She has also worked in an army camp in Hampshire where she took her Biomechanical knowledge and improved recruits’ fitness test times and dealt with a variety of Musculoskeletal issues. She has an ability to see the restrictions in the body to release them so that an individual can achieve more with their movement within function. This can be from improving someone’s ability to walk up stairs to being able to improve their running speed or abilities in a sporting activity.
She has worked in Care of the Elderly (community and in-patients), Fracture Clinic, Musculoskeletal Outpatients, Neurological Rehabilitation (including Stroke Rehabilitation), Sub-acute Neuro Rehabilitation Unit, Neurological Community, Neurological Outpatients, Amputee Rehabilitation (community and inpatients), ITU and HDU, Oncology, Respiratory, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, Accident and Emergency, Acute Medical admissions and GP clinics.
She has continued to develop her skills, with a variety of Bobath courses, Specialist Ataxia Courses, Vestibular Courses, Therapy Approach to treating the Cerebellum, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) workshops, Hydrotherapy, Kinetic control (Muscle imbalance) courses and has become a Mollii suit Assessor (ExoPulse Mollii Expert).