I graduated from “The Hague Academy for Physical Education and Physical Therapy” in the Netherlands in 1985 and immigrated a year later to Eugene, Oregon. I live here with my family and enjoy sailing, skiing, biking, hiking, and riding VESPA scooters.
I specialize in manual therapy and osteopathic techniques for humans and small animals. I have taken osteopathic classes from several doctors of osteopathy including Geoffrey D. Maitland, Ola Grimsby, Freddy Kaltenborn, Phillip Greenman, Edward Stiles, John Upledger, Lauren Rex, and many other manual therapy practioners including Frank Lowen, LMT, who is the founder of the Lowen Systems in Washington State.
In OSTEOPATHY, we believe you use the body’s own intrinsic corrective mechanisms to restore full and total body functioning. The body has a protection hierarchy to protect when it is stressed:
- Vascular and Lymphatic systems to save their vital forces, and unifying Fascia
- Nervous system for communication
- Organs for digestion
- Endocrine system
- Musculo-skeletal system
This means you need the skills to be able to manipulate in all these specific areas when there are dysfunctions present. The exciting part of my physical therapy career has been to get to this level of practice, and to be able to go beyond the normal physical problems in the body.
About 15 years ago, my Golden Retriever “Bengeltje” started limping on her front leg while on a walk. I manipulated her shoulder just as I did with humans, and we continued our walk, limp free. I thought animals might achieve the same benefits from the manipulations I used on humans. I began studying the anatomy of many animals and began on this marvelous adventure of animal physical therapy.
Using my strong biomechanical background, I pioneered the development of integrated osteopathic techniques for small animal rehabilitation, including cranial osteopathy, functional indirect, vascular and visceral techniques. These techniques are integrated into the work at my manual therapy clinic,
South Hills Physical Therapy Clinic for People and Pets.
After teaching classes for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Council in California in 2004, I began lecturing on osteopathy and gluten sensitivity to veterinarians and physical therapists in Europe and North America. In 2006, I began offering the 4-day courses presented on this web site.
Although I am not a nutritionist, as a physical therapist I can see the impact
of the wrong nutrition on the musculo-skeletal system.
Presentations
2004 – Third International Symposium for Veterinary Medicine & Animal Rehabilitation, Raleigh, North Carolina
2005 – Combined Section Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, New Orleans, Louisiana
2006 – Oregon Physical Therapy Association Spring Conference, Eugene, Oregon
2006 – Willamette Valley Veterinary Association, Eugene, Oregon
2007, 2009 – American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association
2007 – Wild West Veterinary Conference, Reno, Nevada
2011 – International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, San Diego, California
2012 – Oregon Physical Therapy Association Spring Conference, Portland, Oregon
2013 – 2022 American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association (AHVMA), Kansas City, Missouri; Tulsa Oklahoma; Fitchburg, Massachusetts; Orlando & West Palm Beach, Florida
2019 – IAAMB/ACWT – NBCAAM Joint Conference, Seattle/Des Moines, Washington