About Kate

In addition to my Masters in Physiotherapy- here’s a list of the post graduate courses and training that I’ve done:

• Pelvic Floor Level 1 Female and Male Pelvic Floor - urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse- Dayan Werner Pelvic Rehab (delivered by Marcy Dayan & Laura Werner)

• Pelvic Floor Level 2: Pelvic pain and Dyspareunia- Dayan Werner Pelvic Rehab (delivered by Marcy Dayan & Laura Werner)

• Pessaries: Clinical Integration and Management of POP/SUI- Pelvic Health Solutions

• WHTA 2024/2025 Annual Research Update

• Caesarean Birth & Rehabilitation: Pelvic Health Solutions

• SUI & POP Management Review 2023- Pelvic Health Solutions

• Evidence based management of pregnancy-related pelvic girdle, sacro-iliac and pubic pain- Rost Therapy

• Pregnancy-Related Diastasis Rectus Abdominis: Dr. Sinead Dufour

• Prenatal and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist Certification- Core Exercise Solutions

• Fitness Theory: InfoFit Educators

• Personal Training Basics: Weight room instructor: Infofit Educators

• Diploma of Advanced Orthopedic Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy: Level 1: Canadian Physiotherapy Association

• Mobilization with Movement: Mulligan Concept International

• Functional Dry Needling Level 1: Kinetacore

Leaking pee or poop (urinary or fecal incontinence), painful sex (dyspareunia), and/or feeling like something is falling out of your vagina (pelvic organ prolapse) is often scary and embarrassing to talk about- but it doesn’t need to be.

I take an evidence based approach to your care and blend that with personal experience and empathy to inform a treatment plan that works for each individual patient. Not all things work for all people. I know that the treatment plan needs to work in your real life. I know what barriers come up- especially when you have very young children. I don’t only treat mothers to be clear, but that’s a big part of my patient population, which is why I mention it.

I stay up to date on the clinical guidelines and research because it’s my job- and I’m always going to focus on educating you and coming up with a treatment plan as a team. I want you to feel heard and understood and then I want to give you the tools to do what you need to do.

Depending on what’s going on for you and what you want your treatment plan to look like, it might include:

• Education — always and a lot of this

• Exercise prescription — almost always and a lot of this

• Biofeedback — sometimes this

• Pessary fittings — occasionally, when appropriate

• IMS — occasionally, when appropriate

• Manual therapy — often

Originally from Vancouver Island, I didn’t always know I would be a physio, and I particularly didn’t think I’d be a pelvic health physiotherapist- I don’t think I even knew what that was when I finished high school. But here we are. I always knew I loved working with people, bodies, movement, and science- and I also knew I loved talking about things most people felt ashamed to talk about. And then a lot of injuries, a lot of education, and a lot of self reflection led me here.

I did my first degree at the University of Victoria and after finishing my Masters in Physiotherapy at UBC in 2016, I very quickly became interested in pelvic health- which is when I started doing a ton of post-graduate training that brought me to where I am today. I am one of those people who is fiercely passionate about their work. It can be annoying. Having two of my own babies along the way also informed a lot of the interest and absolutely influences how I practice today. I had a really challenging first delivery- and honestly, I was a mess afterward- it took a lot longer than I thought to recover. So I’ve been there and I know how hard it is.

Okay so what am I really like day-to-day? What do I do with my time when I’m not seeing patients? Mostly at this stage I’m mothering my two boys. It’s intense. They are the absolute loves of my life and challenge me constantly— ( this is also a safe place to bring your multi-faceted feelings on motherhood).

I love to work out and, like most working mothers, I struggle to carve out the time to do that. I do try to make it a priority: lifting weights (not crazy heavy), running (not super-fast or far), yoga (not super bendy), spin (not 1,000 Peloton rides kind of thing), and walking (not the unitard kind)- read: I appreciate moderation in all things. I share a lot about trying to find that balance as a mother, practitioner, and individual on Instagram (I like to think I’m funny). I ebb and flow with social media platforms but if you’re interested, I tend not to hold back (aside from my kids faces which you won’t find there).

I spend a ton of time reading. The latest pelvic floor research and guidelines are usually at least one window on my desktop at all times along with a continuing ed course, because I honestly love it and find it fascinating. I’m constantly staying up-to-date on how to help my patients best. But, I deeply love a good fantasy and/or smut novel and of course the occasional beach read- Emily Henry did wonders for my mental health postpartum. But I loved ACOTAR, and am obsessed with the Heated Rivalry/Game Changers series. I find light, sexy, and full of consent literature works well in the context of what can often be very heavy work.

Jazz is almost always playing in the background of my home, though I know nothing more about it than I like it. Gardening and baking are also things I love, but I garden in ski goggles (allergies) and so far, things often don’t grow. When it comes to baking my kids (and husband) are tired of me trying to incorporate flax, greek yogurt, or spinach into every baked good. I also secretly wish I had a side gig as an interior designer. And damn do I love clothes. I come by it honestly as my mother is the truest definition of a shopaholic.

Worth noting: I’m a truly terrible dancer, but we do a lot of dancing in my home. I think moving our bodies in unstructured ways is just as valuable as intentional structured movement.

Gravida is a paramedical term that means pregnant, but the fact that I treat a lot of pregnant and postpartum women isn’t why the practice is named this. I also treat an entire community of people who choose not to or are unable to conceive, and a patient population who isn’t at that stage of life, and I treat men. The truth is, starting my own practice wasn’t on my radar.

Then came one fateful trip to Portugal with my husband.

I had been happily working in a clinic for a few years and we’d planned to start trying to conceive on that holiday. While we were away, I got a call from the clinic director who informed me that lease negotiations had gone poorly, the rent for the clinic had skyrocketed, so they were moving us into another clinic space. That new space didn’t have a proper private room for me to continue doing my pelvic health work. At the same time, my husband and I were fortunate enough to conceive our first child on that trip.

The positive pregnancy test I took in Portugal read “gravidas”.

Back at home, I met with my new midwives and we got on the topic of how I was a pelvic floor physio who was recently left without a clinic space. It just so happened they had some extra space and a private room for me.

And Gravida was born.

I pulled together Gravida on my own while pregnant with my first. I truly love the solo practice at this stage and I’m so grateful for it. It has its challenges, as all things do— but keeping it small through this season of life allows me to honour the nuance in the practice I feel so strongly about and save space for raising my little humans.