Community Spotlight: Bloom Integrative Health & Movement Centre
Community Spotlight: Bloom Integrative Health & Movement Centre
30 minutes
The pandemic has created seismic shifts in our world and our industry.
If you are curious about what other clinics and rehab professionals have done to adapt and thrive in this new environment, then you will love our brand new Community Spotlight series. We are going to pull back the curtain on some of the most forward-thinking clinics to discover what's worked for them and the lessons learned along the way.
In this series, we will invite clinic owners, clinicians, and organizations from our community for 30-minute episodes. You can join live and interact with the guests.
During the 30-minute Community Spotlight on February 3rd 2021, we will be learning from Andrea Plitz and Lisa Flanders of Bloom Integrative Health & Movement Centre. They will discuss:
- Their business model pre-pandemic
- The process they went through during the pandemic
- The solutions they have implemented to not only survive but thrive in the new normal
- The development of their Clinic Academy to host and sell live and static online courses.
Register below (note: you must be signed into Embodia to register).
Bloom's Story:
It started with a chance meeting in 2014 at a post-graduate course in Ottawa, Ontario. At this time, Andrea and Lisa were working independently, building their practices, and focusing on skill development. Over the next several months, a professional relationship was formed out of a mutual passion for continued education and networking. It was not long after that Lisa and Andrea would begin regularly collaborating and occasionally covering for one another’s clinical practices.
During the planning stages of a collaboration in 2018, the seed for Bloom was planted. A brief comment regarding future plans for a space dedicated to like-minded professionals to work with clients and collaborate was the small start of what Bloom would become. Andrea and Lisa would soon meet over a cup of coffee to discuss the vision they shared: to offer holistic treatments in a space that also supports movement, bridging the gap between one-on-one services and return to fitness.
In the Fall of 2019, their vision had fully blossomed as they opened the doors to Bloom Integrative Health & Movement Centre and started accepting patients. Armed with a team of practitioners and staff with similar thoughts, ideas, and approaches, Bloom continues to grow and serve the Ottawa and surrounding community.
Here, individuals feel safe, heard, and supported in their return to health, performance, and everyday life.
The instructors
Registered Physiotherapist and Yoga Teacher
As a physiotherapist and yoga teacher Andrea loves to blend the science and art of biomechanical diagnosis and holistic therapeutics with movement, energy, and breath. She believes a big part of that is helping people to reconnect with their bodies in a new and individualized way taking into consideration their unique health and movement profile. This allows the body and mind to work together to enhance outcomes, integrating positive change in an easy and holistic manner to improve health, function, and movement, returning to oneness.
A combination of manual therapy including gentle joint mobilizations, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, exercise rehabilitation including integration of breath, Yoga, Pilates, Hypopressives – Low Pressure Fitness, and other mindful movement therapies, are used in a protocol-free, individualized and functional approach. More recently, Andrea has also been exploring and taking advanced trainings in Functional Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine to understand and support the deeper biochemistry of patients in relation to their complaints.
Registered Physiotherapist
As a lifelong athlete, and anatomy nerd, Lisa loves using her skill set to help individuals move better and continue to do the activities they love. Lisa believes in treating the whole person and uses a keen eye and thoughtful assessment approach to identify key areas necessary to restore optimal function and movement.
Lisa began her career in athletic therapy, travelling through Canada with various sports teams. She then completed a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy to strengthen her knowledge and skill set. As a physiotherapist, she began practicing in orthopedic physiotherapy, which she loves and continues to practice, but had a keen interest in pelvic floor physiotherapy. Following several post-graduate courses on pelvic floor physiotherapy, it became a passion for her. She realized many individuals have common concerns related to pelvic health but are often too embarrassed to seek advice, or are unaware that treatment is available. Her goal is to improve the health and quality of life of her clients. She wants to remove the stigma surrounding pelvic health concerns and assist her clients in regaining a connection to their pelvic floor and optimize their health and function.
Combining a variety of treatment techniques including manual therapies and theraputetic movement (strength training, breathwork, HIIT training), Lisa tailors each treatment plan to the individual, viewing each case as unique and designing each to fit the individual.
Integrative health care for all through applied therapeutics including diverse manual therapies, dry needling, acupuncture, cupping and more, private high performance rehab & training, one on one and small group evidence-based therapeutic movement, nutritional support, lifestyle medicine and a myriad of workshops to support you: body and mind. Provided in person and/or virtually.
Clinical experience in treating conditions that affect women more or differently than men.
An intentional space where individuals feel safe, heard and supported in their return to health, performance and everyday life.
PT, Co-Founder of Embodia
Maggie Bergeron is a registered physiotherapist who received her Master of Science in Physical Therapy from McMaster University in 2009 after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa where she played on the women's water polo team.
Maggie is the co-founder of Embodia. She continues to see a small caseload of patients virtually and holds a Status-Only Appointment (lecturer ranking) with the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto.