Our Team

Myotherapy Anna YerondaisManaging Director/Myotherapist and Craniosacral Therapist
Anna has practiced in the allied health care industry for 12 years now. Qualified in Myotherapy (RMIT-1999), Anna’s passion for the work lead her to further studies in Craniosacral Therapy in Canada, Thai Massage in Thailand and many post graduate modules to further her hands-on skills.

Anna’s skills have enabled her to address all clients from a holistic manner, taking into careful consideration environmental, emotional and lifestyle factors, leading to successful and long term relief of pain and dysfunction. Some areas of expertise include;

• Chronic pain relief;
• Back pain relief;
• Sciatica;
• Fibromyaligia and chronic fatigue;
• Migraine and headaches relief and management;
• TMJ dysfunction;

• Postural awareness and education;
• Stress management and care;
• Myofascial pain relief;
• Somatoemotional work;
• Craniosacral Therapy.

Having been diagnosed in August 2006 with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Anna’s approach to practice is to integrate hands-on techniques and educate in the imperativeness of time-out and balance. As a registered provider of Myotherapy and remedial massage therapy, Anna’s work is recognised by all major health funds for private rebates.

Hayley SmithAdv. Dip. (Myotherapy)
Hayley has been in private practice with her Myotherapy over a number of years, and offers a variety of hands-on skills. She enjoys addressing a wide variety of conditions and often combines her remedial massage work with my myotherapy treatments.

“I find that incorporating a range of different modalities into a treatment such as dry needling, cupping, electrotherapy, gentle manipulative techniques, stretching and strengthening can become extremely beneficial to the client and their condition. The aim of my treatment is to improve muscular strength, flexibility and ultimately to decrease pain.”

Hayley specialises in treating Chronic Overuse Syndrome, tennis elbow, hand and finger numbness and foot and knee pain, however her greatest strengths are discovered when treating pregnant women, pelvic/hip pain and instability issues and upper neck and shoulder problems. Her holistic approach to treatment incorporates addressing lifestyle factors such as stress management, work station and household ergonomics, and most importantly, educating people in an effort to lead you to a more comfortable and happy lifestyle.

Joel Olsen Adv. Dip. Remedial Massage (Myotherapist) and Infant Massage Instructor
Joel Olsen is an experienced Myotherapist who thrives on helping his clients reach their optimal health & wellness goals. He works effectively in tailoring his treatments to his client’s specific needs, ensuring that each person is treated as an individual. Demonstrating a wide variety of Myotherapy & Remedial Massage techniques, Joel is successful in addressing and resolving a range of injuries, chronic pain issues and offers general relief from day to day stress. Joel has also worked closely in a Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic where he was continued to develop a high level of skill in using his dry needling techniques for headaches & migraines. He has been involved in working with a number of elite sporting teams & professional Athletes, including AFL football clubs and state level swim teams. More recently Joel has undertaken studies in Oncology Massage, learning to work with patients affected by cancer.

Joel’s varied exposure and experience has enabled him to develop skills that can be adapted to treat and support a variety of conditions with great success. His professional and personable nature has enabled him to build strong network relationships with local General Practitioners, Physiotherapist & Osteopaths which he has had great success in helping them with clients who have required muscular work.

Joel Olsen is also a qualified Infant Massage Instructor who runs fun an interactive private and group classes for parents and family. The benefits gained from the classes are not only for the infant but for parent or care giver to. He has great joy in sharing his skills and interacting with new parents.

Keryn Arrowsmith Adv. Dip. Remedial Massage (Myotherapist)
Keryn Arrowsmith adopts modalities such as deep tissue and remedial massage, dry needling and soft tissue/joint mobilisation amongst other techniques to enhance her Myotherapy work. Her passion and determination for her work is reflected through the excellent results seen amongst her clientele. Keryn’s skills are varied enabling her to treat a wide variety of conditions and considering the patient as a whole.

Keryn works closely with our other allied health practitioners, and has had great success in treating migraine and headache sufferers, chronic lower back pain and successfully addresses lifestyle factors that may contribute to pain and dysfunction. Her background in the spa industry has also enabled her to bring a strong therapeutic element to her work, and her hot stone massage’s will often leave you floating on air.

Massage Felicity Day Remedial Massage, Dip. Rem .Massage (AAMTA), Cert IV Massage
After having run her own remedial massage practice in Victoria beach side town of Lorne, Felicity has joined the Hawthorn team at Soma, bringing with her great skills and a passionate approach to her work. She enjoys working closely with people to help them achieve a better quality of life and is a firm believer in holistic health. Felicity takes great pride and loves the role she plays in working towards providing a comfortable atmosphere for clients and delivering a high standard of care during treatments.

Felicity enjoys treating clients with chronic conditions, pregnant women and work related pain and injuries. In her treatments she combines her relaxation and remedial massage techniques such as Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy and myofascial release to accomplish results.

Naturopathy Angela La Leggia Naturopath B.A. (Humanities) Adv. Dip. HSc (Naturopathy) ANPA
Angela is our resident naturopath who loves to help people transform their lives. She finds it extremely satisfying to see patients become empowered about their own health as they restore the balance to their lifestyles. She is extremely passionate about natural medicine and the effect that simple practices can have, not only for disease but for optimal wellbeing.

Angela uses several different modalities including herbal medicine, nutritional supplementation, dietary planning, iris analysis, food as medicine and NAET(Allergy Identification Technique).

Angela‘s areas of interest include thyroid conditions, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular disease, depression, anxiety, weight loss, menopause and irritable bowel syndrome. Angela is also working successfully with many children and adolescents to identify and alleviate symptoms due to allergies from their diet, environments and overall supports them through a healthy development.

Osteopathy Dr. Geetha Soosay Osteopath
Geetha Soosay is an osteopath with 11 years of treatment experience, first graduating with a double degree (B.App.Sc (Clinical)/B.Ost.Sc) at RMIT University in 1999. Geetha has worked in various multi-disciplinary clinics in Sydney, the French Alps and in Cork, Ireland gaining experience in various areas of osteopathy including sports injuries (ski related, Gaelic football), rehabilitation and obstetrics. Whilst in Ireland, Geetha completed a Pilates Teacher Training course to qualify her to teach floor based Pilates exercise programs. She regularly prescribes Pilates exercises as part of her treatments.

Geetha returned to Australia at the end of 2004 and opened her clinic in 2005 and is now joining SOMA. Geetha treats a wide range of predominantly muscle-skeletal complaints. She treats all ages from newborn babies through to the elderly using gentle but effective treatment techniques. Geetha's interest in how Osteopathy can support women during pregnancy and its benefits for newborns, has led to her practice being highly sought after due to her outstanding results.

What conditions does Geetha treat?

• Back and neck pain
• Sciatica
• Pregnancy related pain
• Sporting injuries including muscle strains and joint sprains
• Joint pain
• Repetitive strain injuries (RSI)

• Pediatric osteopathy (biodynamic osteopathy)
• Headaches tension, migraines
• Jaw Pain
• Muscular imbalances
• Postural problems and spinal pain
• Sinus pain

What kind of treatment does Geetha use?
Geetha uses manual techniques including soft tissue massage, dry needling (which involves the use of a fine filament needle) and stretching, and gentle articulatory and mobilisation as well as joint manipulation techniques. For treating babies and some adults Geetha uses biodynamic osteopathy which is very gentle treatment aiming to allow the ‘health within’ to initiate healing. The body has self healing mechanisms, so our aim as osteopaths is to help the body to achieve optimal healing. Treatment is gentle and effective, helping to improve mobility and decrease pain associated with the injury.

Psychology Annette Goldenberg Psychologist
Annette has worked as a psychologist in private practice since 1983 and is regularly updating her knowledge of psychotherapy developments in order to provide suitable treatment of each individual client. Annette works primarily with adults, treating a range of clinical and life stage issues including;

• Relationship difficulties
• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Trauma
• Grief

• sleep difficulties and insomnia
• Adjustment issues
• Sexual abuse
• Parenting and personal growth

Modes of treatment utilized in Annette’s work may include any one of or a combination of

• Psychodynamic therapy
• cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Relaxation therapy and meditations

• Psychodynamic therapy
• cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Relaxation therapy and meditations

The choice of treatment is tailored to the individual/s and the unique needs of each client. Therapy is undertaken in our warm and safe environment here at soma Health and Wellness. Annette is recognized by all major health funds for private health rebates where they may apply, and her services attract a Medicare rebate (on referral from your medical doctor).

Christine Miller Clinical Psychologist - B.A; Dip.Ed.Psych; M.Psych.(Clinical); M.A.P.S.
As a clinical psychologist Christine has the training and skills to work with children, adolescents and adults experiencing a variety of problems. She has a special interest and expertise in working with young people and their families providing assessment, treatment and consultation across a range of social, emotional & behavioral difficulties.

Christine’s areas of expertise include:

• Anxiety, including separation anxiety, obsessive behaviors, phobias & panic
• Depression and mood problems
• Social skills issues and self esteem difficulties
• Body image and eating disorders
• Family problems/breakdowns
• Relationship issues
• Behavioral difficulties

• Bullying and friendship problems
• School and learning difficulties, including school refusal and truancy
• Developmental disorders, including Autism and Aspergers
• Cognitive assessments and reports, including IQ testing
• Addictions and substance use problems
• Anger management problems and conduct disorder

Christine’s approach to practice involves understanding an individual’s issues in the context of their life and the environment in which they operate. Christine has specialist training and experience in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and in addition, employs a number of psychological therapies according to each patients individualised needs, including behavioral psychology, systems psychology and interpersonal therapy.

As a fully registered clinical psychologist, Christine is eligible to provide specialist clinical psychology services that attract a Medicare rebate (on referral from your medical doctor). She is also registered with the private health funds for rebates.

Denise Soutar Psychologist
Denise works primarily with adults, and also with couples. She has a particular interest in counselling, hypnosis and coaching across a wide range of life issues, including anxiety disorders, phobias, life transitions and adjustment issues. Emotional conflicts including anger management, assertiveness training, adjusting to grief and loss and self esteem and self development are included in her treatment modalities.

Denise approaches the counseling process from a broad perspective, and included in her therapeutic methods is cognitive behavior therapy, which assists the client in expanding the ways they might perceive, and thinking, about issues or problems. Quite often a different way of viewing a situation provides a fresh understanding and can, in itself, be a catalyst for change.

Her other interests include process-experiential therapy, an approach which helps the person explore and discover how their own internal wisdom, can often provide an avenue to greater self understanding, inner knowing and the opportunity to reveal the solutions to their internal and external dilemmas.

Over the past few years Denise has trained in clinical hypnosis, and has found that hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, has a broad application for many conditions, and is particularly effective for anxiety disorders and phobias. It is also very effective for improving self esteem, performance and confidence.

Denise is also interested in the positive psychology movement which has gained momentum over the last few years, and is a relatively new discipline in the field of psychology. It seeks to optimize the potential for the individual to harness their own inner resilience and resources.

Products Information

Podiatry Luke Gartner Podiatrist - Bach. Podiatry , M.A.Pod.A
Luke has successfully worked in private clinics for the past 3 years, having gained experience in the technical function and fitting of footwear. He enjoys all facets of podiatry including pediatrics, diabetes assessments and general skin and nail care. Luke’s passion lies in sports podiatry and lower limb biomechanics, assisting in injuries such as knee, shin, ankle, heel and arch pain.

Outside of podiatry, Luke enjoys playing and watching an array of sports. He is a keen cricketer, being vice-captain in his team. He also likes playing AFL and following Hawthorn.

Admin staff Carolyn Shinkfield Office Manager
Carolyn brings maturity, experience and knowledge in areas of systems administration and office management effectively contributing to SOMA's capacity to serve clients in their aspiration toward health and wellness. Carolyn is committed and passionate in her desire to meet and exceed the expectations of the SOMA team in delivering superior care, empathy and consideration to its valued clients. She is delighted to be a member of SOMA's committed team and as our Office Manager for the Hawthorn practice, is excited to lead her team in supporting your health and wellbeing goals.

Reception

Bianca
Bianca is both proud and excited to be a part of the Soma team in an administrative front-desk position.

She is a happy, highly motivated and multi-skilled individual. Her career profile reveals extensive management experience across various industries including banking and finance, property development and hospitality. Adept at leading a team or working as part of a team, Bianca has a successful track record with regards to customer service practice, understanding customer issues and developing problem resolution strategies. In her role at Soma, Bianca will continue to observe a strong customer focus and team-player philosophy.

Sally
Sally has recently (2010) joined the team at Soma Health and Wellness. Sally’s bright and positive attitude welcomes you at our front desk, and her love for the health and wellbeing industry is evident as she confidently guides clients through the services Soma have to offer. A yoga instructor and advocate for healthy mind, healthy body, Sally is excited to meet and support you in achieving your health and wellbeing goals.

Jenna
Having just completed her studies in Myotherapy, Jenna has joined the Soma team in a reception capacity. Jenna's knowledge in the allied health industry is an added asset to her fresh and friendly smile.