Cassandra’s story…

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to work with people in some capacity that had to do with their health and well-being. What attracted me to physiotherapy was the ability to facilitate and provide people with the tools to get through their rehab and recovery after injury. But even more so, I like that the work we do is long-lasting; we can prevent future injuries through education and prevention. I really love the ability to educate people about their bodies; to emphasize and teach the importance of movement and the best ways to keep their bodies as healthy as possible. I like to teach people how to move correctly and safely during their rehabilitation but also how to maintain what we have achieved together as a team through preventative measures. I truly believe that the best medicine is movement.

Growing up, I didn’t have any experience with physiotherapy. However, being heavily involved in many sports, I had friends who had gone through rehabilitation for various injuries and I remember being fascinated by what THEIR physiotherapists had them doing.  Entering university, it was always in the back of my mind, but I was still unsure when I first started so I decided to complete a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Health Sciences, to keep my options open. It was there that I discovered that I had the brain for anatomy and human physiology. I found these subjects completely fascinating. At that point, I decided to shadow a physiotherapist from my hometown of Yellowknife. I had the opportunity to meet a child who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Hearing his story, and all of the ways that physiotherapy had helped him become more independent and maximize his abilities, was really inspiring for me. From that point on, my goal was to become a physiotherapist.

My journey through school to become a physiotherapist was a tough one. It involved many challenges and support calls to my mom (thank you mom for being so supportive!). However, I knew that this was what I wanted and I worked so hard to finish my degree. I had many motivating factors that kept me going, most importantly was my desire to help people in a long-lasting way. My friends and family who never doubted me were also huge motivators for me. I think back to the very kind words a friend said to me as I was prepping for my interview to get into the physio program at the University of Saskatchewan. I had asked her why she thought I was suited for this type of career and she calmly said: your patience, your willingness to listen and really hear what people need to say and think without interruption.  You also never have any judgment but always want to be supportive of those around you, no matter what their journey.

Now, I am here in Vernon! I made a big move to practice physiotherapy at Easthill Physiotherapy, which is a clinic that goes above and beyond to help those on their team be their best. I’m excited to keep learning and advance my skills and always, always, provide the best care that I can to my patients.

Cassandra Greening – Registered Physiotherapist