The Journey

Written By Danielle Bararuk

Written by Danielle Bararuk | Nov 8, 2018

Hi, my name is Danielle Bararuk. I am a physiotherapist and have recently joined the team at Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness, and I want to share my journey about how I have come to be here with you.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Saskatchewan in 2008 and started straight away into the orthopaedic world of physiotherapy.  I spent many years treating patients of diverse ages with various musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. I furthered my education along the way in courses about myofascial release, advanced manual therapy, pain education, vestibular therapy, and recently in pelvic floor physiotherapy, including stress and urge incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain. The most recent course was on the Biopsychosocial (BPS) Model of healthcare. This model considers the biological (nociceptive input from periphery, genetics, autoimmune systems), the psychological (emotions, personality, thoughts, beliefs), and the social(culture, relationships, socio-economic factors) (Engle, 1960, 1977).  The three parts of the BPS framework -bio, psycho, and social- are all connected.  I quickly learned through this course that over the years of practice I had adopted this framework without having a “name” for it.

My personal journey in practice has been significantly impacted by my patient’s journeys; I grew to love the people.  When asked the question “What do you like about physiotherapy?” my honest answer is “My patients.”  I am a people person- I love listening to people’s stories, understanding people, and learning from people. I have found that learning their stories gave me greater knowledge to help them.  Over the years I have learned that one thing I love about my job is the day to day encouragement, guidance, and motivation that I am able to provide my patients with.  Educating patients about finding joy in what they do and what they love is a key factor in their recovery.

Whenever I meet a new patient I talk about “the journey of recovery”.  I believe the journey is not always a straight road. The road may have ups and downs and setbacks, but it should feel steady. This journey through recovery can take time, but you should always feel supported through your journey, and never feel alone on it. Each time we meet a new milestone in recovery we draw strength from it, learn from it.  The positive changes that happen are what drives me in my day to day practice: helping people find their way through recovery and making those positive changes. What give me the most gratitude is when patients look back on their own journey and, despite setbacks, they can see how far they have come and the changes they have made.  People make the biggest gains in their own recovery when they become more engaged in understanding their condition or injury, take on responsibility, find joy, and reach out for help when needed. 

My journey over the years has led me to realize my personal need for work-life balance. Recognizing that I am a better therapist, a better mom, a better wife, and a better person when I work on the things that bring me joy and happiness. My education, career, new courses, and concepts all bring me great joy and happiness. The other piece is my family. My husband, Kelly, our three beautiful children- Abigail, Kaleb, and Lucas- bring me so much joy and happiness every day. That piece of my journey is continuous. There are always ups and downs in motherhood, but with the love from my husband, family, and friends, I feel supported.

So, what led me to Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness?  After 10 years of practicing, I have come to understand that it is not just the condition or injury that the patient is suffering from that we need to understand.  It is the whole person, their social network, their psychological state, their experiences, and how those are impacting their own personal journey.  People want to be listened to and heard, and that is when and how we make the biggest impact. That is what has led me on my journey to Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness.  Kim Deschamps- an amazing physiotherapist, a colleague, a friend- opened this beautiful clinic that truly embraces the biopsychosocial and ‘whole person’ approach. The opportunity arose to join the team at Holistic Physiotherapy & Wellness and this is where my journey continues. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

With grace,

Danielle Bararuk

 

References:

Engel, G. L. (1960). A unified concept of health and disease. Perspectives in biology and medicine, 3(4), 459-485.

Engel, G. L. (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine. Science, 196(4286), 129-136.

 

Danielle Bararuk

Physiotherapist

Pelvic Health Physiotherapist

Paediatric Physiotherapist

 
Danielle Bararuk

Danielle Bararuk strongly believes that physiotherapy is both a proactive and reactive profession. She is passionate that it is not only her goal to get someone well after injury but to empower patients’ to take control of their recovery and to stay well.

Danielle completed her Bachelor of Physical Therapy at the University of Saskatchewan in 2008. Danielle started her career in the private practice setting treating Musculoskeletal injures and became fascinated with the biomechanics and the complexity of the human body. She has spent her time over the past ten years gaining experience treating all ages and all types of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. Her aim is to reestablish appropriate movement patterns, improve function and reduce the likelihood of re-injury. She always uses an individualized treatment approach that incorporates manual therapy, exercise prescription and patient education. Danielle believes that by listening to her patients and having them be an active component in their own rehab, she can provide them with the correct treatment and education to empower them to reach their treatment goals.

Danielle has completed additional education courses in orthopaedic manual therapy, myofascial release and pelvic floor physiotherapy. Danielle has a special interest in pediatric physiotherapy and is excited to be adding additional pediatric educational courses in the near future!

Danielle believes in leading a healthy and balanced lifestyle and the importance of spending quality time with her family and friends. She enjoys physical activity daily with her three young children and you can usually find her out walking, running or biking on a trail with them. Life is full of adventure and wonderful experiences and Danielle aims to help you return to the ones that are most important to you!

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