Kathryn Belsher

I'm a registered massage therapist and manual osteopath at Laser Health Solutions in Calgary. I've worked in the field since 2017 and joined this clinic in 2022. I also teach orthopaedic assessment and manual osteopathy.

How I found my life's work

Health and wellness have been a passion for as long as I can remember. I started in Alberta fitness leadership, then moved into yoga, yoga therapy, meditation, and somatics, and I've always been fascinated by how the body works and why it sometimes doesn't.

I first came to this clinic as a patient, with foot pain. That experience changed what I wanted to do with my career, and I wanted to learn everything they did here. I've been training and practising ever since.

How I treat

I assess and treat the whole person, not only the area that hurts. If you come in with shoulder pain, I still look at your entire posture and the ways your body compensates, and I want to know about your past injuries and medical history too. Your body usually shows me where to start, and from there I work with you to peel back the layers one at a time.

There's no standard routine in my practice. Each person is treated as an individual. I work at your comfort level, and manual osteopathy doesn't need to be aggressive to be effective. My treatment draws on:

• Manual osteopathy, including visceral and neural techniques
• Massage therapy, including Onsen Therapy, an osteoarticular approach to treatment
• Clinical somatics, movement-based work that helps you let go of habitual muscle tension
• Low intensity laser therapy, used alongside hands-on treatment when it suits your situation

What I commonly see

• Shoulder pain
• Low back pain
• Headaches
• Knee pain
• Foot and ankle pain

I see people of all ages and activity levels.

Teaching

I teach orthopaedic assessment at ACMT and teach at the Manual Osteopathy College of Canada. [PROVIDE DETAIL HERE: which subjects she teaches at the college]

Training

• Massage therapy diploma, ACMT, 2015-2016
• Registered Massage Therapist, British Columbia, 2017
• Manual osteopathy, Manual Osteopathy College of Canada, 2021
• Clinical Applied Somatics, 2017-2022
• Onsen Therapy [PROVIDE DETAIL HERE: school and year]
• Continuing education through the Barral Institute (visceral and neural manipulation)
• Member, Canadian Massage and Manual Osteopathic Therapist Association (CMMOTA)
• Member, CCHPBC

Outside the clinic

I practise yoga and somatics and go to the gym. I'm also a scuba diver with around 100 dives logged. At home I have two very spoiled Labradors, Trixie and Stella.