About Somatics
Prior to pursuing a formal education in physical therapy, Robin was eager to learn about movement, simply by moving and having a real good time doing so!
Her curiosity led her into the worlds of yoga, dance, and somatics, exploring teachings from Moshe Feldenkrais, Françoise Mézières, Thérèse Bertherat, BKS Iyengar, Judith Aston, Eric Franklin, Amelia Itcush, Judith Koltai, and Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, among others.
Yoga and dance are rather self explanatory, but somatics less so…
It was here, in the twentieth century's burgeoning field of body mind awareness, where trauma and physical alienation by way of modern life were recognised as major contributors to an experience of poor health.
Today’s discipline of somatics, with its many different teachers and embodiment techniques, continues to evolve. It now has a place in our modern vernacular, thanks in part to an increased understanding of the pervasiveness of trauma and its connection to physical and behavioural health and wellbeing.
Through safe movement, and a retraining of sensory motor awareness, negative effects may be mitigated and healing restored.
What was once considered alternative, is now necessary.
About Robin Stamm
Always one to take the road less travelled, Robin Stamm MPT completed a double degree in Fine Arts and the Humanities before joining her fellow kinesiology and health science students in the Master of Physical Therapy program at the U of S.
Her far wiser roommate encouraged her to step into health care through the door of physiotherapy, a perfectly poised allied health profession with one foot in conventional medicine and the other already dancing with prevention, wellness, & longevity.
Robin graduated in 2011 and moved to Saskatchewan’s gateway to the north, Prince Albert. She worked at a vibrant private physiotherapy clinic with a fantastic team and it was here that she developed a strong interest in assisting adults and children with chronic neurological and musculoskeletal challenges.
She went on to study postural body reading and structural integration at Tom Myers' school of Anatomy Trains in Maine, and to participate in Body-Mind Centering's infant developmental movement courses in Montréal and France, interested in what those outside of traditional physiotherapy have come to understand about the human body and movement.
In 2014 Robin moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and joined Dr. Maria Patriquin's innovative and collaborative health care clinic, Living Well Integrative Health Centre. She was quickly schooled in the challenges facing Canada’s public health care system and the lack of coordinated care both within and between the public and private systems. Dr. Patriquin, an atypical family physician who offers psychological counselling and mindfulness based group classes to patients, tirelessly works for the dismantling of barriers to universal access to all services. She, Robin, and the other Living Well IHC practitioners sought to bridge this gap for their patients with compassionate, coordinated, and integrative services based on best practices and evidence-based medicine for holistic healing of individuals, families, and communities.
It was in this dynamic team-based environment that Robin received an extemporaneous apprenticeship in trauma informed care, practicing an intuitive approach to healthcare that leaves no part of her patient out.
Robin’s ongoing desire to improve her PT skill set and knowledge base has led her to pursue studies in the facilitation of optimal movement patterning which includes the most repeated pattern of breathing, and manual therapy for joint and soft tissue mobilisation. For many patients, Robin starts simply with education to establish an initial connection to, and understanding of, the part of the body lost to sensorimotor amnesia, awareness being the first step to healing.
She helps her patients heal and integrate changes, feel inspired and remain hopeful, and embrace their bodies and the process.
Prior to entering the M.P.T. program, Robin was an independent yoga teacher and dancer in Saskatoon. She continues to refine her understanding of the wondrous human form and its function through her west coast based physiotherapy practice and daily yoga practice and teachings. Robin currently lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and young son.
She holds professional memberships with the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) and the College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC). She is available for collaboration and is happily accepting new patients.