Our Therapists
Michelle Caspersonn
Director, Physiotherapist, Registered Hand Therapist, MHPrac(Rehab), Acupuncturist, MPNZ
Michelle has worked in hand therapy since 2011. She enjoys the creative part of the job, including the varied skill set required for splinting and finds solving challenges rewarding. She is always delighted to help people return to their usual roles at home, work, sport and leisure as soon as possible.
Graduating from AUT in 2004 with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Michelle has worked in a range of settings including as a clinic based physiotherapist.
She has extensive experience with musculoskeletal conditions, persistent pain conditions, has organised return to work programmes and in sideline support for sports teams. She completed a Postgraduate Clinical Masters in Rehabilitation in 2013.
With three young children, spare time is at a premium. However, she enjoys being crafty, swimming, reading and exploring the outdoors.
Jill Edwards
Director, Occupational Therapist, Registered Hand Therapist, PGDip (Occupational Practice), BHSc(OT), MOTNZ
Jill gets a real buzz out of helping people regain hand function, particularly with daily tasks such as the ability to change nappies, tie their shoelaces, hold their cutlery or even shake hands. Working in hand therapy since 2007, Jill believes a customised approach is important with each person having different priorities and challenges.
Jill graduated from AUT in 2000 with a Bachelor of Health Science (Occupational Therapy) and then gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Occupational Practice ten years later. Michelle and Jill started the business in 2017 and Jill contunes to work clinically three days a week as well as mentoring therapists.
Jill has two school aged children and in her free time enjoys gardening, rowing, learning Te Reo and is perfecting her sourdough.
Kate Humphreys
Physiotherapist, Registered Hand Therapist,
MPT (Physiotherapy), PGCert HSc (Rehab), MPNZ
Kate began her Hand Therapy journey at Canberra Hospital, completed her Hand Therapy training in Wellington and joined our team in 2021. She has a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Science background, and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Human Movement Science and Master of Physiotherapy at the University of Canberra.
Kate was immediately drawn to the challenge and complexities of the human hand. She strives to build relationships with clients, ensuring they feel comfortable, heard, and supported to achieve their goals. She loves seeing and hearing the difference Hand Therapy can make to her clients’ quality of life; whether it be returning to work, sport, music, or simply performing their daily activities.
When she’s not at work, you can often find Kate enjoying a coffee in the sun at a local café, exercising her puppy or out on the trails: running, tramping, and exploring all that Aotearoa has to offer.
Donna Webster
Occupational Therapist, Associate Hand Therapist, PGCert (Health Science), BHSc(OT), MOTNZ
Donna started working as an Occupational Therapist in 2004, after graduating from AUT with a BHsc (OT). She has worked in a variety of clinical settings and in 2020 commenced her studies in Hand Therapy. Donna has completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science and has nearly completed the clinical hours to gain her full Hand Therapy registration.
Donna enjoys working with people to reach their goals, particularly when their ability to engage in their everyday tasks has been disrupted due to altered hand function. Donna’s previous clinical experience means she is great at picking up when something else is contributing to a patient’s difficulty with rehabilitation.
When not at work, Donna can be found spending time with her family, walking her dog, gardening or at the beach.
Sarah Astwood
Physiotherapist,
BPhty (Otago), PGDip (Acupuncture)
Sarah spent her undergraduate years at the University of Otago and completed her post graduate diploma at AUT majoring in acupuncture. She has enjoyed combining her love of travel with work and gained physiotherapy registration with the Australian, UK and Irish physio boards. For 10 years she was in a community based clinic in Northshore Auckland , working with a variety of ages and conditions in the musculoskeletal setting. Her time in London was spent in a private hospital working inpatient orthopaedics, where she developed an interest in the area of persistent pain, leading her to further study.
Sarah now works in community clinics in Tauranga and is on the committee for the Pain Special Interest group of Physiotherapy New Zealand. She looks forward to assisting people navigate the complexities of their pain journeys using multiple approaches and strategies. She has trained extensively in manual therapy as well as studying acupuncture at a post-graduate level.
Outside of work hours she enjoys the outdoor lifestyle that the Bay of Plenty has to offer: paddleboarding, bike tracks, trail running and of course regular walks up the Mount. She is kept busy at home with two adorable miniature dachshunds and has written a children’s picture book about her gorgeous fur boy Frank. Animals are therapy too!