Our Therapists
Michelle Caspersonn
Director, Physiotherapist, Accredited Hand Therapist, MHPrac(Rehab), 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, Accredited 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 continues to work clinically three days a week as well as mentoring therapists. Jill has a special interest in restoring hand function after spinal cord injury.
Jill has two teenage children and in her free time enjoys gardening and baking sourdough. In the last five years, Jill has learned to row and now competes nationally.
Kate Humphreys
Physiotherapist, Accredited Hand Therapist,
MPT (Physiotherapy), PGCert HSc (Rehab), MPNZ
Kate began her Hand Therapy journey at Canberra Hospital, completing her Hand Therapy training in Wellington and joining All About Hands 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 find Kate spending time with her family, at the beach or out on a bushwalk.
Sarah Astwood
Physiotherapist, Associate Hand Therapist,
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 physiotherapy boards. Her work history has included over a decade in a manual therapy based musculoskeletal clinic in Auckland, inpatient orthopaedics in London and more recently the progression into Hand Therapy.
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She has particular interest in the area of persistent pain and has served on the committee for the Pain Special Interest group of Physiotherapy New Zealand for the past five years. She looks forward to assisting people navigate the complexities of their pain journeys using multiple approaches and strategies.
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Sarah is currently working towards full registration as a Hand Therapist and will continue to offer physiotherapy services within the clinic.
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Outside of work hours she enjoys the outdoor lifestyle that the Bay of Plenty has to offer: paddleboarding, bike tracks, trail running and regular beach walks with her adorable dachshunds!
Donna Webster
Occupational Therapist, Accredited 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 is a registered Hand Therapist.
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.
Esther McDougall
Accredited Hand Therapist,
BHSc (Physiotherapy), PGCert (Rehabilitation)
Esther started work as a Physiotherapist at Waikato Hospital in 2015. In 2020 she developed an interest in hand therapy, completing her post-graduate certificate and becoming an accredited hand therapist in 2023.
She has worked in both public and private hand therapy clinics, recently returning from 3 years in the UK. There she worked in Belfast in the national plastics unit, helping people regain the use of their hands after trauma.
She is interested in the complexity and versatility of the hand, and working alongside clients to get them back to using their hands well. She appreciates the difficulty that comes with altered hand function after injury or disease, and really enjoys seeing people's hand use and quality of life improve with all the options hand therapy has to offer.
Outside of work Esther is kept busy being the favorite aunt of her nephews and niece. She also enjoys reading, music, hiking and water sports.