About
Continuum Health Centre
Our team of practitioners are invested in your health. We make every decision with our clients’ well-being in mind. Achieve your best self with us!
The Team
Alex Derksen
MscPT (Master of Science in Physical Therapy)- Registered Physiotherapist & Performance Coach
Alex is a Physiotherapist and a Performance & Weightlifting Coach born and raised in Victoria, BC. Alex graduated from Queen’s University with a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy and from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Alex is passionate about providing the best possible care for his patients. He is a firm believer in evidence-based, patient-centered care to help empower individuals to get back to their meaningful activities. Alex uses exercise, education, and communication strategies to help individuals overcome obstacles that are holding them back from reaching their goals. Alex focuses on promoting physical, psychological, and emotional strength to build resilient and robust individuals while fostering self-efficacy and independence in their lives. Alex is a certified ‘Clinical Athlete Provider’ who specializes in the management of athletes, designed to help athletes perform better and stay healthy longer. Alex feels an athlete is any individual who has active-related goals, no matter the age, skills, or abilities. He is passionate about working with barbell athletes including weightlifters, powerlifters, and Crossfit Athletes. Alex blends his knowledge in strength and conditioning with injury reconditioning and psychologically informed care to help athletes reach their health & performance related goals. He is also a certified Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, NCCP Weightlifting Trained Coach, CCPC Powerlifting Coach, Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist, and a graduate from the Level Up Initiative Mentorship program, designed to create positive change in the world of healthcare. Alex has taken numerous courses related to strength and conditioning, exercise prescription, pain science education, psychologically informed practice, communication, clinical reasoning, biomechanics, injury risk reduction, and focused areas of the hip, knee, and shoulder. Alex can typically be found in the gym weightlifting, or playing various sports including golf, hockey, and baseball. He is an avid adventurer and enjoys exploring the outdoors and traveling around the world with his wife, while indulging in plant-based dishes and the finest local coffee.
Cait Leavitt
M.Sc, MPC
Cait received a Masters in Psychology with a focus on sport and performance applications. As a Mental Performance Consultant (MPC) with the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA), Cait works across a wide range of sports, competitive levels, and ages to help athletes enhance their mental skills. Cait works with athletes to develop confidence, mindset, emotional regulation, focus, teamwork, and many other critical skills to performance. Cait has conducted research and specializes in helping athletes through the psychological aspects of injury recovery, specifically concussions. Cait is passionate about working alongside athletes to help them thrive in the sporting environment and in their personal lives.
Ciara Malone
MA, CCC & MPC (Prov.) – (Certified Clinical Counsellor & Provisional Mental Performance Consultant)
Ciara (she/her) brings a wealth of experience as a high-performance athlete turned research-practitioner. In her research, Ciara looks at the identity challenges that athletes face at the conclusion of their varsity careers. Over the 14 months, Ciara has been engaged in research around the mental health experiences of Canadian University Athletes through COVID-19 and has presented her research internationally. As a practitioner, Ciara uses an integrated and culturally sensitive approach to meet the needs of each unique client. She understands the importance of a strong, trusting therapeutic relationship for meaningful growth and change to take place and centres her work on creating a secure environment in which you can feel seen, heard, and valued. Ciara brings her natural warmth, compassion and curiosity into each session. She believes in the healing power of laughter and enjoys connecting with her clients over life’s big and small victories as well as its hardships. Ciara believes in the importance of tuning into the moment and turning toward your emotions, and frequently works with clients to learn to slow down and find their own inner guide, whether they’re stuck, struggling with interpersonal issues, or having trouble coping. She uses a strength-based approach to help people accept and embrace diverse aspects of themselves as well as develop new skills that can be used in everyday life. Ciara has a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is a Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC) and Provisional Mental Performance Consultant.
Greg Kirk
Physiotherapist
Greg has been a physiotherapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist for over 15 years. He completed his Master of Physiotherapy at UBC and a post-graduate certificate in manual therapy at Curtain University in Perth. During this time, Greg served as a research assistant in neurophysiology, motor learning, biomechanics, and knowledge translation. Since graduating, he has also completed multiple courses – receiving certifications and accreditation for Gunn IMS, DNS D, PRI training, and Applied Kinesiology. In addition, Greg is a graduate of the ConnectTherapy Series and the Thoracic Ring Approach. Greg has a keen interest in human behavior. He’s worked with a very diverse population with varying activity levels, and among everyone, there remains a common theme. We’re all human. As such, there are similarities in the shortcuts our bodies and brains will take to make life easier in response to injuries, stresses, and emotions. However, these shortcuts are not always great long-term solutions. Greg is a firm believer that the body is not simply a sum of its parts, and the interactions of this complex system are of the utmost importance. Understanding these patterns plays an integral role in treating his clients while incorporating movement, exercise, education, and manual therapy. Greg’s passion is getting an individual back to full capacity – as it relates to the activities that are important and meaningful to them. Greg’s other specific interest is in performance physio to mitigate injury and maximize performance. He has worked with national and Olympic level athletes in almost every sport, including snowboarding, skiing, beach volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, track, triathlon, weight lifting, swimming, diving, tennis, soccer, and mountain biking. Greg has also worked with professional dancers, musicians, actors, and athletes from various basketball leagues. He has worked with MLB, NHL, and most extensively, NFL athletes. Greg worked as a team physio for high school basketball, rugby, football, volleyball, and varsity baseball squads and has traveled with Canadian wrestling and rugby teams.
Dr. MJ Atkins
ND (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine) B.ScH.
N.D. Dr. MJ Atkins is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and has been in practice for over 14 years in Victoria, BC. Dr. Atkins believes strongly in identifying and treating the root cause of an issue and not just focusing on the treatment of symptoms. His ultimate goal is to help patients look and feel great, inside and out. Dr. Atkins lives on the Peninsula with his wife and dogs and is an adoptive parent-in-waiting. He is an avid nature-lover who enjoys all that the Peninsula has to offer whether paddle boarding, playing hockey, gardening, cycling or hiking. When not outdoors, you can find him in the kitchen preparing delicious meals.
Mikayla Ogrodniczuk
MPT, BKin – Registered Physiotherapist
Mikayla is from Vancouver, BC where she completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology in Health Sciences and her Master of Physical Therapy at UBC. While at UBC, she was a five-year member and two-year Assistant Captain with the UBC Women’s Hockey team. While completing her Master of Physical Therapy, Mikayla also competed for and Co-Captained the UBC Cycling team. She made the move to Vancouver Island following graduation, having falled in love with the city of Victoria while on clinical placement during her Physical Therapy degree. Mikayla is passionate about helping people move better, feel strong, and thrive. She is eager to collaborate with her clients to develop treatment plans that help them achieve their functional and performance goals. Mikayla has a special interest in working with athletes. She knows what it takes to keep one’s body in peak shape while competing as an elite athlete and draws from her experiences to personalize each athlete’s treatment, whether your goal is recovering from injury or optimizing performance. Mikayla has completed her Orthopaedic Manual Therapy level 1 certification and utilizes techniques such as manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, taping, and education in her treatment sessions with clients. In her spare time, Mikayla can be found enjoying the Island scenery on her bike, playing on her local hockey team, or exploring the wonders of the Island on hikes and walks.
Dr. Trevor Nelson
DC (Doctor of Chiropractic), MSc. Sports Medicine, BSc. Kinesiology, CSCS
Trevor graduated from the University of Western States with his Doctor of Chiropractic and a Master of Science in Sports Medicine. He grew up in Surrey, BC, but after completing his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at UVIC, he always knew he would settle on the island. Trevor grew up playing numerous sports and believes in the importance of overall athleticism and developing a positive experience with health and exercise. Throughout his years playing competitive rugby, he had the help of many great health professionals, and it was during this time, Trevor realised the benefits of chiropractic treatment. Trevor uses an evidence-informed approach in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions of the spine. He also has great interest and skill in treating injuries and conditions involving the shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and other extremities. In addition, his background in training and athletics has created a passion for helping individuals recover from injury and allowing them to reach their performance goals. Trevor has taken several additional courses, including DNS Strength Training, and is constantly pursuing further education to better help his patients. Trevor’s main goal with treatment is to work with his patients towards a common goal, whether that means returning to sport after an injury, treating those nagging aches and pains, being able to work more functionally and with less pain, or simply learning how to move better and live a more active lifestyle. Trevor employs various treatment techniques depending on the individual and is a firm believer in the power of movement and exercise. The ultimate goal of treatment is to empower each patient with the tools and knowledge they need to stay healthy and reach their goals.
Scott Eckardt
Coach
Bio coming soon.
John Cunningham
Coach
CREDENTIALS:
Masters in Sports Physiology & Nutrition
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS)
British Weightlifting Level 1 Coach
Track & Field Club Sprinter (60m,100m,Discus, Shot Put)
Sale Sharks Rugby Academy
Bedford Blues Rugby
Loughborough University Rugby
Waterloo Rugby (National League 1&2)
Invited to British Bobsleigh Trials
Athlete CV
Manchester University Talented Athlete S&C coach (Multiple Sports)
Loughborough University S&C coach (Multiple Sports)
British Ski S&C coach (Testing days)
England Golf (North West S&C coach)
DNA sports performance coach (Multiple Sports)
Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) S&C consultant
MMA Academy Liverpool Nutrition & S&C coach
Myerscough College 1st XV Rugby S&C coach
Take the first step.
We can’t wait to meet you
Chat with one of our practitioners to learn more about what treatment pathways will work best for you.