About
About Te Whakamana Oranga
He ingoa i whakaaetia e Audrey Banks, he kuia nō Ngāi Te Rangi.
In deciding on a name for her practice, Ruth wanted something that expressed more than just the functional aspects of the mahi. Having valued the breadth and depth of insight and wisdom in many discussions with mana whenua over the years, she consulted for advice. The meaning - elevating / advancing / promoting well-being and good health - expresses the essence of the approach and mahi of Mental Health Physiotherapy.
In deciding on a name for her practice, Ruth wanted something that expressed more than just the functional aspects of the mahi. Having valued the breadth and depth of insight and wisdom in many discussions with mana whenua over the years, she consulted for advice. The meaning - elevating / advancing / promoting well-being and good health - expresses the essence of the approach and mahi of Mental Health Physiotherapy.
About Physiotherapy and Mental Health
Why physiotherapy for mental health?
Our brain is constantly processing information about our body and about our world, most of it without us even realising it. The brain, mind and body are meant to function together; they influence each other. Contexts and experiences shape our brain, as it adapts and takes in new information, affecting how we respond to the world around us, and how we feel, move and live life.
Physiotherapy is all about promoting function in our body that enables us to live life. Working with Mental Health is no different: mental health conditions influence the way our body moves and feels, how we experience pain, and our inbuilt arousal and energy systems. New research, discoveries and technology, particularly in the field of neuroscience are helping us to better understand the two-way influence of brain and body. By working with the body we help to change our brain, our feelings and mood: this changes how we interact with people and the world around us.
At Te Whakamana Oranga, we work with sensation, movement, and physiology, taking into account emotions, memories, and thoughts and how our brain tries to make sense of what it experiences. Mental Health Physiotherapy promotes hauora and oranga.
Feel free to send us a message to learn more!
Our brain is constantly processing information about our body and about our world, most of it without us even realising it. The brain, mind and body are meant to function together; they influence each other. Contexts and experiences shape our brain, as it adapts and takes in new information, affecting how we respond to the world around us, and how we feel, move and live life.
Physiotherapy is all about promoting function in our body that enables us to live life. Working with Mental Health is no different: mental health conditions influence the way our body moves and feels, how we experience pain, and our inbuilt arousal and energy systems. New research, discoveries and technology, particularly in the field of neuroscience are helping us to better understand the two-way influence of brain and body. By working with the body we help to change our brain, our feelings and mood: this changes how we interact with people and the world around us.
At Te Whakamana Oranga, we work with sensation, movement, and physiology, taking into account emotions, memories, and thoughts and how our brain tries to make sense of what it experiences. Mental Health Physiotherapy promotes hauora and oranga.
Feel free to send us a message to learn more!
About Me
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Ruth Troughton (Physiotherapist)
NZ Registered Physiotherapist Dip Physiotherapy (Otago), BA (Mus) (UC),
FASLMCertified Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner (ASLM)
From teenage years, Ruth has had an interest in ‘how people tick’. This, along with many life experiences affecting both herself and her family, has been a formative influence, stimulating reflection, curiosity, and led her into her work in mental health.
Ruth is a NZ Registered Physiotherapist, with over 20 years’ experience in general Physiotherapy as well as Mental Health. She has worked in a number of clinical areas mainly in hospital settings (spinal injuries, musculoskeletal/orthopaedics, outpatients and older persons health), with more than half of her experience in Mental Health contexts, including 6 years as Clinical Leader Physiotherapy, Specialist Mental Health Services, CDHB. During this time, she played a key role in initiatives to embed the importance of physical health in mental health, awareness of the neurobiological impacts of trauma, along with wellbeing and lifestyle practices both as a programme framework and therapy interventions. Ruth is passionate about a more holistic model of mental health that includes awareness of neurobiology, non-medication and lifestyle approaches. She loves learning and sharing information with others.
Ruth is a NZ Registered Physiotherapist, with over 20 years’ experience in general Physiotherapy as well as Mental Health. She has worked in a number of clinical areas mainly in hospital settings (spinal injuries, musculoskeletal/orthopaedics, outpatients and older persons health), with more than half of her experience in Mental Health contexts, including 6 years as Clinical Leader Physiotherapy, Specialist Mental Health Services, CDHB. During this time, she played a key role in initiatives to embed the importance of physical health in mental health, awareness of the neurobiological impacts of trauma, along with wellbeing and lifestyle practices both as a programme framework and therapy interventions. Ruth is passionate about a more holistic model of mental health that includes awareness of neurobiology, non-medication and lifestyle approaches. She loves learning and sharing information with others.
Qualifications, Education and Courses:
- Ruth is passionate about learning, understanding and sharing knowledge with others.
- Since graduating with a Diploma in Physiotherapy Ruth has continued to regularly upskill and expand her clinical knowledge and practice. Areas of interest and education cover a broad range of relevant domains. She has a particular interest in understanding the impacts of trauma.
- In 2022 Ruth was conferred with a Fellowship of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. She is currently completing post-graduate papers in Mental Health.
Presentations and Training
Ruth has delivered presentations , webinars and workshops to colleagues and clinicians across the sector on a range of different topics over many years. The focus is on understanding neurobiological perspectives and supporting lifestyle practices to empower oranga.
Topics include physiotherapy and body-based approaches to mental health conditions, and working with trauma.