Meet Ann at Unity Physiotherapy & Wellbeing
Empowering you to move with confidence, reconnect with what matters, and live well
Meet Ann - Specialist Physiotherapist & Integrative Somatic Therapist
I’m Ann Parkinson, founder of Unity Physiotherapy & Wellbeing (2009), where I work as a Specialist Physiotherapist and Integrative Somatic Therapist. My offerings are trauma-informed, compassionate, and integrative.
Support is provided for people living with persistent pain, fatigue-related conditions, and nervous system dysregulation, trauma, or chronic stress, as well as for those without chronic illness who are seeking personal growth and improved wellbeing. Also, for leaders, teams, and organisations to cultivate compassionate, trauma informed workplaces and sustainable wellbeing.
Additionally, I offer support for health and social care professionals through workshops outside of the organisational setting, and compassion-focused coaching and mentoring.
Areas of Specialism
I began my career as a junior rotational physiotherapist in an acute hospital setting, before specialising in persistent pain and neurology. After many years in both areas I adapted my neurological expertise to transition fully to working with people with persistent pain and fatigue related conditions, dysautonomia, and other chronic complex conditions. I support people living with:
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
- Long Covid / Post-Covid Syndrome
- Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS)
- Fibromyalgia
- Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)
- Other chronic pain, fatigue, or dysautonomia related conditions
Additionally, I also work with anyone wishing to make changes that would further support their health, wellbeing and personal growth, and take steps towards being able to thrive.
How I Work – A Compassionate & Trauma-Informed Approach
All my work is trauma-informed, grounded in compassion, and guided by evidence-informed care. Drawing from positive psychology and a strengths-based approach, I attend to distress while helping clients connect with what’s going well, what’s possible, and who they are beyond their symptoms.
I honour each person’s unique experiences, pace, capacity, and autonomy, while highlighting their resilience and innate ability to reconnect with their wholeness and potential for growth. I work in partnership with clients to explore what supports their health, wellbeing, healing and ability to thrive.
All services are designed to be trauma-informed, compassionate, collaborative, accessible, gentle, and responsive to each person’s individual needs and capacity. By offering range of choices for exploration, I aim to empower people to make meaningful changes that support their health & wellbeing, personal growth and healing.
My work focuses on helping people:
- Compassionately reconnect with their body
- Build a sense of trust and safety in their body
- Find joy and ease in movement
- Regulate their nervous system and expand capacity
- Move toward the life they wish to live & the way they wish to be in the world
Appointments are primarily offered remotely (via video or phone), with a limited number of in-person sessions available in North Hykeham, Lincoln. My approach combines: Specialist Physiotherapy & Integrative Somatic Wellbeing (or Integrative Somatic Therapy when it’s part of one-one appointments).
Integrative Somatic Wellbeing
I’ve developed a unique, trauma-informed offering called Integrative Somatic Wellbeing. This service is blended with Specialist Physiotherapy and is also offered separately as Integrative Somatic Therapy when the work is therapeutic in nature and people don’t need physiotherapy expertise.
Integrative Somatic Wellbeing is the basis for all of my workshops and group offerings. It draws on all of the modalities I’m trained in, including: yoga, yoga nidra, somatic and embodiment practices, trauma-sensitive mindfulness, meditation, compassion-focused training (including Compassionate Mind Training), Butekyo, NLP, and ACT. For people with pain, fatigue, or dysautonomia, these modalities are blended with physiotherapy; for others, they form the basis of Integrative Somatic Therapy sessions or Integrative Somatic Wellbeing groups. Sessions are therapeutic but they are not a substitute for psychological therapy.
You can learn more about Integrative Somatic Wellbeing by clicking the link below:
A Personal Understanding
I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to my work. Living with pain in the past, ME/CFS, and PoTS has given me insight into the challenges these conditions bring, and a deep understanding that positive changes are always possible.
A Passion for Empowerment
My approach is an empowering one, working in this way is aligned with trauma informed principles. I’m passionate about:
- Supporting nervous system regulation and capacity-building
- Empowering people to reconnect with their body in a compassionate way
- Enabling people to do more of what matters most
- Helping people to find the ease and joy in movement
- Supporting embodied living aligned with one’s true self
- Supporting people to take steps towards thriving
I feel it is a privilege to support people living with pain, ME/CFS, long covid, PoTS, FND, anxiety, stress, and trauma, as well as those seeking to improve their overall wellbeing. I’m deeply grateful for what I continue to learn from each person I work with. Additionally, I am grateful to be able to offer compassionate, trauma-informed workplace services – part of my purpose of helpful to cultivate a more compassionate and trauma-informed society.
Author of Dancing Through Life: A Guide to Living Well
I’m the author of ‘Dancing Through Life, A Guide to Living Well.’ This is a practical and compassionate guide to wellbeing that includes chapters on stress management, compassion and exercise/movement. You can learn more about the book by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.
Ongoing Learning & Qualifications
I’m a committed lifelong learner and do my best to stay up to date with evidence-based practice, while also valuing the deep insights of wisdom traditions and the lived experiences of those I work with, and my own. My core qualifications include:
- BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
- 60-hour Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification
- Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness (David Treleaven)
- NLP Practitioner Training
- Life Coach Training
- Buteyko Breathing Instructor
- 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training
- 30-Hour Restorative Yoga Training
- 25-Hour Yoga Nidra Training
- 80-Hour Trauma-Informed Yoga & Embodied Resilience Training
- Yoga & Science in Pain Care (10-module course)
- Embodied Compassion: Integrating Yoga with Compassion Focused Therapy
- APPI Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Pilates
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (Intermediate level)
- Adapted Tai Chi
- Compassion-Focused Therapy for Healthcare Professionals
- 8-Week Compassionate Mind Training
- IFS Institute Online Circle (6-month program)
- Functional Nutrition & Chronic Pain Certification
- Heartmath Clinical Certification for Stress, Anxiety & Emotional Regulation
I’ve also completed numerous short courses, study days, and conferences focused on trauma, compassion, somatics, embodiment, pain, fatigue, and dysautonomia, and done extensive self-study
Ready to Take the Next Step?
I’m passionate about helping people reconnect with their body, find ease, confidence and joy in movement, regulate their nervous system, build resilience, and live more fully aligned with their values and true self.
If you’d like to explore how I can support you, book a session or learn more get in touch to book a free 15 minute discovery call:
- Email Ann info@unityphysio.co.uk
- Call Ann 07871240188
You can find out more about appointment options here:
