Annette is one of Australia’s most accomplished physiotherapists and industry thought leaders, with over 30 years’ experience in private practice specialising in sports physiotherapy. Her illustrious career is typified by roles as lead physiotherapist for the Australian Women’s Cricket (1986-88) and Basketball Teams (2001-04), as well as physiotherapist for the Australian team at the Athens Olympics Games in 2004. 

It was during her long-standing tenure as a clinical physiotherapist that Annette noticed a prominent knowledge gap in the industry; clinicians are highly trained in how the body responds to injury and disease, but not well-trained in how the mind influences the brain, and the subsequent effect this has on patients’ responses to treatment.

Enter Thinking Physio. After completing further studies in Neurolinguistic Programming, Motivational Interviewing and Process Communication, Annette founded this highly specialised practice to bridge this knowledge gap and equip clinicians across the globe with the skills necessary to positively influence even the most resistant patients. Annette now uses Zoom courses and in-person training sessions to formally educate clinicians on fundamental psychological strategies that help improve patient relationships and accelerate their recovery. 

“It is my vision to create a community of allied health ‘Communication Thought Leaders’ to move the profession into a new era of health management. To do this, I will continue to run engaging and thought-provoking live Zoom courses, in-person training sessions for clinic owners and individual mentoring programs.” – Annette Tonkin