A Physiotherapist shares how Clinical Pilates elevated her skill set, patient outcomes and career success
Are you an allied health professional thinking about completing your APPI Clinical Pilates Certification?
Maybe you find yourself procrastinating or delaying making the commitment due to questions about whether it’s actually worth your time, effort and investment?
Do you want to better understand the very real, measurable and powerful impacts the certification and all the evidence-based skills it entails can have on your career?
Hear first-hand from one of our very own Unite Health APPI Clinical Pilates graduates, physiotherapist Amelia Dentesano. Amelia opens up about how clinical Pilates has elevated her skills and confidence, improved her career success and opportunities, and allowed her to support her clients with more comprehensive services and improved health outcomes and results.
Tell us about your career to date. What led to you deciding to complete your APPI Clinical Pilates Certification with Unite Health?
Amelia: I’m a new graduate physiotherapist. I completed my degree in physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne in 2023. Alongside my studies, I worked as a Pilates instructor, teaching both clinical Pilates and fitness Pilates classes.
I found Pilates during the 2020 lockdown (sorry to bring up the dreaded “L” word), and it was love at first sight (this “L” word is acceptable though). During this time, like many people, I felt lost and directionless. However, Pilates not only brought huge benefits for my mental and physical health at the time, it also sparked a lightbulb moment for me. Suddenly, I could see my career laid out before me; the physio part, the Pilates part, the women’s health part… it all started to align.
Fast forward to 2021 post-lockdown, I began my physio degree and decided I wanted to kickstart my Pilates training as soon as possible. It was important to me to learn in a nurturing and supportive environment, from people who shared the same passion for Pilates that I do. Entering physiotherapy, I wanted the added focus on clinical reasoning and injury rehabilitation. From my research, it was clear that Unite Health really embodied all the values that I was looking for.
Now, I’m working across two private practices as a physiotherapist. I use a large variety of Pilates repertoire and equipment to treat clients with general musculoskeletal and sports injuries, as well as pre- and post-natal related conditions, in both a 1:1 and small group setting.
Have you found Clinical Pilates has helped you improve your service offering to your patients since you completed your certification? What changes have you noticed?
Amelia: Unite Health’s Clinical Pilates Certification has allowed me to improve my service offering to clients, and helped me reinforce essential skills to be a more successful physio.
I now have a larger scope of practice. My clinical Pilates training enables me to incorporate variety in my physio interventions; I have a larger exercise repertoire to use [with my clients], as well as more equipment and small prop options that I can employ to enhance muscle activation. These elements are very important when dealing with different people, who each have different bodies and different preferences. No exercise or treatment has the same effect for everybody, and I’m now able to better adapt to my clients’ changing needs, in both 1:1 and small group sessions.
Not only has my clinical Pilates training improved the services I offer clients, it has also allowed me to further develop multiple physio-specific skills and general transferable skills. I came out of the course with a deeper understanding of the human body, including anatomy, biomechanics, and movement patterns. There is a large emphasis on clinical reasoning and how to prescribe and modify exercises for specific conditions and client populations.
Having this experience, I now feel far more confident in my ability to tailor my client’s treatment and rehabilitation plan safely and effectively. This has also extended into the way I connect and communicate with clients. The certification provided ample opportunity for hands-on practice in order to refine the way I deliver exercises to make my verbal, visual and tactile cueing more effective.
Have any of your patients specifically given you feedback around your Clinical Pilates knowledge and skills?
Amelia: I’ve had some really kind and positive comments from clients surrounding my teaching skills and Clinical Pilates knowledge!
My favourite was when I was asked where I did my Pilates certification. I answered, “Unite Health.” The response that followed: “I knew it! The instructors I’ve met from Unite Health all have such a thorough understanding of anatomy and exercise!”
A few other standouts were, “Your instructions were very clear. I always knew exactly what to do.” And after using tactile feedback and hands-on adjustments with another client, their feedback was, “I didn’t know I could feel my muscles in that way!”
Has having experience in Clinical Pilates allowed you to help your patients achieve better results and health outcomes from working with you?
Amelia: Absolutely! I already mentioned that every body is different, and what has worked for one client may not work for another. Clinical Pilates has added to my “physio toolkit”. It gives me another modality of treatment to try with clients to help them achieve better results.
A particular client where I really saw the positive benefits of clinical Pilates was a low back pain case. She had been struggling with chronic pain for a while, and had tried absolutely everything. Whilst all these treatments helped short-term, her pain kept reappearing. I suggested we try more of an active approach to compliment her current pain management strategies, and this was where we integrated Pilates, incorporating both mobility and strength work within her rehabilitation program. After a few sessions, she noted how she was experiencing minimal pain flare ups and overall felt stronger and more capable during daily activities. She now loves Pilates for maintenance and comes to group classes frequently!
Has your additional certification in Clinical Pilates helped you improve your earning potential, or changed your pricing for your services at all?
Amelia: Pilates is a growing industry and it’s a service that more and more clinics are including in their offering. Employers are very conscious of any extra training you’ve completed, and the additional skills that come with it. In my experience, they look favourably towards candidates who already have that extra training under their belt.
In fact, so many current job opportunities specifically highlight in the position descriptions that a clinical Pilates qualification is highly desirable, and it’s sometimes even included in the job title as well – “seeking a Physiotherapist & Clinical Pilates Instructor”. It’s personally brought me many incredible employment opportunities, where clinic owners have approached me for my comprehensive Pilates experience.
Is there anything you'd say to any allied health professionals considering completing their Clinical Pilates certification right now? Has it paid off for you?
Amelia: … What are you waiting for?!
… You won’t regret it!
… Don’t walk, RUN!
Choosing to complete my Clinical Pilates certification with Unite Health is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I know it can seem like a financial investment, but it’s also an investment in your self-development, career, and future. It has not only changed my life, but my client’s lives as well. I’ve connected with so many inspiring people, had so many amazing opportunities, and gained so many incredible experiences since finishing the course – I’m living my dream!
Start your training and watch your life change too!
You can follow along with Amelia and her career journey on Instagram @physiowithamelia
Convinced? If you want to follow in Amelia’s footsteps and complete your APPI Clinical Pilates Certification to level up in your career and better support your clients, enrol in one of our upcoming courses today!
Or, you can book a free chat with our helpful course experts to figure out how the certification can help you achieve your goals and fit into your schedule.