Our Team
Dr. Matt Gibbons
DO(Europe), PhD (PMR), DN, B.Sc(O), DOMP, DCMOEB, CPTS, RMO. President of the Osteopathic & Naprapathic Association of Newfoundland & Labrador.
Chair of Council on Naprapathy Education for the Canadian Naprapathic Association, Professor at the National Academy of Osteopathy
Matt has a passion for health and fitness that started early in life. Spending many of his years in youth practicing martial arts, strength training, numerous sports, and years of reading and research. His professional career began as certified personal trainer, working at New World Fitness and Goodlife Fitness achieving several advancements in rank based on client success and continuing education such as Darby training systems, Goodlife elite black belt levels, Fitness manager internship program and countless hours of dedicated self-education with concentration on rehabilitation. After five years as a fitness professional and graduating from the National Academy of Osteopathy he began his career as an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner. To better help people recover from chronic pain, physical disability and reach optimal performance he continued on to finish his Bachelors and Doctorate in Osteopathy, a Doctorate in Naprapthy, and a PhD in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. He has participated in continuing education courses such as the Smarterehab programs, and is currently working on a certificate in medical neuroscience from Duke University. As well as actively practicing evidence-based manual therapy in Newfoundland he serves as the President of the Osteopathic & Naprapathic Association of Newfoundland & Labrador, and is a member of the International Osteopathic Association, the Ontario Osteopathic and Alternative Medicine Association, the Society of Osteopaths of Canada (previously), the National Manual Osteopathic Society, the National Osteopathic Practitioners Association, The Academy of Naturopaths and Naturotherapists of Canada, an Affiliate member of the American Naprapathic Association, as well as a diplomat of the Canadian Manual Osteopathy Examining Board. Matt has a mission to provide the people of our province with the highest level of care in manual therapy by combining up-to-date science in evidence-based healthcare with the practice of treating the person and all of their body's systems as a whole. He serves as the Chair of Council on Naprapathy Education for the Canadian Naprapathic Association, and is a professor at the National Academy of Osteopathy. To date, Matt has helped a significant number of people attain greater health and quality of life.
"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything." - Thomas Carlyle
Karen Lynch
DOMP, B.Pe, B.Ed, RMO
Karen grew up in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland. She has completed bachelor’s degrees in Physical Education and Primary/Elementary Education. Karen taught Physical Education/Science in the Newfoundland school system for 7 years but upon her introduction to Osteopathy she realized she had another purpose. Her introduction to Osteopathy came after the birth of her first son, Jude, who suffered a Stroke while in-utero. Having watched her son receive treatment and how many positive effects it has shown in his development, she decided that she wanted to be able to make that kind of difference to other people's lives, so Osteopathy was where her professional ambition lay and the rest they say is history!
Through her undergraduate and ongoing post graduate training she has developed a true passion for the principles and practice of osteopathy and natural healthcare, but also seeing the great value of using the best orthodox treatments, with an integrated approach, and using her knowledge and continuing professional education in the mind/body field to improve and enhance the health and wellbeing of all her patients.
She brings a wealth of experience in the fields of coaching and fitness for more than 15 years. She follows comprehensive professional development programme in which she is constantly enhancing her professional skills and knowledge. Karen is currently enrolled in a Pediatric Osteopathy program through a U.K based school and plans to expand her education more with completing her PhD in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Karen focuses on the interplay between the mind and body and what can provide you with the best and most holistic treatment approach designed with your unique needs in mind. She is also a professor at the National Academy of Osteopathy.
Melissa Martin
DOMP, BN, RMO
Melissa grew up in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and has always had an interest in health and wellness. She was involved in many sports growing up but dedicated most of her time to soccer.
Melissa served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a medical technician and completed two domestic operations. Through this work she became interested in nursing and decided to pursue a post-secondary education in the field. She was accepted into, and completed, the Bachelor of Nursing program at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of her career as a nurse has been within the area of mental health and addictions as well as rehabilitation and continuing care. Melissa became interested in osteopathy after receiving osteopathic treatment herself. Because of her previous healthcare experiences she realized the value of osteopathy in terms of helping people and it's potential within the healthcare system. She went on to complete the Diploma in Osteopathic Manual Practice through The National Academy of Osteopathy. Melissa's approach to care is comprehensive. She recognizes the importance of caring for people on every level including the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of their health. She also believes in a strong practitioner-client relationship as well as evidence-based practice. Melissa strives to keep up-to-date with the best practices and to continuously educate herself.
Dr. Joel Daly
PhD (OCR), DN, DOMP, BSc, RMO
Joel always enjoyed seeing what the physical body was capable of, growing up he spent much of his time training in martial arts such as Kempo Karate, Judo, and Muay Thai. In high school his passion for health and fitness truly came out when he began exercising daily in forms of calisthenics, bodybuilding and powerlifting. It was then that he began researching everything he could about the human body from a health and fitness aspect.
While completing a science degree at memorial university and working as a personal trainer he took courses in human kinetics, psychology, nutrition and biology, which made him realize that improving human health was his calling. After graduating he went on to do his Diploma of osteopathic manual practice from Toronto Ontario, at which point he met Dr Matt Gibbons and began shadowing him at stability, from this he was able to see what osteopathy can truly do to help those in pain. He takes a neurological approach to osteopathy and believes in the bodies exceptional ability to heal when the dysfunction is removed and the correct stimulus for growth and repair is given. Joel has advanced his education and completed his doctorate in Naprapathic Medicine and PhD in Osteopathic Clinical Rehabilitation and teaches as a professor at the National Academy of Osteopathy.
