Envision Physiotherapy is a refreshing example of what healthcare can and should look like in British Columbia. Using physiotherapy as an anchor, Brent Stevenson and Harry Toor have built a team of health professionals around themselves and created two welcoming and personable clinics in the heart of Vancouver. The South Granville office is a quiet space with five private treatment rooms and an open movement space for clinical Pilates and Kinesiology. The newer False Creek clinic is situated right on the sea wall and boasts a spectacular view, a full personal training studio, seven private treatment rooms and a medical clinic providing IV iron infusions overseen by an emergency physician. The co-owners have assembled a team of physiotherapists, kinesiologists, dietitians, massage therapists, Pilates instructors, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and personal trainers to work together in an environment that is enjoyable for both the patients and the practitioners.
Brent Stevenson started Envision Physiotherapy in 2006 with a portable massage table and a one hundred square foot room in a personal training studio. He quickly started making connections in Vancouver’s healthcare community including his now partner Harry Toor, who had just returned from working with the national ski team. The two physios opened a satellite office in 2008 in the Gordon & Leslie Diamond Healthcare Centre at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) with a group of five family physicians. Brent and Harry alternated treating the doctors, nurses and administrative staff at one space and then working alongside a group of experienced personal trainers at the other; they built experience at both ends of the health spectrum from VGH to athletic performance. The pair have been involved in teaching UBC students, advising other medical clinics, working backstage at theatrical performances, covering Olympic events, professional development talks as well as extensive post-graduate training.
The growth of Envision Physiotherapy is a reflection of Brent and Harry’s values and experience in the healthcare industry. They have slowly and systematically added layers of people and services to support them, each of which bring something new to the group while upholding the primary principle of client centered care. In 2011 they opened their own space on South Granville and pulled together a small group of like-minded people to offer physiotherapy, massage, Kinesiology and one-on-one clinical Pilates. Since then they have added a number of physiotherapists that offer specialized services like pelvic health, concussion management, vestibular rehab, IMS dry needling, osteopathic manual therapy, bike fits and scoliosis specific physio. The Envision team has an overlapping skill set, but everyone brings something special to the clinic which allows them to work together to support their clients fully.
In 2018, after a lot of background work, Brent and Harry furthered their vision for the business by opening Envision False Creek with a 5400 square foot space including a physiotherapy clinic, a medical clinic and a full personal training studio all under one roof. They added registered dietitians to both offices and now have an emergency physician in the clinic three times per week. The new facility has opened up countless new opportunities to build collaborative, health-based programs to offer to their clients. Pelvic health physiotherapist Trish Gipson, in conjunction with personal trainer Miranda Morrison, has developed a post-natal program for new mothers where they are first assessed by a pelvic-floor physio, then participate in a small group physio class run by Trish and are then transitioned to a small group fitness class lead by Miranda. New mothers have the option of joining the small groups at the False Creek fitness location or opt for the one-on-one Pilates program at the South Granville office. The multi-disciplinary approach allows for clients to find their own path and feel supported in their own needs.
At the core of Envision, are their one-on-one, physiotherapy sessions with highly trained therapists in private treatment rooms. Their physios tend to utilize IMS dry needling, manual therapy and specific exercise prescription to help clients of all ages and abilities. The clinic stays away from passive electrical modalities and as a value tries to empower clients by means of education and the development of mindful awareness of their bodies. The group of physiotherapists have varying specialties including chronic pain, dizziness, incontinence, sports injuries and visceral manipulation. The team consists of therapists that have been working from three years to three decades and have all made a point of learning from and working with each other.
The group of over twenty-five allied health professionals at Envision are currently developing new multidisciplinary programs to support clients with special needs like Parkinson’s disease, Cardiac Health, and seniors’ fitness. The vision of having like-minded, assertive people with different skill sets in the same facility and given the autonomy to think, build and create has developed a culture of both independence and teamwork at Envision. The clinic’s success is a reflection of its’ friendly and caring staff.
In addition to offering the brick and mortar clinic of Envision Physiotherapy, Brent Stevenson has developed an online presence with WhyThingsHurt.com and his book Why Things Hurt: Life Lessons from an Injury Prone Physical Therapist. He uses a conversational tone to explain complex, health related concepts and tells his stories as both a patient and a practitioner. The site includes over fifty instructional videos embedded from his YouTube channel and is an excellent resource for people looking to understand their pain and improve their posture. He is currently working on writing a second book, recording the audio version of Why Things Hurt and developing a series of educational courses for physiotherapists.
Harry Toor has also been developing his complimentary side projects by combining his skill as an artist with his knowledge of anatomy and health. He helped Brent by doing most of the illustrations for his Why Things Hurt book and then went on to paint, write and publish his own educational children’s book titled A Robot Called Zip, which teaches basic principles of physical health; both books are available in the clinic and on Amazon. Harry is continually expanding his free online exercise library Exer-Pedia.com to help physiotherapists and their clients. He teaches First Responder for Sport Physiotherapy Canada and helps teach the physio students in the UBC anatomy lab.
Envision Physiotherapy is the product of Brent and Harry’s hard work and dedication to making healthcare in Vancouver be an accessible and positive experience. They have excelled in growing a small business while continuing to grow their own clinical skills and as a result have developed a healthcare facility where clients feel supported and clinicians enjoy working. Business and healthcare in Canada have traditionally not been positively aligned, but the Envision team are leading by example as a model of what healthcare can be.
Clients have numerous potential entry points into Envision Physiotherapy because it functions as an umbrella organization comprised of numerous businesses all designed to work together with physiotherapy being the connector. Essential Kinetics run by Tara Keller provides Kinesiology services to the group at both locations. The Movement Studio and Karen Weggler organize the clinical Pilates program at South Granville as a satellite location to their Kitsilano space. Kor Manual Therapy owned by Alisha Hoover is in charge of massage services at South Granville. VancouverDietitians.ca are based out of both Envision locations and Mainline Wellness is run by Dr. Adam Davidson at the False Creek office. Personal trainers Cale Dougans and Nick Christofedes manage The Studio at Envision which occupies half of the False Creek space. There are a lot of different pieces to Envision Physiotherapy, but the collective has become greater than the sum of its parts.
If you are interested in visiting Envision Physiotherapy, you can find a summary of each service and each individual on their new website.