Survey Response: Georgie Oldfield, MCSP
This survey was last updated in January 2009.
Ms. Oldfield is a member of the TMS Wiki in good standing with our Conflict of Interest policy, the author of a DVD and CD about TMS, and a member of the UK TMS community. She is a physiotherapist rather than a doctor.
Number of years in practice: Qualified in 1983
Number of years in practice with patients who have TMS:
Began recommending it to patients and supporting them in May 2007 and have run my own TMS programme since visiting Dr Sarno in November 2007. This was renamed the SIRPA Recovery Programme in 2010.
Number of patients you have seen who have had TMS:
Now in the hundreds and since discovering this approach 100% of my work is focused on developing my specialism in this area. Although based in Yorkshire I also now run clinics in London and Bristol.
What is your association to the TMS community?
Providing advice and support as a TMS Practitioner and training new Practitioners in the UK. I have been involved in the TMS wiki since 2007/8 and keep close connections with Forest and the other Specialists in this field.
Have you ever suffered from TMS?
Yes, haven't we all at some time? For me it was not constant for more than a few weeks at a time, but recurring back pain/sciatica, plus neck and shoulder pain, and a number of other equivalents! I did regard myself as having a bad back though and was careful. I have had no problems since mid 2007 and am now very active with no restrictions.
Are you able to conduct therapy sessions over the phone?
I am happy to offer general advice where appropriate. I do however conduct more in depth sessions via Skype or telephone as long as results of all medical tests are sent to me prior to this, plus a disclaimer which has been signed by the patient.
What insurance plans do you currently accept? Any plan that covers Physiotherapy costs, except BUPA & AXA.
Do you have a sliding scale of payment for people who are not covered by insurance? No, as my costs are not inflated for insurance companies.
What have you done to educate yourself about TMS, and what plans do you have for further education about TMS?
Months/years of research into the mind body relationship while trying to find the answer to all the questions I had with my own patients. Since I came across Dr Sarno's work I researched TMS through any book, DVD, audio recording, website and research papers I could find. Visiting Dr Sarno in New York in 2007, attending all the conferences to date and peer review with other TMS Practitioners in America, including conversing with other Specialists, notably Dr Sarno, Dr Howard Schubiner and Dr Dave Clarke. I continue to read widely and to explore anything that might help my own patients on their journeys to recovery. My own education has also been helped by developing SIRPA (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners Association) and the SIRPA Training Programme for Practitioners, with the support of Dr Dave Clarke, who is SIRPA's International Clinical Advisor.
As we are going to post your answers on the TMS Wiki, feel free to write some text to introduce yourself:
Despite being a Physiotherapist, Dr Sarno's concept and approach was not a surprise to me. For many years prior to coming across this work in 2007 I had been looking for the answer to the many inconsistencies I had been observing with my own patients. I had also already begun to realise that pain often did not appear to be related to the structural problems patients had been diagnosed with. Coming across TMS was an epiphany moment for me and has completely changed my whole understanding and therefore how I work. Having seen the remarkable and often life changing recoveries in my own patients, I am passionate about working with people with TMS/PPD and 100% of my time over the past few years has been developing this work and raising the profile in the UK.
Since developing SIRPA I continue to work in a clinical role working with people who suffer from TMS/PPD. Although based in Yorkshire I also run regular assessment clinics in London and Bristol. Through SIRPA I also run training courses for other regulated Health Professionals in order to help them integrate this approach into their own work. Our aim is to raise the profile of this work by increasing the awareness of stress illness to the public and Practitioners as well as the Medical world.
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