Ara’s Anne-Lise Girardin appointed to national osteopathic council

Ara Institute of Canterbury’s own Anne-Lise Girardin, a kaiako (educator) in osteopathy, has been appointed by the Associate Minister of Health to serve on the Osteopathic Council of New Zealand – Kaunihera Haumanu Tuahiwi o Aotearoa. She’ll help shape the future of the profession across Aotearoa in this two-year ministerial role.

So what is the Council, exactly?

It’s the national body responsible for ensuring public safety through regulating the osteopathic profession - from overseeing registration and setting professional standards, to making sure practitioners provide safe and effective care.

And what’s osteopathy?

Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners, with a holistic approach to treatment. They use hands-on techniques to support healing, improve function and address a wide range of issues from chronic pain to postural problems. It blends scientific rigour with patient-centred care, and osteopaths are registered health practitioners under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCA) Act.

Ara is the only tertiary provider of dedicated osteopathic academic programmes in the country, meaning the people training New Zealand’s future osteopaths all come through its doors.

Girardin said she’s proud to bring an educator’s voice to the Council:

“I’m honoured to contribute to the osteopathy profession in this way and to represent the educational perspective on the Council.”

Dr Michael Shone, Dean of Faculty – Health, Science and Sustainability, said the appointment reflects the strength of Ara’s osteopathy team:

“Anne-Lise’s appointment reinforces Ara’s leadership in osteopathic education nationally, and her insight will benefit the profession as a whole.”

If you've ever considered a career in hands-on healthcare that treats the whole person, not just the symptoms, you might want to explore osteopathy. There’s only one place to start: Learn more about studying osteopathy at Ara.