Amber Baird
Registered Physiotherapist
MScPT, BA Kin
Amber holds an honors specialization undergraduate degree in kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, and a Master of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of Brighton. Amber achieved the Dean’s List and Honors while completing both her degrees to recognize her high academic achievement.
Amber’s background as a national-level swimmer has given her a unique perspective on sport injury rehabilitation, allowing her to understand the specific needs of athletes and help them reach their full potential. Amber has taken the Core Competency in Sport Physiotherapy course, and is a Sport First Responder. She has worked as a medical volunteer at the Ontario Summer and Winter Games, and is the sport physiotherapist for the Newmarket Stingrays Swim Club.
Amber also has conducted research projects in female sports injury, and youth sport injuries, most notably working with the Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.
Amber has additional training in acupuncture and orthopedics which gives her the ability to provide a comprehensive treatment approach to injury management and rehabilitation.
Amber is known for her caring and empathetic approach when working with clients of all backgrounds. She has taken courses in Falls Prevention and the GLAD Osteoarthritis program to help clients of all ages maintain their independence and health.
Amber is dedicated to helping her patients achieve their goals and is committed to providing the best possible care. Amber was voted the Reader’s Choice best physiotherapist in Aurora in 2021. Her research-driven practice is motivated by her desire to stay up to date with the latest evidence-based practices.
With her combination of education, experience, and dedication, Amber is a valuable asset to any client looking to improve their health, performance and recover from any injury.
Sarita Kumari
Registered Physiotherapist
BScPT, M.H.K
Sarita graduated from Laurentian University with a Masters in Human Kinetics. Prior to this, she completed her Bachelor’s in Physiotherapy from GGSIP University in New Delhi, India.
Sarita firmly believes that keeping proper biomechanics in all activities of life maintains balance in bodily functions and also prevents injury. She follows evidence based treatment and prefers to use hands-on manual & exercise approaches to enhance functional ability to perform daily activities.
Her goal is to assist patients to get back to activities they love and avoid re-injury. She believes our body is a kinetic chain, where dysfunction in one part disrupts the whole kinematics of the body. She continues to take educational courses as she believes ongoing skill development and learning results in better outcomes for her patients.
In past, Sarita has been an active volleyball player and believes in being healthy, which has become an integral part of her life. She enjoys running, travelling, cooking and interiorscaping.
Sarita is currently on maternity leave.
Harold Marefatpour
Registered Physiotherapist
MScPT, Cert. MDT
Harold Marefatpour is a Registered Physiotherapist licensed to practice in the province of Ontario. He completed a Masters of Science in Physiotherapy from the University of Tehran. Since graduating, Harold has practiced in hospital, community, private and long term care settings for over 25 years and has a passion for treating orthopedic conditions, sport injuries, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
Harold is trained in the McKenzie Method® and is certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy®. Harold has additional training in manual therapy (through the Canadian Physiotherapy Association Manual Therapy Program), exercise prescription, acupuncture, taping and Mulligan techniques. He is also Osteo-Circuit (osteoporosis) and Assisted Devices Program (walker & cane fittings) trained.
Harold’s goal is to provide the best possible treatment approach for patients using his knowledge and experience to promote long-term wellness, improve mobility and prevent injuries.
Ron O'Hare
Registered Physiotherapist
BScPT, BPHE, Dip. Sport Physiotherapy
Sport Physiotherapist Ron O’Hare has been practicing as a physiotherapist since 1997, after having obtained a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (BPHE) and a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy (BScPT) from Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario.
Ron’s exposure to physiotherapy began as an elite athlete at varsity and provincial team levels. Ron represented Ontario in the 1989 Canada games as a member of the bronze medal medal-winning volleyball team. Ron’s volleyball career continued for a further five years during which he achieved OUA All-Star status and was named captain of the Queen’s Varsity team. It was at Queen’s where Ron first began to fully understand and value the numerous benefits that physiotherapy offers all athletes – especially those who compete and perform at the highest levels.
Ron was in Rio with Athletics Canada providing on-site physiotherapy and leadership as part of the Integrated Support Team (IST) at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. He was part of the current Athletics Canada IST as Team Lead at the Junior World Championships in Cali, California in July 2022.
Ron keeps fit through running, cycling and a variety of fun with his active family and dog. He has re-discovered fishing as a way to stay chill in the heat and relax.
Ron is currently working full time as the Team Lead for Athletics Canada & CSIO in the East Hub, and is headed to Paris for the Summer Olympics in 2024 as Team Lead, Athletics!
Kelsey (Ming) Ren
Registered Massage Therapist, Registered Acupuncturist & Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Kelsey began her 5 year undergraduate program of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in 1987. She graduated from Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine with a Bachelor’s Degree of Medicine in 1992.
As a Doctor of Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), she worked in Wuxi Hospital of TCM in Jiangsu, China. Kelsey is a member in good standing with The College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario, and is a member in good standing with The Canadian Society of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.
Kelsey has also been a Registered Massage Therapist since February 2012. She is in good standing with The College of Massage Therapist of Ontario and with the Registered Massage Therapist’s Association of Ontario.
She has 27 years of experience in providing acupuncture and Chinese Medicine and has always had a very good relationship with her team members and clients. She looks forward to caring for her clients at LifeSpring!
Derick Watson, DC
Registered Chiropractor
Dr. Derick is a sports and nutrition oriented, patient focused practitioner who offers hands-on, personalized care for relief from muscle and joint discomfort due to postural imbalances, poor ergonomics, auto, sports, workplace injury or other causes. He is a certified compression and orthotic therapist for issues related to circulatory insufficiency as well as leg and foot pain.
Dr. Derick uses a combination of chiropractic adjustments and mobilizations, soft tissue techniques including the Trigenics Myoneural system, therapeutic exercise and education along with state-of-the-art modalities such as Low-Level-Laser and Shockwave therapy to get the most effective results for patients.
Dr. Derick graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in 2003. Prior to CMCC, he obtained an M.B.A. from HEC in Montréal. He is also a graduate of The Superior Institute of Physical Culture in Havana where he received his BSc in Physical Education, majoring in Sports Medicine and Recreation. He is also a certified holistic therapist who worked as a fitness instructor and massage therapist prior to entering chiropractic college.
He looks forward to seeing you at LifeSpring to discuss how chiropractic can be beneficial to your overall health and well-being.
Stephanie Lobraico
Office Manager
Stephanie holds a Medical Office Administrator degree. She works on many of the clinic’s special projects, like partnering with the York Region Food Bank. Our clinic “Supergirl,” Stephanie is in the clinic full time, and we don’t know what we would do without her!
Stephanie loves to travel and explore the world. You can usually find her spending time with her boyfriend, family & friends; reading, playing with family puppy Marley, or watching her favorite team, the Pats.
Kim McRoberts
Office Administrator, Shoe Ordering Wizard
Kim started working as our office manager when LifeSpring opened up at the St. Andrew’s Plaza location in 2007. Her warm and friendly personality, along with her management skills and dedication to staff & patients, keeps our clinic running smoothly. She often says that the only thing that she doesn’t do here is physiotherapy! Kim has passed the Office Manager baton onto Stephanie, and kept what she loves even more, ordering shoes!
Kim has been a resident of Aurora since 1980. She enjoys watching all kinds of sports (especially Wheelchair Rugby), going to yoga and spending time with her family, friends & her puppy Gus.
Karla Lees
Office Administrator, Billing & Online Manager
Karla brings a mix of administrative, billing and social media skills to the LifeSpring team. She is often busy at work behind the scenes, whether assisting our motor vehicle accident clients and physios with their paperwork, billing extended health & car insurance companies, or managing the clinic’s social media and website.
Karla keeps active through regular walking, time with family & friends, occasional catnaps with her felines Henry & Jane, and enjoys singing, reading & writing.
Karla is usually fueled with an iced chai, and often unknowingly hums or sings along to whatever music is playing in the clinic. She works with Sport Aurora and volunteers with the Aurora Tigers Jr A team.
