Founder and principal of The Pelvic Studio

Posted on in Alumni

Jaclyn Thurley is the founder and principal of The Pelvic Studio, a Hobart-based physiotherapy practice with expertise in pelvic health for both men and women.

Tell us about your role. What does it involve?
I am a physiotherapist that has specific expertise in pelvic health. We refer to ourselves as ‘pelvic physiotherapists’. A pelvic physio is someone with specific training and expertise in treating conditions in and around the pelvis. In simple terms, we treat anything below the waist and above the thighs. Think things like lower back/pelvic girdle/hip pain, abdominal rehabilitation, and anything to do with the pelvic floor, such as bladder and bowel issues.

I recently moved back down from Sydney and founded The Pelvic Studio, a physiotherapy practice in Hobart. The Pelvic Studio offers specific expertise on male and female pelvic health issues. Our clientele mainly consists of pregnant and postnatal women, males and females with pelvic pain (such as endometriosis), and men before and after prostate surgery.

How did you get started as a physiotherapist? What led you to establish your own practice?
When I was in Year 10 at St Mary’s College, I decided to be an AFL physio. I had a dream to be one of those physios running out on the football ground, tending to players’ injuries. To get into physiotherapy you had to have a TCE score of more than 96 points. So, I put my head down, tail up for Years 10, 11 and 12 and studied hard! I was accepted into Melbourne’s La Trobe University and decided not to have a gap year and instead, go straight from Year 12 into a physiotherapy undergraduate degree.

When I was in my fourth year of university, I selected women’s pelvic floor health as an elective subject and just loved it! I threw the idea of being an AFL physio out the window and set my sights on becoming a pelvic physio. I had a lot of ideas on the type of service I wanted to provide, and my dream was to always have my own physio practice. In 2020, I made my dreams come true and opened a practice in Salamanca, Battery Point.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?
Usually back-to-back patient appointments for about eight hours, which means very little time for loo breaks (so I must have a great pelvic floor!). Although I work hard and am often a little tired by the end of the week, I wouldn’t change what I do for anything. I love helping the Hobart community improve their pelvic health and ultimately, improve their quality of life.

What do you love about your specialty?
I love being a part of my patients’ ‘health team’ and being able to support my patients at different stages of their lives. For instance, seeing a woman pre-pregnancy to help prepare their body and then having them come back into my treatment rooms sometime later exclaiming, ‘I’m pregnant!’. Being able to support these patients throughout their pregnancy and beyond, and then getting to meet their new little baby and safely guiding them back into exercise after giving birth is just so rewarding. Helping patients through such an important and precious time in their lives gives me immense job satisfaction!

What is good health to you?
Finding balance in your body—that is, making sure you have both ‘yin’ and ‘yang’; pairing cardio (walking, running, swimming) with strength and conditioning (such as weights), or pairing strength and conditioning work with stretching and yoga.

Thinking back to your time as a student—what did you most like about St Mary’s College?
There was an excellent culture and great teachers. St Mary’s College was competitive in the sports arena and it had such a great supportive environment!

What is your advice for a current Year 12 student?
When it comes to thinking about your career pathway, make sure you talk to multiple adults in different industries. Work out which industry and/or career path works best for you, but also do your research on what industries are booming at the moment, or what industries are going to boom (for instance, the IT industry).

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St Mary's College is located on the traditional lands of the muwinina people of the South East Nation. We acknowledge and deeply respect the palawa people, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community, and all Elders past and present. We are committed to learning alongside our students and community in this place, nipaluna, and support the continued sharing of knowledge and culture.