Optimum Wellness Centres: Airdrie

Dr. Mulholland has been in practice in Airdrie for 9 years. A southern Alberta native, Dr. Mulholland attended the University of Calgary on a basketball scholarship, where he studied kinesiology and became very interested in the performance and healthcare of athletes.

He graduated with honours from Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon. He also completed an internship in San Francisco, where he worked with the chiropractor for the San Francisco Giants and the 49’ers. “It was a great experience. It made me realize that if some of the most finely tuned athletes in the world can benefit from chiropractic care – everyone can!”

Dr. Mulholland and his wife Laura, have five children. His love for families has helped influence his focus on a family-oriented approach to chiropractic care. His particular interest in family wellness is what brought him to Optimum Wellness Centers.

Damen was born and raised in the small town of Brockville, ON. He became interested in the science of human movement and pursued a degree in kinesiology from the University of Western Canada in 2007. Damen continued his studies at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, where he graduated in 2014.

He welcomes the challenge of treating spines from any age and activity level. His interests include classic rock, motorcycles, and Star Trek.

Dr. Arman Bonyadi Behrouz, ND, graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto, Ontario. He is registered with the College of Naturopathic Doctors of Alberta (CNDA) and is a member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND).

He has worked for 4 years as a physician’s assistant at the Integrative Clinic and has extensive experience with natural treatment modalities and a wide range of health concerns.

During his one-year Internship at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic in the CCNM, he had an opportunity to work under Dr. Jonathan Prousky’s supervision focusing on mental health disorders.

Before becoming a naturopathic doctor, he practiced as a medical doctor in Iran for more than 13 years in the field of mental health disorders. After immigrating to Canada, Dr. Behrouz decided to use his knowledge and experience in naturopathic medicine as a naturopathic doctor.

Dr. Behrouz manages various medical conditions using naturopathic treatment modalities such as:

• Traditional Chinese medicine
• Acupuncture
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy

Additionally, he has a particular interest in:

• Diabetes Mellitus
• High Blood Pressure and Cardio-vascular Disorders
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Addiction
• ADHD
• Schizophrenia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Digestive Health and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

Sam was born and raised in Alberta and attended Mount Royal University and the University of Alberta on route to being a Registered Physiotherapist. Sam’s passion stems from countless experiences as a patient himself for various sports injuries he sustained growing up as a competitive hockey and lacrosse player. Incorporates education, therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, and modalities into his treatments. Completed, Spinal manipulation (SMART PT), level 1 of Orthopaedic manual therapy, Titleist TPI level 1, Titleist TPI medical level 2, and SFMA level 1 certifications. Sam is very passionate about getting his patients back to the activities they love and enjoys having an active lifestyle outside of work.

Emerson is an emphatic and highly dedicated physiotherapist who is passionate in providing a goal-oriented and client-centered care. He has extensive experience treating a variety of orthopaedic conditions combining manual therapy techniques with other therapeutic modalities including taping, acupuncture, therapeutic exercises and education.

Emerson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines and has been practicing physiotherapy since 2004 working in a variety of clinical settings. He has been a practicing physiotherapist in Ontario since 2013 prior to moving to Calgary.

He is continuously seeking to advance his skill set and learn new techniques to provide better outcome for clients. He has completed an array of post-graduate courses such as Mulligan’s Mobilisation with Movement, Mckenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy, Kinesiotaping, Acupuncture and Dry Needling, Soft Tissue Release, and Advanced Orthopaedic Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy Courses.

Outside of work, Emerson likes to spend his time with his wife and two kids. They enjoy watching movies and sports, biking, hiking, swimming, playing basketball and badminton and travelling.

Emerson considers his profession a blessing and a reward in itself for being able to have an impact on clients’ lives. Apart from the satisfaction that he gets from helping people through physiotherapy, he enjoys meeting people of different cultures and backgrounds, especially hearing their life stories.

Lisa Carlson has a master’s degree in counselling psychology and is a registered psychologist in the province of Alberta. She enjoys working with people to increase their quality of life and make the changes necessary to reach their personal goals. Lisa offers an emphatic and supportive therapy style, which allows people to feel comfortable sharing their experiences. Her therapeutic approach involves the integration of the body, mind and spirit in the pursuit of growth, healing, and emotional well-being.

Lisa is certified in pain management, EMDR trained, and WCB approved.

Duyen Cao is a registered acupuncturist in good standing with CAAA and a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. Duyen dedicates herself to getting her patients back on their feet from physical and emotional dysfunctions using the natural and ancient preventative method of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture. Her treatment approach is holistic and unique to each patient who seeks her help.

With over 10 years of experience in the alternative health industry, Duyen is highly recommended and recognized by her patients for the effective treatments and the desire to share her knowledge on whole food, meditation, and yoga for optimum health.

At the Optimum Wellness Airdrie Clinic, Duyen is ready to join other alternative health practitioners to make wellness a part of patients’ life. She specializes in muscular-skeletal pain, including head, neck, shoulders, and lower back. She also treats repetitive injuries, whiplash, headache, migraine, insomnia and women’s health.

Duyen is alumni of the Canadian Institute of Chinese Medicine. When not seeing patients, she spends time studying Classic Chinese Medicine with the Institute of East Asian Medicine and other advanced acupuncture philosophies. She does Classic Hatha Yoga and meditation daily. She enjoys hiking in summer with her husband and three sons.

Valerie has been working as an RMT since 2009, is registered with MTAA as a qualified 2200 hr therapist and billable to all insurance companies. Since graduating, she has explored complementary modalities and received certification in Myofascial Cupping, Traditional Table Top Thai Massage, Kinesio Taping and is also a certified Infant Massage Instructor. Using her blended skills of Massage Therapy and Administration, she also took on teaching and running a Massage Program at one of the local Colleges for a few years before deciding to go back to massage Full Time.

She has experience treating all ages from the very young to the senior population and customizes her treatments to your specific needs. Whether you have recently been in an MVA or experiencing discomfort from a pregnancy, she is confident in her abilities to help you feel better.

Having trained for multiple long distance running and triathlon events in the past, she is also aware of the need for proper maintenance and recovery for athletes of all levels and ages. Valerie believes in a holistic approach to your healthcare and works with your other health providers for balance in your treatments. Her goal is to help you regain your function and well being through treatments and education.

Rayna is a goal orientated therapist who specializes in a neuromuscular approach to Massage Therapy. With a mentality of “treatment doesn’t end with me, it begins with you” Rayna’s priority is client education. Her focus is to get you back to doing the things you love, and to teach you how to maintain it.

Having graduated both her 1st and 2nd year of school with top honors and being selected to be the massage student ambassador, Rayna is eager to build strengths into the massage therapy profession. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, camping, all things fitness and spending time with her family.

Sessions with Rayna can be 30 minutes RAPID (clothes on/lotion free), or 60 minutes using therapeutic, neuro, and/or Swedish techniques.

My name is Shawn, I am a Manual Osteopath, a Registered Massage Therapist and a Fascial StretchTherapist. I graduated from The Manual Osteopathic College of Canada and The Alberta College of Massage Therapy. I specialize in therapeutic massage with the intention of correcting postural deviations, as well as educating my clients to provide self-care to progressively reach a point of living without pain.  While deep pressure is my strength, relaxation and comfort are still the ideal goals. I enjoy working with clients to resolve chronic pain, headaches, and restoring the body’s natural balance. 

I am passionate about expanding my knowledge and sharpening my skills. Since graduating I have become certified in many modalities including Hot Stone Therapy, Advanced Cold Stone, Dynamic Cupping, Visceral Manipulation, Craniosacral Therapy, Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy, Advanced Fascia, Functional Myofascial Release, and Fascial Stretch Therapy. I am committed to developing myself so I can give my clients the very best treatments.

Stanley has been treating patients in the medical profession for 30 years and started in the custom foot orthotic field 20 years ago. His passion for pedorthics drives his ability to find helpful solutions and to share educational information with his patients. He strives to provide the best possible experience in foot care. His patients regularly comment on his thoroughness and attention to detail in his assessments which include an analysis of posture, biomechanical gait movement patterns and lower extremity musculoskeletal function. Video gait analysis provides the ability to visually show patient exactly when and where their imbalances occur. He encourages his patients to participate in their own recovery by taking the time to educate them about their medical condition, footwear selection, orthotics and home rehabilitation programs.

Stanley graduated with a Diploma in Sports Injury Management (Athletic Therapy) from Sheridan College in 1991 after completing a Bachelor of Physical Education from Brock University. He subsequently became a Certified Athletic Therapist in 1992, a Canadian Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder Instructor in 2000, a Certified Pedorthic Technician in 2002 and a Certified Pedorthist in 2003. Stanley has been a member of the Canadian Athletic Therapist Association since 1990, a Canadian Red Cross Training Partner since 2000 and a member of the College of Pedorthics of Canada / Pedorthic Association of Canada since 2002.

Stanley recharges his energy by engaging in outdoor pursuits, especially on a sunny, warm Alberta day. To keep active, Stanley currently participates in camping, white water river kayaking, alpine skiing, mountain biking, jogging, martial arts as well as weight and cardio training. Stanley also enjoys riding his motorcycle in the mountains during the warmer months of the year.