PAANZ Executive

Jo-Anne Gibbs – President

Derek Timmins – Immediate Past-President

Gabriel Tan – Education Officer

Guy Bailey

Jane Scoular – Registrar

Michelle Hall

Nikki Tse – Committee Member

Susan Kohut – IADAPT Representative

Trevor Montgomery

 

 

 

Biographies

Jo-Anne Gibbs

Role: President

Jo-Anne Gibbs is an experienced physiotherapist with a career spanning many years, combining expertise in both physiotherapy and acupuncture. She began practicing acupuncture in 1996 and achieved PAANZ registration in 1997. Over the years, Jo has seamlessly integrated acupuncture and dry needling into her physiotherapy practice, enhancing her ability to treat a broad range of conditions effectively.

Jo’s professional experience includes roles in private, educational, and public health sectors, with a focus on musculoskeletal physiotherapy, specialising at various times in sports therapy, musician therapy and occupational health. She has been an active member of the PAANZ committee since 2016.

Currently, Jo manages outpatient therapies across the Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley Districts of Te Whatu Ora/HNZ. She remains involved in clinical work and is a strong advocate for physiotherapists incorporating acupuncture and dry needling into their practice to optimise treatment outcomes.

Qualifications: Dip. Phys., Reg. Physio Acup., BMus., Dip. Perf Arts.

 

 

Derek Timmins

Role: Immediate Past-President

Derek graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy from AUT University in 2000. Driven by a strong interest in acupuncture, he completed a further two years of postgraduate training and is a Registered Physiotherapy Acupuncturist. He has served two terms as President of the Physiotherapy Acupuncture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) and remains actively involved in advancing physiotherapy acupuncture education in New Zealand.

Derek is a PAANZ tutor and has previously been a guest lecturer on the Postgraduate Certificate in Western Acupuncture at AUT University, contributing to the education of physiotherapists developing advanced acupuncture skills.

Clinically, Derek has worked in private practice in Hamilton and Sydney and has been based in East Auckland since 2005. He is currently a Principal Physiotherapist at Pakuranga Physiotherapy, Beachlands Physio, and Marina Physio.

Derek is a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist with a particular interest in the integration of Western medical acupuncture and Traditional acupuncture paradigms as an adjunct to pelvic health physiotherapy. His clinical approach emphasises evidence-informed practice, careful clinical reasoning, and the considered use of acupuncture to support complex pelvic health presentations.

Qualifications: BHSC. (Physiotherapy), PGCert. (Pregnancy & Medical Gynaecology), Registered Physiotherapy Acupuncturist, MPNZ

 

Gabriel Tan

Role: Education Officer

Gabriel graduated in 2009 and has since been involved in sports physiotherapy. He has worked closely with rugby and rugby league clubs, Auckland Badminton, recently focusing his special interest on combat sports athletes including MMA, boxing and kickboxing. Acupuncture and needling has been a big part of his practice, and is a member of the PAANZ committee assisting with the social media.

Qualifications: BHSc (Physiotherapy) PGCert HSc (Western Acupuncture) PGCert (Sports Med)

 

Nikki Tse

Role: Committee Member

Nikki has several years of experience working in the area of orofacial pain and head, neck and shoulder disorders. She founded About Faces Physiotherapy in 2004, after seeing a need for comprehensive assessment and treatment in this specialised area. Nikki is the only New Zealand Physiotherapist who is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Orofacial Pain (ANZAOP).  She completed her Postgraduate Diploma of Health Science in Western Acupuncture in 2002 and has been an Executive Committee member of the Physiotherapy Acupuncture Association of New Zealand (PAANZ) since 2006. During this time, she has held various roles on conference organising, website development and administrative recruitment sub-committees. Nikki taught acupuncture and dry needling around the Head and Neck area on the AUT Certificate of Western Acupuncture course until it was discontinued in 2025. She is planning to still teach needling around the head and neck on weekend courses. She is also available to present at clinic in-services, and conferences.

When not treating patients, Nikki is Mum and taxi driver for two busy kids. In her downtime, she enjoys reading a good book, baking and cake decorating and on the odd occasion lets her hair down at Beats by Bingo.

Qualifications: BHSc (Physiotherapy), PGDHSc (Western Acupuncture), Master of Health Prac (Hons) (1st Class) (Musculoskeletal Physio), MPNZ, NZ Reg Phty Acup, MANAZOP

 

Susan Kohut

Role: IADAPT Representative

Susan has been practicing physiotherapy for many years and acupuncture since 1991. She originally trained under George Lewith in Southampton, U.K. and in 2002 completed the PG Certificate in Western Acupuncture.

She has held many roles on the PAANZ Executive including President and Education Officer, she is the PAANZ International Acupuncture Association of Physical Therapy (IAAPT) representative, this is the acupuncture sub-group of World Physiotherapy. She has held the position of IAAPT secretary since 2015.

She has taught Western medical acupuncture, at AUT, to health professionals for over 10 years. This focuses on clinical reasoning based upon neuroscience models. It focuses on acupuncture’s ability to influence inflammation and healing, enhance pain mechanisms and general well-being. The range of mechanisms includes local tissue influences to cellular behavior, segmental and supraspinal pain processing and how acupuncture can modulate autonomic functioning to alter pain processing and organic function. All facets of acupuncture are discussed including traditional acupuncture models, electroacupuncture, auriculotherapy, scalp acupuncture, and trigger point dry needling, this also includes neurological, gynaecological, and respiratory approaches to acupuncture.

Qualifications: MHSc (First Class Hons), PG Dip (Acupuncture), Dip. Phys., Reg. Physio Acup., MPNZ, MNZCP.

More information about Susan and acupuncture can be found at https://www.aut.ac.nz/profiles?id=skohut&asset=267746