PAANZ Executive

Jo-Anne Gibbs – President

Derek Timmins – Immediate Past-President

Gabriel Tan – Education Officer

Guy Bailey – Committee Member

Jane Scoular – Registrar

Michelle Hall – Committee Member

Nikki Tse – Committee Member

Susan Kohut – IADAPT Representative

Trevor Montgomery – Committee Member

 

 

 

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 Facilitator

Gabriel is a highly experienced physiotherapist and clinical educator with a specialised focus on Western Acupuncture and Sports Medicine. After graduating in 2009, he pursued advanced training with a PGCert in Western Acupuncture (2011) and a PGCert in Sports Medicine (2013). This dual expertise has informed his clinical practice for over a decade as a clinic owner and director.

In addition to his clinical work, Gabriel has been a member of the PAANZ Executive Team since 2018, contributing to the advocacy and standard-setting of the profession. Since stepping into a formal tutoring role in 2024, taking on the Education Facilitator role in 2026, he has focused on delivering curriculum that reflects his extensive background in elite athlete management, ranging from rugby codes to international combat sports.

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

 

Guy Bailey

Role: Committee Member

Runs a Physiotherapy clinic in Hamilton, NZ, with Anna Thomas, his wife of 35 years. Has been tutoring for PAANZ for 25 years and is part of the PAANZ Education team, as well as having been involved on the PAANZ Executive committee for 24 years. This included being PAANZ President for four Years.

Qualifications: 

 

Michelle Hall

Role: Committee Member

Michelle Hall is a Christchurch-based Physio-Acupuncturist and director of AcuPhysio, with over 20 years of clinical experience. She integrates physiotherapy, Western medical acupuncture, and contemporary pain science in the management of complex musculoskeletal conditions and persistent pain. She holds a Master of Physiotherapy with Distinction (endorsed in acupuncture) and has served on the PAANZ Executive Committee since 2019. She became a PAANZ Tutor in 2021 and was Lead Tutor from 2022 to 2025.

Michelle has a strong interest in the interaction between the nervous system, belief systems, and physical recovery. She teaches safe needling techniques, including in anatomically sensitive regions such as the thorax and shoulder, and mentors clinicians to integrate acupuncture confidently within the physiotherapy scope. Clinically, she works with complex shoulder conditions, chronic pain, and post-injury rehabilitation, combining manual therapy, rehabilitation, acupuncture, and education to support long-term outcomes.

Qualifications: MPhty (Distinction), PGDip, BSc (Hons)

 

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

 

Trevor Montgomery

Role: Committee Member

Trevor has been working as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist in private practice since graduating with his undergraduate degree in 1996 form AUT University. Subsequent postgraduate studies in both Western Acupuncture, Manipulative Physiotherapy and Masters Degree with research into trunk rotation in the mid 2000’s led Trevor to start teaching Western Acupuncture and Dry Needling in addition to his clinical practice focusing on golf.

Trevor has been on the PAANZ committee as both Treasurer and a committee member for the past 19 years.

Trevor has taught over taught over 240 introductory and advanced courses for the AUT post-graduate programme, PAANZ, the APA of Australia and Asia since 2008, covering both Dry Needling and Western Acupunture.

Qualifications: MHSc (First Class Hons), PGCert (Western Acupuncture), PGDip (Manipulative Physiotherapy), BHSc (Physiotherpapy), Reg. Physio Acup., MPNZ