Belfast Pilates & Physiotherapy - Specialising in Physio Led Pilates

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The Team

Meet the Team

Gillian Duggan
BSCs (Hons) MCSP, SRP
Owner/ APPI Pilates Instructor (fully certified)

Gillian studied at the University of Ulster, graduating in 2000. Gillian worked her junior rotations at Manchester University Hospital Trust, and had part time hours with Manchester City Football Club sports injury clinic.

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On returning to Northern Ireland in 2002, she held several health service posts in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, laterly holding a senior post in Orthopaedics at The Ulster Hospital Dundonald. Gillian most recently worked at a busy private practice in Belfast from 2004 to 2015 when she and Sonia went into partnership together, and has continued adding to her knowledge within the physiotherapy field. She has attended foot orthotic courses and trained locally for a certificate in Spinal Manual Therapy through Curtin University Western Australia. Amongst her further training, she has gained instructor levels 1 – 3 in APPI Pilates, and at present takes 13 classes a week including Mother and Baby classes. Gillian is mum to three boys and is also a keen distance runner set to complete the World Marathon Majors..

soniamccay-belfastpilates
Sonia McCay
BSCs (Hons) MCSP, SRP
Owner/ APPI Pilates Instructor (fully certified)

Sonia graduated in physiotherapy from Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh in 1995, and spent several years working in the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh gaining valuable experience in a variety of clinical specialties.

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Sonia was physiotherapist for the Scottish Ladies Hockey Union for three years from 1995 and also looked after the Ulster Schoolboys rugby squad in 2001. A year working in Australia provided further clinical experience in both hospital and private practice settings. Sonia moved home in 2000 when she started work at a busy private practice in Belfast until 2015 when she went into partnership with Gillian. A special interest in pilates has led Sonia to the belief that it forms an integral part of the rehabilitation of spinal and sports injuries. Sonia trained in Pilates with the Australian Physiotherapy and Pilates Institute (APPI) and is a certified Pilates instructor. She has also completed specialist training in ante & post natal Pilates, Pilates and the theraband, Pilates and the gym ball and advanced level Pilates. In addition to physiotherapy, Sonia currently runs 11 Pilates classes a week as well as one to one Pilates sessions. She is the proud mum of two children and enjoys an active lifestyle with her family.

Denise O’Hagan
BSCs (Hons) MCSP HCPC MAACP

Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist/ AACP Acupuncture accredited. Denise graduated from the University of Ulster Jordanstown in 1995 and spent four years working as a Junior Physiotherapist in Belfast City Hospital.

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Throughout this time she also worked in the private sector as part of a team of Physiotherapists, Podiatrists and Orthopaedic Consultants in a busy Sports Injuries Clinic. In 1999 she gained promotion to Specialist level when she joined the Physiotherapy Musculoskeletal (MSK) Team in the South and East Belfast Trust (latterly the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust). Denise has accumulated a vast knowledge of the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of sports injuries which she has gained through her work with numerous sports teams across various disciplines including IFA Premier League Football, Gaelic Football (at club, county and provincial level) and International Netball (NI Ladies Under- 19s). She has also travelled internationally with a number of sports teams including the Irish Deaf Football Team (Deaf Olympic Games, Rome 2002) and the NI Ladies Senior Football Team (Algarve Cup, Portugal 2003). Denise has also been practicing acupuncture for 20 years and has been a fully accredited member of the Association of Acupuncturists in Chartered Physiotherapy (AACP) for that period of time. Denise also has a Diploma in Reflexology (Level 4) and is a fully accredited member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

In her spare time Denise is an avid fell-runner and orienteer. She has also completed the London Marathon on two occasions (2004 and 2010) as well as numerous half-marathons, Mountain Marathons and other long-distance endurance events.

JaneCarson-BelfastPilates
Jane Carson

Jane graduated in Physiotherapy from the University of Ulster Jordanstown in 2000 and worked as a junior physiotherapist in the Mater Hospital initially and then the Royal Hospitals gaining a wide variety of experience in many clinical areas including orthopaedics, respiratory and musculoskeletal.

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It was in the Royal she developed a special interest in neurological conditions and was appointed as a Senior 1 Physiotherapist in The Regional Neurosciences Unit in 2005. Jane had already been participating in Body Control Pilates classes and as she found the exercises beneficial to many of the patients she treated she completed the APPI 3 basic matwork courses in 2008/2009. Since then Jane’s interest in Pilates has grown and she continues to use it within her NHS post, now in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children and in teaching classes here at Belfast Pilates. She continues to develop her Pilates skills through courses including APPI ante and post natal, advanced matwork and reformer on the mat using the Pilates band. When not working in the NHS or taking Pilates she is a busy mum of two.

SHAUNA TOHILL
BSCs (Hons) MCSP

Shauna Tohill is an experienced Chartered Physiotherapist & Pilates instructor. She teaches mat classes and reformer classes inclinic as well as doing MSK, vocal & vestibular physiotherapy slots between classes.

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More to follow shortly….

Claire Flanagan
Claire graduated from University of Ulster at Jordanstown in 2011. She has extensive experience working within private practice since 2016 and firmly believes that early intervention is the best intervention for all MSK Injuries.  She is skilled in manual therapy and is also acupuncture trained.
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Claire has Levels 1-3 and APPI certification for Pilates and thoroughly enjoys and actively recommends using Pilates as an early rehabilitation tool to facilitate both spinal, sporting and occupational Injuries.

Claire has a special interest and specialist training for women’s health physiotherapy. She thoroughly enjoys working with female clients pre- and post-natal with special focus on the pelvic floor, core and more!

Women’s health physiotherapy is for women of all ages whether you have experienced pregnancy and birth or not.

Women’s health assessments are tailored to individual needs relating to pain and dysfunction of the pelvic floor, Core, bladder or bowel.

Claire currently takes antenatal Pilates classes in clinic alongside General Mat Pilates classes.

She advocates a holistic approach to physiotherapy including lifestyle, occupation, leisure and stress management to focus on individualised treatments and rehab programs to enhance client’s overall wellbeing.

Orlaith Boyle

Background information to follow shortly…

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Orlaith

MUHAMMAD SANNAN
(MCSP, MSc)

Muhammad is an HCPC-registered Physiotherapist with a Doctor of Physiotherapy degree from Foundation University Islamabad and an MSc in Strength & Conditioning from Ulster University.

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He has experience in hospital, rehabilitation, and private practice settings, working with musculoskeletal, neurological, post-operative, and general rehabilitation cases. His treatment approach combines manual therapy, exercise-based rehabilitation, and strength and conditioning principles to help people recover, move better, and build confidence.

Muhammad is also trained in APPI Matwork Pilates and teaches physio-led Pilates, focusing on posture, mobility, core control, strength, and injury prevention.

He believes in creating a friendly, supportive environment where person feels listened to and understood, providing clear guidance and personalised treatment to their individual goals.

DANNY MAGEE

Background information to follow shortly…

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Danny…

JAY DOYLE

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EMMA MOFFITT

Emma is an APPI trained mat Pilates instructor. She graduated in Medicine from the University of Glasgow in 2014 and currently practices as an NHS GP in Belfast with a special interest in women’s health.

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ELLIE SHEPHERD

Ellie graduated in Physiotherapy from Cardiff University in 2020. She started her career in the NHS at Morriston hospital, Swansea, on the COVID wards. Since then she has worked in private practices in both Northern Ireland and London as an MSK Physiotherapist and Pilates instructor.

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During her time in London she pursued a specialism in hand and wrist rehabilitation and led the service in a Central London clinic. She continues to have a specialist interest in diagnosing and treating conditions of the hand and wrist, and rehabilitating post-op patients.

Ellie has completed her APPI levels 1 and 2, McKenzie course for the treatment of lumbar conditions and has also obtained a sports massage level 4 diploma. At the clinic, Ellie sees physiotherapy patients and leads both mat and reformer Pilates classes of all abilities.

She has two little girls who keep her busy and a little dachshund called Daphne. She loves sea swimming all year round and enjoying some peace on a run or at the gym!

MELANIE DOUGLAS

Melanie is a chartered Physiotherapist and Pilates instructor, experienced in teaching various levels of Pilates classes. She teaches our Saturday morning reformer classes.

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JONATHAN BULL
HCPC-Registered Clinical Specialist Orthotist

Jonathan Bull is an HCPC-registered Clinical Specialist Orthotist with extensive experience across NHS and private practice settings in Northern Ireland.

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His clinical career has spanned frontline orthotic assessment and prescription through to NHS service management, having previously served as Clinical Service Manager with SG Bull & Co Ltd, where he held responsibility for the delivery of regional orthotic services across Belfast and the surrounding area.
Jonathan is an active member of the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) and the Allied Health Professionals Federation Northern Ireland (AHPFNI), and remains committed to advancing clinical standards and professional development within the profession.

Through Bull Orthotics, Jonathan provides specialist private orthotics services from his Belfast clinic. The core of his private practice is lower limb biomechanics — the assessment and treatment of foot pain, gait dysfunction, and musculoskeletal complaints through the prescription of custom insoles and foot orthoses. A number of patients also receive ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) where more complex lower limb support is indicated.
Bull Orthotics is the only orthotics clinic in Northern Ireland offering the Rigo Chêneau scoliosis brace — a physiotherapy-aligned, custom-moulded thoracic brace that represents the gold standard in conservative scoliosis management. While broadly similar concepts exist within the wider bracing market, the authentic Rigo Chêneau system is not available from any other orthotist in Northern Ireland, making Bull Orthotics the sole regional provider for patients and families seeking this level of specialist scoliosis care. Further information about all available services and referral pathways can be found at bullorthotics.com.

Patients referred from Belfast Pilates and Physio with lower limb biomechanical complaints, foot and ankle dysfunction, or spinal conditions may benefit from a coordinated approach combining orthotic management with physiotherapy and movement rehabilitation. Jonathan works collaboratively with referring clinicians to ensure that orthotic prescriptions complement and support the wider treatment plan.

HOLLI BROWN

Background information to follow shortly…

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Holli…

NATASHA SCOTT
ADMIN SUPPORT

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emma connolly

Emma graduated from University of Ulster in 2016. After graduation she spent 4 years in the NHS covering all medical rotations, with most interest in A&E and trauma/orthopaedics. ..

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She then worked in Santry Sports Clinic in Dublin for 2 years specialising in spinal surgery and rehab. Here she learnt the importance of strength and conditioning for longetivty, and how people should not fear back pain, but challenge it.

Emma had her own private practise for 3 years in County Tyrone up until recently. She saw all walks of life coming through the door, and all types of MSK injuries.

She is skilled in post op rehab, dry needling and manual therapy.

Additionally, she is APPI trained in all levels forMat and Reformer Pilates, including Pre and Post natal for both types.

Emma has a big sporting background and outside of work you will always find her outdoors. She has a passion for health and well-being, with a particular interest in hormone health. She advocates a holistic approach to physiotherapy including lifestyle, occupation, leisure and breathwork to focus on individualised treatments and rehab programs to enhance client’s overall wellbeing.

If you like what you see and think one of our HCPC registered Chartered Physiotherapists could assist you.

We would love to hear from you. Contact us or book your appointment online.
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