Meet Ash Samarakoon – your Frankston physiotherapist
Hi, I’m Ash, the principal physiotherapist and owner of My Therapist Group. I hold a Master of Physiotherapy from La Trobe University and have been practising for 12 years.
My Therapist Group has been open for 10 years. I personally assess and treat every patient, so you will see me at every appointment. We’ll talk about what’s troubling you and what you’d like to get back to, then work out a plan together.
Sri Lankan-born, proudly Australian and Frankston local
I was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Australia in 2000. I speak Sinhalese and, although Sri Lanka will always be part of my story, Australia is home.
I grew up in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs before planting my roots in Frankston in 2014. My wife and I have since built our home, family and business here, and I’m proud to call myself a Frankston local.
Frankston is where I work, raise my family and look after people in my local community.
How My Therapist Group began
Before starting My Therapist Group, I spent several years working at Back In Motion.
My Therapist Group began as a side hustle in the master bedroom of our Frankston home. I started by treating patients outside my regular working hours, gradually building the clinic one appointment and one recommendation at a time.
As word spread, the little home clinic got busier. Eventually, I could make it my full-time work, and I’ve never looked back.
The clinic has grown a lot since that first room, but I still want it to feel just as personal and welcoming.
A small, local family business
My Therapist Group is a small family business in every sense.
I’m married and have two children.
My wife, the voice behind reception
My wife looks after reception. She’s the voice you hear when you ring the clinic and the person replying to your text messages. You may not always see her in the treatment room, but she keeps the day running smoothly, looks after the little details and keeps me stress-free so I can focus on you.
Between the two of us, we get to know the people who come through our door. That personal connection is a big part of how we like to run the clinic.
You may even occasionally catch a glimpse of one of our children popping in to see Dad. That’s part of running a clinic from our family home.
When you support My Therapist Group, you are supporting a local Frankston family.
My approach to physiotherapy
Start by telling me about your problem in your own words. I’ll ask questions to understand what makes it worse, what helps, how it changes through the day and night, and what you want to get back to doing.
Lower-back pain and problems around the sacroiliac joints (SIJs), where the spine meets the pelvis, are the main clinical focus of my practice. I’ll look at how you move and ask how it feels. I may also check for stiffness and sensitivity with a hands-on assessment.
For running injuries, I spend time understanding your training load: how much running you do, how hard the sessions are and how you recover between them. We’ll also check strength and movement where they may be playing a part. As the injury settles, the plan can progress to building strength and working on movement patterns that matter for your running.
Treatment may include hands-on therapy, dry needling when appropriate and with your consent, and exercises matched to your assessment. I’ll check your response and explain what to work on between appointments.
You will leave with a clear next step. That may be an exercise and activity plan, a follow-up appointment to review progress, or a discussion about imaging or another referral if the assessment suggests it would help. The goal is to help you understand the problem and work towards the activities that matter to you.
Experience supported by ongoing learning
There’s always more to learn in physiotherapy. Keeping my skills up to date has been a big part of my work.
I have completed further training with physiotherapists, including Trish Wisbey-Roth in the management of lower-back, pelvic and hip problems; Dr Lyn Watson in shoulder assessment and rehabilitation; and Zach Nelson in sports physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
This learning has helped shape how I assess and treat the problems I regularly see in the clinic, including neck and lower-back pain, pelvic and TMJ/jaw concerns, shoulder problems, sports injuries and running, cycling and swimming-related issues.
What you can expect
One-to-one appointments with the same physiotherapist every time
Time to explain your symptoms, daily routine and goals
A movement and physical assessment with a straightforward explanation
Hands-on therapy, dry needling or exercise where appropriate and agreed with you
Practical advice for the time between appointments
A clear plan for follow-up, reviewing progress or referral
Helping you return to what matters
Every person’s goal is different. For some, success means returning to the gym, Pilates, running or sport. For others, it means getting through a day at an office job without pain, keeping up with the children as a stay-at-home parent, sleeping comfortably or simply moving through everyday life without constantly thinking about their body.
I’ll take the time to understand what matters to you and build treatment around that.
Whether you are recovering from an injury, managing ongoing pain or feeling frustrated by a problem that keeps returning, my goal is to help you understand what is happening, regain confidence in your body and return to the activities that make life feel normal again.
If you’re looking for experienced, one-to-one physiotherapy from a Frankston local, you can book an appointment with me online.
Ready to get back to doing what you love? Book an appointment with Ash at My Therapist Group.
My Therapist Group
Ph: 0401 825 644
35 Partridge Crescent, Frankston 3199