Meet the Team at Summit Chiropractic
Dr James McDermott (Watford Location)
Dr James McDermott is based at the Watford practice. He started his education at the University of Hull. After completing a three-year programme in Sports Rehabilitation, he discovered a passion for chiropractic.
He enrolled in the prestigious Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in Bournemouth. In 2013, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Chiropractic. He began practising at one of the biggest chiropractic companies in Europe.
Dr James continued learning, and growing his skills, with seminars across the UK, Europe, and America. He has attended Cal Jam multiple times, one of the best known annual chiropractic conferences, hosting over 2,500 attendees from across the world.
Passionate About Chiropractic
A keen footballer, Dr James is passionate about sports and inspired to help fellow athletes recover and heal. Treatment can improve general athletic performance, allowing athletes to be at the top of their game.
Outside the Practice
You can find Dr James enjoying family time with his wife, Sophie who practises at Hemel, and their son and daughter, or travelling to see family in his home town of Scarborough. As previously said, playing football is another passion of his or you can find him busy doing DIY.
Dr Freya Clark (Watford Location)
The thing I love the most about being a chiropractor is being able to offer another view on healthcare. As chiropractors, I feel we can offer a perspective on how our body should function and how we can get back to that. I love that it’s always a little puzzle of what is the root cause and how we can help you get back to your best.
I attended McTimoney Chiropractic College, Graduating in 2017. As funny as it may sound, my favourite memory has to be my last day. There was something so exciting about knowing I had done it and it was time for a new chapter in my life to start.
When clients first meet me, they compliment me on how they felt listened to and heard. They also notice my dedication to helping them achieve their health goals.
I am very passionate about women’s health, especially pre and postnatal health. However, I believe there is a considerable gap in postnatal care and that motherhood should not be a diagnosis.
Read More About Dr Freya
Chiropractic and Me
Since I was three years old, chiropractic has been in my life. But it wasn’t until I had a trampoline accident at 15 that I became interested in chiropractic as a career. I had suffered a whiplash injury sending me to A&E. My mum had already booked me a chiropractic appointment, thank goodness she had! I couldn’t believe how much better I started to feel.
Although I wasn’t having regular care at this point in my life and had suffered a few injuries before the whiplash, I was amazed at how good I could feel again. I always think how funny it is that we believe we must live with these pains even at a young age.
My perspective on chiropractic and health, in general, has changed a lot over the years. I am constantly excited to learn and discover more. But I feel the most blinding thing for me is that looking after our body is the most important thing. As cliche as it is, we only have one body and must look after it.
I am SOT trained and have further trained in specific pre and postnatal rehab. When I am not in practice, you’ll find me out on a walk, listening to podcasts, chatting to the girls about women’s health, running around after the kids or learning more about the human body and chiropractic care.
A little about my family, I am the youngest of three with two older brothers. So, by default, the organiser of the family. I have two young children, So life is hectic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. They have added to my personal life and significantly shaped my career by sparking my passion for postnatal care and how chiropractic helped keep me mobile and working during pregnancy. Seeing how chiropractic affects all ages is so unique, and a fun fact is how I met Sophie and James by bringing my son to summit!
Dr Maleeka Patel-Pandya (Watford location)
Chiropractic found me when I was 15 years old post-injury. My sporting injury enticed me in researching more into chiropractic. I was told by multiple doctors that I may need to have surgery on my spine, and I would not be able to play sports again, but this was not the case in the eyes of chiropractic. This is what led me to pursue a career as a chiropractor as it motivated me to help others the way it helped me.
I have always wanted to work in a field where I could help individuals understand and manage their pain while also helping myself. I am a type of chiropractor who always looks for other ways to help patients transition from treatment to exercise, to helping with their nutrition and day-to-day life. For me chiropractic is not only to reduce pain for a patient but to also support them through their biological, psychological, and social journey.
What I love about chiropractic the most is being able to see patients achieve dreams that they could never have thought they would have been able to achieve before chiropractic.
I have come from a small family. I am an only child and have been brought up by my mum who has supported me and helped me make my dream come true. Throughout my childhood up to the age of 15 I was playing tennis, netball, rounders, badminton, and athletics at a high level due to my interest and love for sports. Unfortunately, at the age of 15 I had a back injury which stopped me from being able to go back into sports for many years but since chiropractic I have been able to play all the sports I love. Furthermore, I am also a singer and a dancer so patients may see me singing or dancing around the clinic and will see how much I enjoy what I do. Thank you to chiropractic for helping me get back into what I love and now it is my turn to help people achieve their goals both in chiropractic and outside.
Dr Sophie McDermott (Hemel Location)
Dr Sophie McDermott is based at the Hemel practice. She was a teenager when her Dad experienced back pain that kept him from working. She accompanied him to his chiropractor visits and was amazed at the impact it had on his life. She decided she wanted to help people in the same way.
Dr Sophie enrolled in the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, graduating in 2011. She’s excited about the opportunity to help her local community achieve better health. Dr Sophie says, ‘Chiropractic is for everyone'; she loves taking care of families. Her youngest client was two days old and her eldest was 100!
Dr Sophie practices what she preaches, leading a chiropractic lifestyle. She is adjusted regularly, stays positive, eats well and exercises often. She hopes her example will help empower people to make better health decisions.
Read More About Dr Sophie
Outside the Practice
Dr Sophie keeps busy taking care of her 3-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Dr James and Dr Sophie are both passionate about chiropractic. They coach and mentor other chiropractors and healthcare professionals to be the best they can be.
Dr Rosa Mendes Gomez (Hemel Location)
Dr Rosa Mendes Gomez is based at the Hemel practice. She was always keen on becoming a healthcare practitioner since childhood, and thought she would become a medical doctor or nurse and specialise in paediatrics. “However, when I moved to the UK and was applying for universities, a good friend of mine suggested I look into chiropractic as he had a feeling it would be the right profession for me”.
After researching chiropractic, Dr Rosa was sold. She strongly believes that what made her choose chiropractic was its self-healing and regulating abilities and how it gives power to the body.
Finding Fulfilment Helping Others
When Dr Rosa’s clients first meet her, they appreciate that she is friendly, but professional and approachable. And she’s clearly passionate about what she does.
“My favourite aspect of being a chiropractor is seeing the changes my clients experience not only in the complaint they might have come with but how with better function of their bodies they can see a transformation in other aspects of their lives”.
Read More About Dr Rosa
Education and Achievements
Dr Rosa earned her Doctor of Chiropractic from McTimoney Chiropractic College. “My favourite memory is when it was our turn to organise the BACS (British Association of Chiropractic Students) Conference, and Guy Riekeman, former president of Life University, was one of the speakers”. Dr Rosa found his talk to be so inspiring. The way he was able to transmit his love for chiropractic and dedication made her realise she was going to be part of a special profession and that she wanted to be a vitalistic chiropractor.
An Interest in Paediatrics & Women’s Health
With her biggest passion being paediatrics and women’s health, Dr Rosa strives to provide the best care for the whole family with a particular focus on aiding children to grow healthy and happy, as they are the future. One of her favourite quotes is, “It is easier to build strong children, than repair broken adults”.
Over the years, Dr Rosa’s perspective on health has changed as she believes in the importance of taking responsibility for one’s health. She feels that when people come to the realisation that health is dependent on everything we do, from how we think, how we feel, how we move, how we eat and our daily habits, it encourages us to make the right choices to live a healthier life.
Outside the Practice
When she’s not practising, Dr Rosa loves reading about a range of topics from self-motivation and development books to novels. She also enjoys learning new skills and knowledge to apply in practice and to better help her clients. Pole fitness is one of her hobbies.
Dr Shivani Raval (Hemel Location)
What I love most about being a chiropractor is seeing my patients getting better. To see them go from barely being able to walk to continuing their hobbies again is a feeling I will never get tired of.
I graduated from McTimoney College of Chiropractic, my favourite moment was the last day of clinic. It was a special feeling knowing that after 4 years, I had finally accomplished my goal.
When new patients first meet me, they immediately notice my friendliness and feel comfortable in my company. I love meeting new people and helping them start their journey to recovery.
I am passionate about helping people, and not just in the chiropractic way. Since a young age I have always seeked to provide for the community, I began my teenage years by training to become a carer and built strong bonds with the elderly and disabled. Sometimes, they just needed someone to give them company and talk to which is one thing I have always held close to me over the years.
The moment I knew I wanted to be a chiropractor was when I was 14 years old. I regularly saw my close family members suffer from bodily aches and pains. This sparked my interest in chiropractic and it only grew from there!
My perspective on health has changed over the years. I believe preventative health care is the best thing you can do for your body. Healthy lifestyle chocies like regular exercise and taking care of your diet are small lifestyle choices that can make a huge impact on your life! I am a member of the UCA, MCA as well as the RCC. I am currently undergoing the PRT course to receive a further qualification of a Diploma in Chiropractic. I also received an additional award in my research project for getting a first class in my Masters dissertation.
Stuart Day, Sports Massage Therapist (Hemel Location)
Stuart Day started his education at Sports Therapy UK back in 2010. He has always had a deep interest in sports injuries, having experienced so many himself while playing sports throughout the years.
But there was a moment in his previous career, where he was teaching at a college on the topic of sports injuries when he realized, “Why haven’t I looked at becoming a Sports Massage Therapist?” Fast forward to today and here he is living out his dream.
Qualifications and Accomplishments
Stuart has additional qualifications as a sports massage therapist. These include:
- UTCT L5 Qualifications in Upper and Lower Body Injuries
- Pregnancy Massage– from the London School of Massage
- Trained in the use of the Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
Love for Sports
When Stuart is not at Summit Chiropractic, you can find him watching one of his favourite sports, cricket. Following one team in particular, the Essex County Cricket team. His love for sports doesn’t stop there, he is also an avid fan of the Fulham Football Club. If there is a football match or any other sporting event going on you will most likely find him there in attendance.
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We’re Here For You!
Our chiropractors would love to introduce you to chiropractic care, and Stuart Day, would like to introduce you to sports massage therapy. Contact our friendly team to make an appointment today.
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