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Physiotherapy Council of NSW
December 2025
Message from the President
Time seems to be moving faster each year, and we find ourselves at the end of 2025. As with many aspects of our lives, it can be hard to keep up.
This newsletter highlights important resources on family violence and social media obligations. Just as importantly, I encourage you to slow down, take some time to review the content, click on the links and then consider a plan for your clinic for the coming year.
I suggest using some of the highlighted videos as a starting point for an in-service session with colleagues about some of the professional challenges we face and how best to navigate them. It may also be worth scheduling a review of different sections of the Ahpra shared code of conduct followed by reflection and discussion with colleagues on how we can improve our practice, both clinically and professionally. Either way, I hope you have some time to reflect on your own professional achievements and your goals for the next 12 months.
As the year draws to a close, I would like to thank all our council and panel members for their hard work and dedication over the last 12 months, and to acknowledge our Health Professional Council Authority colleagues for their ongoing support in helping us to uphold high professional standards and protect the health and safety of the public.
On behalf of the Physiotherapy Council of NSW, I wish you a happy new year and hope that you enjoy the summer months.
Happy reading!
Toni Andary
President
Physiotherapy Council of NSW
Spotlight on:
Council Deputy President, Associate Professor Susan Coulson
Can you tell us about your day job?
I’m a clinical, academic and research physiotherapist with over 30 years’ experience in managing people following facial nerve disorders. Much of our interpersonal communication occurs face-to-face, both in-person and online. So when the face is impacted by facial nerve paralysis –- such as after Bell’s palsy or the treatment of a head and neck cancer – it can negatively impact quality of life. Facial physiotherapy can help by assessing and treating difficulties with facial movement and expression, including issues such as an asymmetric smile.
I treat patients at Macquarie University Clinics in Ryde and am a founding member of the Sydney Facial Nerve Clinic. This multidisciplinary service has been running for over 10 years at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. As an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Physiotherapy, Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, my academic roles include research, teaching and governance commitments.
What is it about your daily work you love the most?
I love supporting patients, students and colleagues to reach their goals - whether that’s helping someone with facial nerve paralysis smile more symmetrically, or helping students build their clinical reasoning and professional practice skills. I also really enjoy mentoring colleagues as they grow and work towards their career and life aspirations.
What have been the strongest influences in your career?
Excellent professional mentors, trusted colleagues and friends and, of course, my two amazing sons.
What attracted you to working in the regulatory area?
My core personal values of health, honesty, trustworthiness. fairness, kindness and equality align closely with the Ahpra Shared Code of Conduct. Working in physiotherapy professional regulation allows me to uphold these values and contribute to public trust in our profession. Furthermore, I lecture in all areas of professional practice at the University of Sydney, with the aim of educating and inspiring future physiotherapists students to uphold the values and standards that underpin ethical, high quality care.
Has your understanding of the Council changed since coming on board?
Having served two terms on the National Professional Standards Committee of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and having spent the past decade investigating academic integrity matters and appeals at The University of Sydney, I was already familiar with council activities before I joined. However, since becoming a Practitioner Member and Council Vice President, I have gained a deeper understanding of how serious breaches of conduct are managed in NSW and how similar matters are addressed by other councils and boards.
How do you remain resilient in handling the heavy load of your daily work and Council responsibilities?
Resilience is essential for managing the demands of my varied roles, and for striving toward that often elusive work-life balance. I prioritise tasks, schedule timelines and have become more honest with myself about what can realistically be achieved in a day. Whilst I don’t always get the balance right, taking time to re-prioritise and reset usually enables me to bounce back. I also find that spending some time outdoors either swimming, sailing, bushwalking or 4WDing with family and friends helps me maintain perspective and supports my overall resilience.
Joint Position on Family Violence by Regulators of Health Practitioners
Family violence remains one of the most serious public health and safety threats across Australia. The 15 NSW Health Professional Councils and the HPCA, along with our regulatory partners, have released an important joint statement taking a united stand against family violence.
Developed in collaboration with our regulatory partners – Ahpra, the National Boards, the Health Care Complaints Commission and as well as the Office of the Health Ombudsman - the statement emphasises our shared commitment to addressing this critical issue.
The joint statement acknowledges the vital role health practitioners play in identifying family violence, supporting victim-survivors, and facilitating appropriate referrals..
As regulators, we also recognise the contribution we can make including setting clear expectations of behaviour for health practitioners, taking tough regulatory action when required, and unequivocally condemning family violence.
Any form of family violence is completely unacceptable. We are absolutely committed to responding to family violence in our regulatory capacity and the release of this joint statement is a positive step forward in helping us to better protect the public.
Please see the joint statement and media release for more information.
Understanding our responsibilities when using social media
Ahpra have recently updated their guidance to help physiotherapists use social media responsibly and professionally.
We encourage everyone to take the time to review the new guidelines and reflect on our individual responsibilities when engaging online. The guidelines can be found on the Ahpra website
The following videos highlight a common dilemma faced by physiotherapists around the issue of social media:
Useful links
The Council website offers educational resources to support practitioners adhere to the Ahpra Shared Code of Conduct.
Tell us what you think
The Physiotherapy Council of NSW is looking to provide you with shorter, more regular updates about topics relevant to the profession.
Please send us an email if you have a particular comment or suggestion about this update.
