About

Pelvic health physiotherapy without the awkwardness

Hi, I’m Melissa Dessaulles, a physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvic health and the host of The Pelvic Floor Project.

For nearly 20 years, I’ve worked as a physiotherapist, with much of my clinical practice focused on pelvic health. I help people navigate symptoms that can be uncomfortable, frustrating—and sometimes downright embarrassing—to talk about.

Bladder leaks. Pelvic pain. Pain with sex. Prolapse. Constipation. Changes during pregnancy and postpartum. Sexual function. Pelvic health concerns after surgery or alongside neurological conditions.

These symptoms are common, but that doesn’t mean you should simply have to live with them.

My goal is to help you understand what may be contributing to your symptoms, what your options are, and what you can actually do about them.

My approach to pelvic health:

Pelvic health is rarely just about the pelvic floor muscles.

Your symptoms can be influenced by your bladder and bowel habits, nervous system, hormones, movement, sleep, stress, pain experiences, medical history and many other factors.

That’s why my approach looks beyond simply asking whether your pelvic floor is “weak” or “tight.”

I believe good pelvic health care starts with listening, education and helping you understand your body. Assessment and treatment are individualized, and an internal pelvic floor examination is never something you have to do in order to receive care.

My role is not simply to tell you what to do. It is to help you understand the evidence, your body and the options available to you so that we can make decisions about your care together.

The Pelvic Floor Project Podcast

I created The Pelvic Floor Project because I kept seeing the same problem in clinical practice: people were struggling with pelvic health concerns but often didn’t know where to find reliable information—or even which questions they should be asking.

Pelvic health also doesn't fit neatly into one profession. Depending on the issue, good care may involve physiotherapists, physicians, urologists, gynecologists, surgeons, psychologists, sex therapists, dietitians and other healthcare professionals.

Through The Pelvic Floor Project podcast and educational resources, I bring those perspectives together.

I have conversations with researchers, physicians, surgeons and other healthcare professionals about topics including bladder and bowel health, pelvic pain, painful sex, erectile dysfunction, prolapse, pregnancy and postpartum recovery, menopause, neurological conditions and more.

The goal is simple: to make evidence-based pelvic health information easier to understand and easier to access.

I want people to leave these conversations better able to understand their bodies, advocate for themselves and have informed conversations with their healthcare providers.

Education and mentorship

Education has always been an important part of my work.

In addition to patient care, I support the education and mentorship of physiotherapists developing their skills in pelvic health. Teaching clinicians also continually challenges me to examine the evidence behind what we do and to translate complex information into something that is useful in real clinical practice.

Professional background

I graduated from the University of Saskatchewan's Physical Therapy program in 2006 and have continued to pursue education and clinical experience in pelvic health throughout my career.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned from working in pelvic health is that people often spend far too long wondering whether their symptoms are normal, whether anyone else experiences them, and who they should talk to.

You deserve good information before you ever walk into a treatment room.

Whether you are here because you are looking for physiotherapy, listening to The Pelvic Floor Project, or simply trying to understand what is happening in your body, I hope this space helps you feel more informed and better prepared to decide what comes next.