Maria completed her physiotherapy degree at Dalhousie University in 1987, and her BSc in psychology in 1984. She has dedicated the past 29 years to the treatment of patients with temporomandibular disorders and successfully completed the PTBCCT board exam in 2010 to become a Certified Cervical and Temporomandibular Therapist. She is a member of the AAOP and has attended their annual meetings since 2004. She is certified in Orofacial Dry Needling (CODN) by Myopainseminars.com, as well as by Dry Needling Canada. Maria teaches 2 day courses on TMD/Orofacial pain to physical therapists. She has taught UBC physiotherapy master’s program students assessment and treatment of the TMJ and has presented lectures on TMD to dentists, dental hygienists, otolaryngologists, and plastic surgeon residents. In 2016 Maria completed advanced training for the treatment of Facial Palsy/Bell’s Palsy and is part of a multidisciplinary team for the facial palsy clinic at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. Maria works as an associate at Westside Physiotherapy/HealthOne. She had owned Westside Physiotherapy for 22 yrs and sold it in 2019 in order to dedicate more time to teaching and other activities/hobbies.