Meet The Team
Andrew McCanse, DC
Dr. Andrew McCanse earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, CA. He then took his expertise to Peru, South America, where he spent three years practicing and managing clinics across the country, including in Tarapoto, Tacna, Arequipa, and Sicuani.
Dr. McCanse is passionate about helping individuals recover their health and achieve optimal function. He is one of the few doctors trained in the NUCCA protocol for structural correction as well as Orthospinology. His approach focuses on image-guided structural correction of the Atlas Displacement Complex, offering relief for conditions such as Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS), chronic migraines, Trigeminal Neuralgia, neck pain, Meniere’s, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue.
A founding member of the Vermont Concussion Collaborative, Dr. McCanse is dedicated to advancing care and finding solutions for those with neurological and structural challenges. In 2024, he co-authored a paper in the Journal of Healthcare: Plain Radiography: A Unique Component of Spinal Assessment and Predictive Health, contributing to the field’s understanding of spinal health.
Dr. McCanse currently serves on the Board of Orthospinology, furthering his commitment to the advancement of Upper Cervical Chiropractic care.
In addition to his professional work, Dr. McCanse is actively engaged in his community. He is involved in the Vermont Concussion Collaborative and is a member of Leadership Champlain's Class of 2017.
Maria Thibault, PT, ATC
Northwestern Medical Center
Maria is a seasoned physical therapist/athletic trainer who has specialized in sports medicine in the Greater Burlington area since 1989. She has worked at the University of Vermont, treating students, athletes, faculty and staff. She continues to maintain a close relationship with the University, as college health is one of her keen interests. She has worked with concussion patients since 2012 specifically, as she and Joel Desautels, DPT developed a comprehensive post-concussion PT program at PT360 in Chittenden County.
She has moved her practice to the Northwest Medical Center, working in the Georgia out-patient clinic with Joel, where they continue to work with this diagnosis. It is her belief that these unique clients cannot improve with just one specialty so she is very vested in this collaborative approach to help return these patients back to functionality.
Her own knowledge and skill of practice continues to grow as she prioritizes continuing education with multi-disciplinary health carepractitioners in the concussion field. The health care professionals that are a part of VTCC are an integral part of her sports medicine practice and this connection is beneficial for both the patient and herself.
Joel Desautels, PT
Joel is a graduate of Castleton University ’98 and The University of Delaware ’03 with degrees in Athletic Training and Physical Therapy. He has focused his career on Sports and Orthopedic rehabilitation and is proficient in injuries of the shoulder and knee in particular. He has also done extensive education and work on post-concussion rehabilitation in the last 5 years. He enjoys helping people get back to the things that they love to do --- whether that is competitive or recreational sports, being in the outdoors, or getting into a more active lifestyle for wellness.
Joel and his wife Jenn are originally from Franklin County and are glad to be back in the area with their 2 sons, Gabe and Jonah. Joel enjoys staying active with running, hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. He enjoys coaching youth sports soccer and basketball programs. He is also a founding member of the Vermont Concussion Collaborative.
Linda Brier, RN, BSN, MSN
Linda covers Chittenden County as well as central and northern Vermont. She has over 40 years’ experience in the medical field, including 10 years in the ICU at UVM, 18 years as a Nurse Manager in Rehabilitation and NMC where she supervised 75 staff with million-dollar budget responsibilities. Brain injury and spinal cord injury has been a clinical focus. Linda also served for 20 years in the Vermont Army National Guard as State Chief Nurse and as a Deputy Commander for the Medical Detachment. She was assigned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC during Operation Desert Storm and retired with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Linda has worked as a Nurse Case Manager for the past 12 years with the focus to coordinate the best care and resources for her clients to support their recovery needs.
Dr. Jackie Burrell, N.D.
Dr. Jackie Burrell, ND is the founder and medical director at Bendavid Clinic. She is a graduate of Bastyr University and is committed to providing individualized care to her patients and community in a respectful and inclusive environment. She is dedicated to increasing access to healthcare for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ populations, and believe all body sizes deserve respect and excellent medical care.
She is a graduate of University of Vermont and she started her journey into integrative medicine through volunteering on organic farms and seeing the relationship between the environment, and our own health. She has helped form an organization dedicated to promoting health equity and preventing the dissemination misinformation in the integrative health field. She also volunteers on integrative health projects providing co-management and prevention of diabetes and addressing toxin burden in underserved communities including Flint, Michigan.
She has completed advanced training in regenerative joint injections, intravenous therapy, and mind-body medicine including biofeedback. She addresses patient concerns through the utilization of clinical research, lab testing, and learning each patient’s individual story to formulate comprehensive treatment plans that address physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Contact
Dr, Richard W. Davis
Richard W. Davis, Ph.D. provides outpatient clinical and medical psychology services in affiliation with Associates In Psychology in Burlington, Vermont. In addition, he has an independent private practice serving the Mad River Valley Waitsfield, Vermont. Dr. Davis has over 25 years of clinical psychology experience. His practice is largely devoted to working with patients and their families who face long-term adjustment issues related to chronic illness and disability. A major portion of this practice is dedicated to working with patients who face adjustment and cognitive issues secondary to Traumatic Brain Injuries. Dr. Davis' practice also includes the specialty areas of behavior modification promoting wellness, treatment of chronic pain syndromes, noncompliance with medical advice, and sexual adjustment following disability. In addition he maintains a general clinical practice treating general issues such as depression, anxiety, relationship problems, workplace problems, and dealing with difficult people.
Darren Maynard, L.Ac.
Maynard Acupuncture
Darren Maynard is a licensed acupuncturist, with a Masters of Science from the Tri State College of Acupuncture in New York. He also holds a certificate in Sports Medicine Acupuncture®, with over 1,000 additional hours of training. He has been in private practice in since 2012 and is currently practicing in Burlington, Vermont.
Since opening his clinic, Darren has treated hundreds of athletes, including professional hockey players and Olympians, Crossfitters, and adventure racers. He specializes in preventing and treating athletic injuries and chronic pain.
Meredith Kinsel-Ziter, NTP Functional Nutritionist
Meredith Kinsel-Ziter, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition, MPH (candidate)
Meredith grew up in Kentucky & Ohio with family roots that are deeply rural and farm-oriented. This early connection to the land instilled a love of science that she has pursued ever since. She worked for over a decade in cardiology, fetal medicine, and research. These experiences inspired her to see the body as a whole organism interacting with its environment.
In her early thirties, she began experiencing a life-altering set of symptoms that no one could figure out. She was eventually diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Celiac Disease, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and endometriosis–but it took years to understand how to regain her health.
This time of feeling broken and bewildered–combined with her long-standing passion for food and science–gave her the resolve to pursue a nutrition counseling certificate from the Nutritional Therapy Association(NTA). This led to the birth of a clinical practice, but Meredith also served as an instructor and curriculum developer for the NTA for many years. She’s now pursuing her Masters of Public Health with a concentration in Health Education & Wellness Coaching.
Meredith sees clients in person in her office in Williston, VT and via video conferencing. Her personal history of health struggles make her the empathetic practitioner she is today. She is grateful to be a part of changing the story for clients struggling with the heartbreak and frustration of chronic illness.
Amy D. Pruszenski, O.D.
Amy D. Pruszenski, O.D. originally started Visual Victory Training Center as part of her family eye care office, Harbor Eyecare Center, P.C., located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire since 1998.
Dr. Amy, as her patients call her, received vision therapy at the age of six for amblyopia and convergence insufficiency. She considers it her life mission to help others who suffer with similar issues receive the help they need to succeed in life and open up opportunities by eliminating the visual roadblocks to their success.
Visual Victory Training Center is dedicated to developmental and rehabilitative vision services which includes vision therapy. Our patients range in age from young children with vision problems that interfere with reading and learning to senior citizens who have suffered vision problems due to brain injury or stroke.
Dr. Amy is affectionately called the Eyeball Coach, because she and her staff are able to coach people on how to use their eyes correctly. Through vision therapy they are able to overcome the vision problems that were interfering with their ability to achieve in life.
Dr. Amy graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cognitive Science. She graduated from the New England College of Optometry in 1993 and was the first recipient of the Alumni Association Young Optometrist of the Year Award in 2003. She is past president and a current director of the New Hampshire Optometric Association, and past Healthy Eyes/Healthy People coordinator for the American Optometric Association (AOA) in New Hampshire. Dr. Amy also serves the local community as Immediate-Past President of the Portsmouth Lions Club.