Who We Are
Care here is one-on-one, unhurried, and shaped around the person in front of us.
Care focuses on supporting comfort, movement, and long-term physical confidence, with an understanding that recovery is not linear and cannot be rushed.
Moving Beyond Treatment
Pentimento is an art term that describes the traces of an original form revealed over time. In people, cancer often exposes vulnerability, uncertainty, and a loss of trust in the body. The Pentimento Project exists to support individuals through this phase, helping them rebuild strength, confidence, and connection to their bodies as they move forward beyond treatment.
Julie Allen
Julie Allen is the founder of The Pentimento Project and an APA Titled Cancer and Lymphoedema Physiotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience. Her background spans elite sports physiotherapy, complex rehabilitation, and pain management. Julie’s professional focus shifted following her own diagnosis and treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, giving her direct insight into the physical and emotional challenges that often follow cancer treatment.
The Pentimento Project was created to address the gap between medical treatment and physical recovery, providing considered, evidence-based care that supports long-term function, confidence, and trust in the body.
Education & Experience
The University of Queensland
Advanced training in oncology rehabilitation and lymphoedema management
Ongoing professional development in cancer-related pain, fatigue, and functional recovery
Extensive background in sports physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and pain management
Clinical leadership in cancer rehabilitation and survivorship care
Experience working alongside medical specialists and support organisations, including the Leukaemia Foundation
What Does Pentimento Mean?
Pentimento is a term from art that describes the moment when earlier layers of a painting become visible over time, revealing the original marks beneath the finished surface.
In the context of cancer treatment and recovery, this idea feels deeply relevant. Cancer can strip things back. Bodies change. Strength, confidence, and trust can feel lost. What often remains is a sense of vulnerability, and the feeling of being defined by illness rather than by the person underneath.
The Pentimento Project is built on the belief that people are not broken by cancer. Beneath treatment, side effects, and disruption, there is still strength, capability, and identity. Care focuses on supporting people through this phase, helping them reconnect with their bodies and move forward into what comes next, with clarity, confidence, and support.