About

I am a physical therapist, rower, rowing coach, mom, and I like to get to the bottom of things!

You are an athlete in your own mind (even if not in others!) and you are positive and determined to get back to your activities, whatever they may be.

Together, we can examine the issues and come up with a plan that works.

I started my private practice in 2006 and had the opportunity to create a unique practice that would best serve the people who needed care: You.  

My goal is not just to treat the problem, but to find out exactly WHY the problem started to begin with. Then, working together with you, we can treat the problem, get you back to your activities AND make sure you have some tools to prevent it from happening again. Of course, we love to see you and have some fun while you’re here, BUT we would like to only see you when we have to!

The first step in achieving this goal is making sure your visits with me is only with me: I do not use any aides or assistants so I can give you my full attention and we will always be working together to solve the problem.  We spend 90 minutes on the Initial Physical Therapy Evaluation to be thorough and allow for some treatment time and to make sure you have a rehab program to start on.  Each subsequent visit is between 30-60 minutes and allows us to progress and also spend time figuring things out if they don't go as well as we would like.

The next step is that you are motivated to succeed, are ready to do the work necessary to rehab your body, are committed to working together to find a solution and you like to have a little fun while you are doing it!

ABOUT ME

I graduated from Boston University in 1994 and then received my physical therapy degree also from BU in 1996 at which time I began practicing. I developed a strong medical base working at the Deaconess Hospital (now Beth Israel Deaconess) in Boston and then spent several years broadening my skills in a variety of settings including acute care, in-patient rehab care, pediatrics, home care and orthopedics. Since 1999, I have focused on orthopedic rehabilitation and have taken multiple continuing education classes each year to further hone and develop my evaluation and treatment skills. I completed my Doctoral degree in January 2009 and continue to expand my clinical education and knowledge.

Prior to starting my practice, I worked at UC Berkeley and I have continued to be a part of the Sports Medicine Team, now as a volunteer PT. I work closely with the Irish Step Dancing community as I am a certified Irish Dance Teacher and have developed and presented injury prevention workshops for a variety of dancing schools in the region.  

I have a particulate passion for rowing as I was a collegiate rower and have been coaching since 1995. I love to combine my knowledge of the sport with my ever-growing knowledge of the body and biomechanics and try to keep athletes on the water and out of my office.

Even more so, I get a particular joy out of working with someone who has previously thought he/she could not get back to their activities because someone told them it was impossible! 

I have worked closely with UC Berkeley Women's Rowing, first developing a core program and working with the crew on a weekly basis to increase their strength and flexibility. This program has been quite successful with the coaches reporting no new back injuries in the year after starting the program.  

I have been a part of USRowing's Sports Medicine Staff since 2012 and work with the US Men's team weekly as they have a training center here in Oakland to prepare for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

I continue to work with rowers both in my office and traveling with UC Berkeley to Pac 12's and NCAA Championships and with USRowing for the World Championships, 2016 Olympic Games and other events.

I support the local athletes by working with Oakland Strokes and NorCal rowing clubs to screen and prevent injuries in the junior athletes and also work closely with masters rowers in the region as well as other junior rowers from Oakland Strokes, Berkeley High Crew, Marin Rowing, Artemis Rowing and OARS.

I have spoken at the USRowing convention, have been published in the USRowing and Irish Dance Magazines to discuss specific injury prevention and self-care techniques.

I am continually amazed at what the human body can accomplish and each of my clients presents a puzzle to be solved and explained so the client can understand the nature of the problem and be better equipped to both rehab it and prevent it from stopping their activities again.

 
With members of the World Champion USA Women's 4- at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France.

With members of the World Champion USA Women's 4- at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France.

Education    

BS Health Sciences, 1994, Cum Laude
Boston University

MS Physical Therapy, 1996
Boston University

Doctor of Physical Therapy, 2009
Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions,
an academic affiliate of Harvard Medical School

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Cal Sports Medicine volunteer physical therapist since 2006

PT for Oakland Strokes Rowing Club

Volunteer PT for the USOC Training Center

Member of the Sports Medicine Team for USRowing

USRowing medical staff for 2012 Olympic Qualifying Regatta, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 World Championships, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Under 23 World Championships, 2015 and 2019 World Cup II Regatta, and 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games

USOC Physical Therapist Pan American Games 2015