“The world is waiting for you to become the person you are meant to be. The world can’t be the place it is meant to be without each of us being what we are meant to be.” ~ Sue Cotta
We are all here to achieve our unlimited potential. But pain, injury, fatigue and a host of other ailments derail our journey and make life hard.
I’ve always been fascinated with the body – how it works, what happens when it’s pushed to its limit and what happens when it becomes inefficient and when it falters. My fascination was what directed me toward achieving my B.S. in Physical Education with a minor in Athletic Training from the University of Rhode Island. While becoming a certified national athletic trainer, I attended Boston University and achieved an M.S. in Physical Therapy. My decision to become a physical therapist was to be a more effective catalyst in assisting people to achieve optimum health. What I didn’t expect was to be a witness to the mental and emotional release and change many of my clients experienced. It gives me great joy to see clients smile when they realize their pain (or other symptom) has diminished or is gone completely. I love hearing, “I never thought I would feel this good again.”
As a physical therapist, I’ve worked in a variety of medical settings including hospitals, rehabilitation, outpatient and home care with specializations in women’s health, pediatrics, sports medicine, orthopedics, hemophilia, adaptive seating clinics and the spine. Today I work with both adults and children in my own space designed to provide a calming and reflective experience. I’m licensed to practice physical therapy in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
I’m passionate about my work and the variety of issues I support clients with each day. That’s why I chose not to specialize in any one disorder, but to provide assistance in healing for a variety of dis-eases of the body-mind-spirit. Each client is like a puzzle. I work with them to discover the source(s) of their discomfort and tailor a wellness plan using a multi-disciplinary approach that incorporates the appropriate healing techniques or modalities to fit their specific needs.
As such, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching CranioSacral therapy (CST) in the U.S. and abroad for the Upledger Institute for over thirteen years. I’ve written and presented papers on a variety of subjects including, headaches, plagiocephaly and torticollis, fascial mobilization, women’s health, lymphatic drainage therapy, hemophilia, pelvic pain, CST for the parents of children with special needs.
I believe that everyone can change the world in magnificent ways, especially children. This philosophy is reflected in my first children’s book “I Can Show You I Care: Compassionate Touch for Children,” based on a true story in which an elementary school experimented with teaching “Helping Hands” to the students. The goal of the study was to see if Compassionate Touch made a difference in the students’ day-to-day lives.
Researchers reported that the statistically significant results clearly indicated an increase in pro-social behavior and a decrease in problem behavior.* The beauty of this study, which is captured in my book, is that by using Compassionate Touch the children learned they can have a quiet, but powerful impact on their world.
*(Study conducted in 1999-2000 school year in New Glarus, WI by the Upledger Institute)