education:

• Board-Certified Women’s Health Physical Therapist (WCS)

• Board-Certified Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist (PRPC)

• Certified Lymphedema Physical Therapist (CLT)

• Certified in Dry Needling and Pelvic Floor Dry Needling (CIDN)

• Duke Health Women’s Health Physical Therapy Residency (2021)

• Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine (DPT, 2018)

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (BS, 2014)

I’m originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia and graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2014 with a double major in Human Nutrition, Food, and Exercise and Exercise and Health Promotion and a minor in Psychology (which all come in handy while working as a physical therapist!). My partner, Peter, and I moved to Chicago in 2015 where I attended and graduated from Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine with my Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2018. I then continued on as a staff Physical Therapist with Northwestern Medicine for two years focusing on the treatment of patients with pelvic floor diagnoses within the Women’s Integrated Pelvic Health Program. Throughout my time as a clinician I have completed numerous continuing education courses focusing on the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction through Herman & Wallace and the APTA Academy of Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, as well as continuing education on the treatment of lymphedema and the incorporation of dry needling interventions with my patients.

While working with my patients with pelvic floor dysfunction I noticed a lot of overlap between pelvic floor dysfunction and oncologic diagnoses within the patient population I was treating and felt that I was doing a disservice to my patients by not providing more comprehensive treatment options and care. I then went on for further training where I completed my Physical Therapy Residency at Duke Health in Women’s Health and learned more specialized skills including how to treat various forms of dysfunction in patients that have lymphedema and oncologic diagnoses. I then continued on at Duke Health as a Clinical Specialist in Pelvic Floor, Lymphedema, and Oncologic physical therapy treatment for two additional years before starting Flora.

I am passionate about the treatment of patients with pelvic floor, lymphedema, and oncologic diagnoses because of my mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and dealt with untreated impairments and pain as a result of her cancer treatment before she died in 2013. I believe that my patients deserve better.

Then after becoming pregnant and delivering my daughter, Julian, I experienced my own medical complications both during as well as after pregnancy. It was scary and frustrating feeling like my medical providers weren’t really hearing me or taking the symptoms that I was experiencing seriously. I’m tired of women, and patients in general, not being listened to by medical professionals. This experience has made me even more attuned to really listening to and believing my patients about their ongoing symptoms.

I like to tell my patients that they know their bodies better than I do. Because it’s true. My job as your medical care provider is to really listen to you and synthesize all of the information you share with me during your initial evaluation, combined with my clinical observations, experience, and expertise to help you develop a treatment plan and reach your goals.