Our Rehabilitation Specialists
Meet our highly skilled team of rehabilitation specialists! Each instructor brings a unique blend of experience, passion, and dedication to help you on your recovery journey. They are committed to providing personalized care and attention in every session, ensuring you feel comfortable and supported while you work towards regaining your mobility and strength. Explore their profiles below to know more about their expertise and style.
Experience: 26 years
Specialization: Balance and Stability, Chronic Health Problems, Cardiac, and Stroke Rehab, Joint and Mobility Issues
Education - Bachelor's Degree in Biochemistry, MBA, IBBFA Master Barre Instructor, and Trainer, ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, Certified Pilates Instructor
Fun fact: I worked in pharmaceutical research for 10 years before making a career change to teaching and taught Kickboxing in the back warehouse to my colleagues on our lunch breaks.
Why do you like teaching? Teaching is my passion and I love watching my students grow and overcome their limitations!
Experience: 11 years
Specialization: Prenatal/ Postnatal and core rehab.
Education - NASM Group Fitness Instructor, IBBFA Master Barre Instructor, Pilates Certification, Dance Instructor
Fun fact: I did an internship through my university at Disney World and got to play a couple of Disney Princesses among other Disney Characters.
Why do you like teaching? I love seeing the progression of a student from a point of minimal mobility and pain to a student that has increased mobility and has minimized or eliminated their pain altogether. Watching this progression of the human body is amazing, to say the least!
samantha myer
REHAB SPECIALIST
Experience: 20 years
Specialization: Increasing joint strength and mobility in feet, ankles, knees, and hips
Education -
B.A in Health Sciences from the University of Washington
B.S in Dietetics, and B.S in Nutrition and Human Sciences from Kansas State University
MS in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology & Lesley University
Licensed Massage Therapist, Balanced Body Pilates Mat Instructor, 200 Hour Yoga Teacher, IBBFA Barre Instructor, and Certified Progressing Ballet Technique Instructor
Samantha is currently a graduate student at the University of Florida
Fun fact: I worked with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, WA but my teaching journey has been extensive in and out of both studio and rehab settings.
Why do you like teaching? Teaching will always be a part of my life. It is who I am as a person and I enjoy seeing my students get stronger and more confident with every class!
Years of experience: 8
Specialization - Functional integration of disciplines (specifically the integration of yogic principles to restore and improve mobility)
Education - PT and GFI certifications from ACE, IBBFA Master, Certified in Special Populations, Certified Behavior Change Coach, Yoga, MBA Texas A&M, Finance and International Banking, BA, Baylor, International Studies
Fun fact - I went to school to be a doctor before realizing my talent and passions lie in creating energy. Today, I create energy in two ways. 1. I create human energy through teaching a wide variety of fitness and wellness classes. 2. I create power and thermal energy from geothermal sources (hot rocks in the subsurface of the earth) in my day job.
Why do you enjoy teaching? The best part of life to me lies in our opportunities to make authentic human connections. There are very few chances we have in life to be truly and genuinely present for the betterment of others. Teaching offers a very big stage with an important responsibility to empower others to better themselves, requiring me to remain completely present, externally focused, and capable of making connections with impacts that ripple through time.
Suzanne marsden
REHAB SPECIALIST
Experience: 17 years
Specialization: Rehabilitation using Pilates and the Pilates Reformer.
Education - Personal training AAAI/ISMA, Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, Older Adult Group Exercise AAAI/ISMA, Aqua Exercise 1&2 AAAI/ISMA, Franklin Method Lower Back Trainer, Pilates Mat 1&2 AAAI/ISMA. Pilates Reformer 1,2,3 Balanced Body, Trapeze Table Balanced Body, Barre Level 1 IBBF
Fun fact: I am a grandmother of three, providing daycare for our two granddaughters 2-3 days a week.
Why do you like teaching? I like teaching because it makes such a difference in people's quality of life. I feel my knowledge is a gift that I am obligated to share. Let your light shine!
Experience: 20
What is your specialization? As a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, my specialization was Sports Medicine. In my teaching, it's difficult to choose one specialization, because I work with a wide variety of ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. I would say low back issues are the most common concern students come to class with.
Education:
MS in Oriental Medicine, Southwest Acupuncture College
RYT 500 -Yoga Alliance
Certified Personal Trainer - NASM
Certified PBT Instructor
Level III Teacher Training with Lisa Howell, dance physiotherapist
Why do I like teaching? I love teaching because it gives me the opportunity to help people learn the skills they need to have greater health and a better quality of life. It's so much fun to watch students learn and grow!
Chloe triantafillis
REHAB SPECIALIST
Experience: 15 years
Specialization: Increasing joint mobility
Education - I’m a yoga therapist (trained by Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy in Northampton, MA) with an MA in Dance/Movement Education from NYU and a Level 2 Barre Certification from IBBFA. My graduate education had a strong focus on adaptive dance and the power of therapeutic movement to help heal the body. I currently teach wheelchair yoga classes in skilled nursing facilities, and I love seeing my students strengthen their bodies and improve joint ROM, breathing capacity, and posture. I also teach yoga and psychoeducation classes for the traumatic brain injury population, and as we work on balance, strength, calming the nervous system, and breathwork, I love to see my students reconnect with their bodies and develop confidence and inner strength.
Fun fact: I have four children, one boy, and three girls! My son is a soccer player and my girls are dancers. (They don’t always want to listen to my advice about movement, but I think they’ll come around.)
Why do you like teaching? I love teaching yoga and dance because I love teaching people techniques and exercises that they can use to help heal themselves…and I love when my students feel hopeful, joyful, and powerful when they leave my class.
amber schoonover
REHAB SPECIALIST
Experience: Fitness instructor for 12 years
Specialization: Pilates, Barre, Cancer Exercise Specialist, Strong Nation, and Circle Mobility
Certified Health Coach IIN and Functional Nutrition FXNL
Experience: 10 years
Specialization: Core function and strength, hip mobility/stability, behavioral modification/mindset change, making fitness accessible at any age/stage.
Education - Fitness education: ACE Certified Health Coach Group Fitness Instructor Flexibility/Mobility mulitiple IBBFA Barre Fitness Instructor
Fun fact: I am the 5 of 10 children!
Why do you like teaching? I love watching people “start where they are” and growing to a place beyond what they thought possible. I love being a part of that magic.
fer david
REHAB SPECIALIST
Education: dancing experience (10 years) and 4 years practicing barre
Fun Fact: One of my craziest dreams was to be a singer, and now I am an expert on imports and exports!
Why do you like teaching? I love to promote a healthy lifestyle and to show people that you can improve your mood and health (physical and mental) through exercises and barre… this discipline really helped me in many aspects of my life, and I love helping others!
Experience: 3 years
Specialization: Increasing joint mobility (Shoulders, Hips, and Knees), and core rehab.
Education - International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) Nutritionist, (ISSA) Personal Trainer, IBBFA Barre Instructor Level 1, IBBFA Barre Instructor Level 2, Barre Eclipse Certification, IBBFA Level 3, and IBBFA Prenatal Barre Certification.
Fun fact: No one believes I am Greek!
Why do you like teaching? I love to change people’s lives in a positive way, to help them reach their goals, to keep them motivated, and to leave the class happy and satisfied.
Experience: 13 years
Specialization: Back and core rehab.
Education - Ph.D., IBBFA Master Barre Instructor, ACE Group Fitness Certification.
Fun fact: I foster cats and dogs through multiple no-kill animal shelters to ensure that they find loving homes.
Why do you like teaching? I love teaching both my college students and my fitness/rehab students because I get to see them grow and it is highly rewarding.