What inspired you to get into PT to begin with?
Actually I fell into it. One day on Bruin Walk on the campus of UCLA, I ran
into a friend who was headed to volunteer at the VA Hospital PT
Department, and asked if I wanted to go along. Right away I knew that
this was something I could see myself doing. I enjoy working with people
and have always had a passion for helping others. Just so happens that
on that day, the director of the PT Department asked if any of the
volunteers were interested in a PT Aide job at a private practice. Without
any other thought I raised my hand and that set me on the path on my
journey to becoming a PT.
Where you were born? what has been your "living" story?
I was born in Los Angeles, California. The City of Angels. Grew up in and
around Venice Beach, California and spent most of my life in SoCal. I
grew up playing a lot of basketball and competing in judo, and received
my black belt in judo when I was sixteen. I attended undergraduate
college at UCLA, where I received my BS in psychobiology the same year
that UCLA won their 11th National Championship in Men’s Basketball.
From there I went to Azusa Pacific University where I received my Masters
in Physical Therapy. It was during my time at APU where I was first
exposed to the FMT (functional manual therapy) approach. It was during
one of my clinical affiliations that I started to see which direction my career
path would take after graduation. I was fortunate that my first job was in a
clinic utilizing the FMT approach, and it was then that my colleagues
encouraged me to sit for the CFMT certification. I sat for and received
CFMT certification with distinction in 2003, and was asked by my mentor,
Gregg Johnson to start my fellowship training in Steamboat Springs,
Colorado in 2004. Once completing the fellowship, I was asked to stay on
and run the fellowship program and train the new fellows alongside Gregg
Johnson. I had the fortune to spend seven years in Colorado, and along
with developing my career, I found a couple other passions like, riding in
the Champagne powder and flyfishing the Elk river. I have had the
opportunity to work with and train some of the most talented therapists in
the country. Fast forward to today, I am now part of this amazing physical
therapy practice in Manhattan. I continue to serve as a mentor to our staff
and enjoy working with the people of New York. I have adjusted well to life
in Park Slope and love all that Brooklyn and Manhattan have to offer. Life
doesn’t get better than this!
What is your favorite thing about practicing physical therapy?
As cliché as it sounds, I like helping people and getting to know them on a
personal level. Getting an entire hour with a person really gives me the
opportunity to interact with and get to know the person on a level that I
think is rare in heath care today. It allows me to really understand and
help people get back to the things that really matter to them. I enjoy the
challenge of problem solving and helping people get to the root of their
problems.
If you had to give me 1 line of your favorite hobbies or your family, what you
think brings your 'life to the fullest' (that's a big part of what we're inspiring :-).
Riding the Champagne powder in the trees of Steamboat, flyfishing the Green
River in Utah and playing ball in Brooklyn.
SELECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
Clinical Director and Instructor of Functional Manual Therapy Fellowship
Program with the I.P.A. and AAOMPT
Completed CFMT certification with distinction and first in his class
Graduated Azusa Pacific University with a Masters in Physical Therapy
Received his Shodan (black belt) in Judo
