Kathy Sumner PT, MA

With thirty years experience in the field of physical therapy and a masters degree in Applied Healing Arts, I have had the privilege of learning from a variety of sources, most notably, from my interactions with a wide cross section of the community dealing with pain and disability.

I value getting to know the individual with the condition, not simply looking at the diagnosis. By understanding a person's history, work and family circumstances, and his or her understanding of what's happening in their body, I meet the person “where they are” and form a partnership to move toward the goals we establish for treatment.

In my office practice, I provide physical therapy services with a focus on education, exercise, and personal empowerment. I frequently use techniques and approaches that facilitate the integration of mind, body, and spirit. I guide interested individuals to use injury, disability, and/or pain as a vehicle for deeper self-awareness and personal growth. I advocate inclusion of exercise and stillness as practices to promote harmony, balance, and well-being in one's life.

Currently, my services include individual physical therapy evaluations and treatment sessions consisting of individual history, physical examination, identification of likely origins of the condition and any pathologies involved, goal setting, and development of an appropriate treatment plan.

Subsequent individual treatment sessions include application of modalities, therapeutic exercise, patient education, and introduction to integrative ways of viewing the situation. I also offer non-traditional approaches such as somato-emotional release, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, physiologic quieting, cognitive reframing, diaphragmatic breathing, and providing a safe, confidential, and supportive place for emotional discharge.

I also advocate the use of empowered and non-judgmental language and examining long-held beliefs as ways of creating positive shifts and moving life forward.