NAFC’s Pt Advisory Board
MEET OUR PHYSICAL THERAPY ADVISORY BOARD
NAFC would like to personally thank the members of our Advisory Board who have donated their time to help us build NAFC’s Pelvic Floor Health Center and the BE STRONG and STAY STRONG Pelvic Floor Classes. Without their help, these initiatives would not have been possible. Thank You!
Dr. Melissa Nassaney, DPT
NAFC’s Pelvic Floor Health Center
Dr. Melissa Nassaney, DPT is a leading physical therapist who specializes in treating pelvic floor disorders. Dr. Nassaney is a board-certified women’s health clinical specialist with over 30 years of experience in women’s health and fitness. Following her own pregnancy-related pelvic floor issues, she expanded her practice of orthopedic physical therapy by immersing herself in the study of women’s health and pelvic rehabilitation by earning her certification of achievement in Pelvic Physical Therapy (CAPP) for clinical expertise in pelvic health. Additionally, she holds advanced training in men’s health and obstetric and intrapartum physical therapy.
Melissa is the owner of Full Circle Pelvic Health, an independent physical therapy clinic dedicated to treating women’s and men’s pelvic health conditions and supporting the client’s success through education and individualized care from a multimethod approach. Her mission is to provide the highest quality of care in her community and have pelvic health treatment accessible for all. While running a specialty clinic, Melissa continues to mentor and work with other organizations to advance clinical excellence in women’s health, maternal care, and pelvic health.
Dr. Nassaney’s practice is inspired by her love of yoga and movement with a focus on building strong foundational roots between mind, body, and personal self-awareness. She is committed to the advancement of understanding pelvic floor disorders through collaborative research and through educating other health care providers and her community. Melissa is passionate about advocating the importance of recognizing pelvic floor issues early on in order to optimize a man or woman’s pelvic floor function and improve one’s quality of life.
Donna DelVecchio, PT, DPT
BE STRONG, 2018 Program Advisor
Donna began her career as a physical therapist assistant in 1982. She returned to college and graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ as a physical therapist in 1991 and again with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from UMDNJ in 2003. She has practiced at Atlantic Rehabilitation in Morristown NJ for over 31 years and currently is Lead Clinician and Coordinator for the Pelvic Rehabilitation Program.
In 2004, Donna developed an interest in women’s health specialty practice. Her interests have evolved to include pelvic health for both males and females. She has lectured at continuing education conferences, grand rounds, medical resident training sessions and in the community on the topic of pelvic rehabilitation. She was co-investigator “A randomized clinical trial comparing pelvic floor muscle training to a Pilates exercise program for improving pelvic floor muscle strength” which was published in the International Urogynecology Journal in 2010. In 2011, she became an ABPTS board certified clinical specialist in Women’s Health.
Donna has served as past Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the APTAnj Women’s Health Special Interest Group. She remains active and committed to the SIG as a valuable source of networking, information sharing and professional support of colleagues in pelvic rehab practice. In her leisure time, Donna enjoys spending time with her husband Guy and her family—and all things related to the Jersey Shore.
Dr. Tanya Goodrich, PT, DPT
BE STRONG, 2018 Program Advisor
Dr. Tanya Goodrich, PT, DPT is the creator and owner of Healthy Pelvis Physical Therapy dedicated to treating women’s health issues. She earned her BFA from California Institute of the Arts in Dance and a Masters and Doctorate in Physical Therapy from UCSF/SFSU. Tanya treats a variety of issues related to pregnancy/postpartum, low back pain, hip/pelvic pain, bladder/bowel and sexual dysfunction. She is committed to providing the highest quality of care and passionate about raising awareness about women’s health issues.
In addition to women’s health, Tanya enjoys working backstage with dancers and performers from Broadway shows in San Francisco. Tanya lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two young children.
Patrick Wenning, PT, MPT, CIMPT, CMTPT
BE STRONG, 2017 Program Advisor
Patrick joined Restore Motion in the DC Metro area in 2016 after owing his own private practice in Manhattan for over 10 years. In New York, he worked with dancers and actors of all levels from amateur to pre-professional to Broadway, in addition to his general orthopedic practice.
His focus is with patients who have spine, pelvic and foot/ankle issues. He has specialties in foot orthotic casting and Men’s Pelvic Floor issues. Through both treatment and community outreach, helping men to be aware of, and become comfortable with care of their overall pelvic health are his new goals for the future.
He has certification as an Integrated Manual Therapist from Great Lakes Seminars, in Manual Trigger Point Dry Needling from Myopain Seminars and continues to work on training in alternative modalities as diverse as craniosacral, pilates, and visceral mobilization. His background is in theatre, dance, and gymnastics. Patrick earned his Master of Physical Therapy degree from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas in 1998.
BE STRONG, 2015 Program Advisor, BE STRONG, 2017 Program Advisor
Victoria Yeisley, PT, DPT, has been specializing in pelvic floor physical therapy since 2008. She completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy at Boston University and currently works with Northwestern Medical Group in Chicago, IL, where she is integrated as a part of the OB-GYN team, and with Chicago Physical Therapists, a private practice. Victoria’s passion lies in empowering her patients to not only be educated about their pelvic floor, but to gain control over their symptoms. She feels extremely lucky to be able to practice her passion every day and hopes to be able to continue to promote pelvic floor muscle awareness for all!
Lesli Lo, PT, DPT
Be Strong, 2017 Program Advisor
Lesli Lo, PT, DPT, graduated from The Ohio State University with her B.S. in Education Exercise Physiology and completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Rosalind Franklin University in 2001. She has specialized in pelvic floor health since graduation from physical therapy school. Lesli currently works at Northwestern Medical Group in Chicago, IL, where physical therapists are an integral part of their multi-disciplinary team of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Midwives, Nurse Practitioners, Urogynecologists and Colorectal surgeons. Lesli is fortunate to work in an environment that promotes pelvic floor health to their patients and the community.
Lizanne Pastore PT, MA, COMT
STAY STRONG, 2016 Program Advisor
Lizanne Pastore PT, MA, COMT received her B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont in 1987. She has worked primarily in San Francisco Bay Area, including 18 years running a successful private practice. As an orthopedic manual therapist, Lizanne sees people with myriad musculo-skeletal-neural issues, and since 2005 she has specialized in women’s health and the pelvic floor, treating both women and men using a broad integrative approach. She particularly enjoys working with the ante and post-partum mama and those with hard to treat pelvic pain. Additionally, Lizanne holds an M.A. in Somatic Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. The somatic approach encourages patients to explore a level of body awareness that is often missing in the Western medical model, and it grounds her philosophy of treating people as dynamic, multi-system beings, all with unique concerns and enormous potential to heal.
Dustienne Miller CYT, PT, MS, WCS
BE STRONG, 2015 Program Advisor; STAY STRONG, 2016 Program Advisor
Dustienne is a board-certified women’s clinical health specialist recognized through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. She is also a yoga teacher, having earned her certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts.
Prior to establishing her clinical practice in downtown Boston, Flourish Physical Therapy, she danced professionally in New York City for several years, most notably with the National Tour of Fosse. With Physioarts, she worked backstage as a physical therapist at several Broadway shows.
Dustienne is passionate about the use of yoga in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. She integrates physical therapy and yoga in a holistic model of care, helping individuals navigate through pelvic pain and incontinence to reach a healthy, pain-free life. You can find her blog, meditation, and other resources at www.yourpaceyoga.com.
Jenni Johnson Gabelsberg, DPT, MSc, MTC, WCS, BCIA-PMDB
STAY STRONG, 2016 Program Advisor
Jenni Johnson Gabelsberg, DPT, MSc, MTC, WCS, BCIA-PMDB received her BS in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont in 1994. She received her Manual Therapy Certification from the Institute of Physical Therapy in 1995, and also has a Certification in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback from the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America. Jenni received an advanced master’s degree in Orthopedic Physical Therapy, and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. She is Board Certified with the Women’s Health Clinical Specialist, American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
In 2001, she founded Women’s Advantage, Inc. in Torrance CA, where she still practices. She is a Member of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Private Practice & Women’s Health Sections, the National Vulvodynia Association, the International Pelvic Pain Society, and the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS). Jenni is also a Faculty Instructor with the Herman Wallace Pelvic Rehab Institute and teaches nationwide courses on urogynecological and obstetric evaluation and plan of care. She is an expert peer article reviewer for the Journal of Sexual Medicine, a founding member and speaker for the Pelvic Floor Sexual Medicine Healthcare Professionals of Southern California, and a committee member of the AUGS Allied Health Education Work Group.
“I’ve always loved being a physical therapist and have enjoyed all my education and experience in the different aspects of the profession. When I discovered how physical therapy could dramatically improve problems like incontinence and pelvic pain, I found my true passion. To be able to make such a difference in the lives of my patients means so much to me.”
Fatima Hakeem, PT
BE STRONG, 2015 Program Advisor
Fatima has specialized in women’s health for over 30 years. For the last 16 years she has been at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas in Houston where she has started and grown specialized services for women in their childbearing year and for women who have problems with the pelvic floor.
Fatima teaches both clinical and business/administrative seminars. Fatima is a contributing author to the text WOMEN’S HEALTH IN PHYSICAL THERAPY by Jean and Glen Irion, is featured in several other articles. She has also developed several patient education pieces and Clinical Practice Guidelines related to women’s health.
Fatima has served for several years on the Board of the Section on Women’s Health, American Physical Therapy Association and received the Elizabeth Noble award, the Section’s highest honor. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Continence (NAFC)
Fatima graduated from New York University’s Physical Therapy program in 1976. She is married with two grown kids and is now a first time grandma! She enjoys traveling and planning family get-togethers.
Jane Frahm, BS, PT
BE STRONG, 2015 Program Advisor
Jane Frahm, BS, PT received her undergraduate and physical therapy training at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has been employed at the Detroit Medical Center since 1984 and is currently Coordinator of Women’s Rehabilitation Services at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. Her previous position was director of Rehabilitation Services at Hutzel Women’s Hospital. Driven by her active involvement and commitment to women’s health rehabilitative issues, she initiated several programs at Hutzel (in collaboration with OB/GYN nurse specialists and physicians) to meet the needs of this and other special populations:
Educational / exercise programs for adult and teen healthy and high risk pregnant populations
Treatment interventions for pregnant and post-partum women
Assessment and treatment for patients (women and men) with incontinence and pelvic floor disorders
Co-investigator in several published clinical studies with urogynecologists D. Richardson, L. McIntosh, and V. Mallett. (mid ’90s)
Her patient population includes women, men, and children. Diagnoses include urinary or fecal incontinence, pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, pelvic pain, and perinatal musculoskeletal dysfunction. She utilizes various modalities, including Surface EMG (SEMG)- biofeedback and electrical stimulation as adjuncts to assessments and treatment programs.
Professional Memberships:
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Section on Women’s Health, of the APTA – charter member, and has held a variety of offices – Newsletter editor, National program chairman, and President.
National Association for Continence (NAFC)-Project advisory council and editorial board. She has participated in various NAFC task forces and seminars and has enjoyed a long association with this consumer advocacy group.
AUGS: American Urogynecology Society
International Continence society (ICS)
Jane has lectured nationally and internationally on various aspects of the physical therapist’s role in the management of incontinence and pelvic floor dysfunction and continues to provide on site and web based education in women’s health issues to PT students at 4 local universities in Michigan. She also speaks in local communities to both men’s and women’s groups. She continues to attend professional education courses to learn evidence based treatment options and techniques for the complex problems of her patient population
She has contributed to the professional literature with articles and chapters, including two chapters for a text on the Pelvic Floor that was published in German and English.
