Owner/Therapist Petra Pirc, MSPT

Movement as Medicine

Movement as Medicine

A native of Slovenia, Petra is a 1998 graduate in Masters of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Utah. She came to the United States on an alpine skiing scholarship as a member of the Slovenian national team and a qualifier for the 1992 Olympics. While at the University of Utah, Petra was a Western Athletic Conference Division 1 skier three years in a row, and was lauded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a Division 1 All American, a select group of the best college scholar-athletes in their sport, recognized for their exceptional athletic and academic contributions.

After college, Petra expanded her athletic pursuits to include ultrarunning, competing in 50-k, 50-mile and 100-mile races. Between 2002 and 2015, Petra garnered fifteen trophies, many of them 1st place wins, in ultra races in the tough high-altitude terrains of the Western states. Many of her race-times stand among the top ten women’s times recorded. In 1999 and 2000, she placed as the second female in the Pike’s Peak Marathon, a famously strenuous race up and down the 14,115 feet Colorado mountain. In 2002, Petra won a championship in the USA Track & Field’s White River 50-mile national ultra race, placing second of the women runners. She followed that in 2003 with a fifth-place women’s win in the epic Western States 100-mile ultrarun through the Sierra Nevadas from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California.

As part of her training to nourish her physical and mental endurance and focus, Petra developed a regular Zen Buddhist meditation practice, which she continues on a daily basis. Recognizing how vital the ability to be present is to her work as a PT, Petra seeks out ongoing professional development in the field of mindfulness.

Petra’s significant experience as a world-class athlete informs her deep understanding of movement and the human body, her broad knowledge of how to effectively address imbalances, and her trust in the innate capacity of the body to recover. Longtime mindfulness practice brings a capacity to connect fully and meaningfully with each client, ensuring the good communication and healing relationship that help determine successful outcomes. Petra’s 25 years as a physical therapist includes work with intensive care burn therapy, pediatric PT & orthopedics.

Petra moved to Los Alamos in 2003 and has been involved in various community projects, including founding and organizing Moms in Motion and Pajarito Trail Fest. Petra is a mother of two wonderful children, with whom she shares her love of skiing, mountain biking, trail-running and all things outdoors.

Los Alamos Clinic Staff

Josh Connole, DPT

Josh enjoys travel and is an outdoor enthusiast, who has spent most of his time in New Mexico and California. He graduated in 2015 from the University of New Mexico as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Josh has a lifetime of experience in sports and is passionate about rehabilitation and holistic body care. His practice focuses on the unique intricacies of individual needs and differences. Josh specializes in outpatient orthopedics, sports injury and prevention, pre/post surgical rehab, vestibular dysfunction, pain management, spine and alignment, muscular reeducation, neurological and stroke rehab, balance, and return to work/sports.

Hanju Tsai, MSPT

Hanju has been a licensed physical therapist since she graduated from National Taiwan University in 2002. She earned her master’s degree in the US by researching Kinesiotape and lymphedema treatment. She is enthusiastic about walking clients through their difficulty to decrease pain and maximize their functional level. She specializes in general orthopedic issues such as back pain, S-I joint and shoulder girdle dysfunction, scoliosis, knee arthritis, ankle sprain, post- operative recovery, Kinesiotaping, lymphedema drainage, etc. Hanju moved to Los Alamos in 2007 and fell in love with the great atmosphere of this little town where she can hike in the summer and ski in the winter. She is the mother of three wonderful children, and enjoys Zumba dancing, yoga, and Pilates. She is fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Taiwanese.

Camille Sackett-Wescott, MSOT

Camille graduated with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University in 1998. She has been a pediatric OT for 20 years. Her expertise includes sensory integration and reflex integration. She treats children with delays in fine-motor skills, self-care skills, difficulties with attention or focusing, handwriting deficits, developmental delays, poor visual skills, and other occupations of childhood. “I love when children feel a sense of mastery. A look comes across their face which says, ‘I can really do this!’” Camille lives with her wonderful husband, two teenagers, a cat and a dog. She loves hiking, skiing, rock climbing, a good book, and vegging out in front of the TV.

Annette Weyrauch, MSPT

Annette received her master’s degree in physical therapy in Neustadt, Germany in 1983. In 1986 she moved to the USA and 1988 she opened her practice in Los Alamos, NM. Her specialties include treatment of lymphedema, chronic pain, neurological issues, and orthopedic cases. Annette is a Naturopathic Doctor and has received a diploma in Iridology. Annette speaks fluent German and enjoys conversing in and brushing up on her German skills any chance that she gets! She also enjoys karate, bicycling, hiking, and many other outdoor activities. She is a world traveler who is always happy to share her experiences around the world.

Santa Fe Clinic Staff

Ellen Goodall, DPT

Ellen received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Ithaca College in 2012. Over the last decade, she has gained extensive experience in treating diverse populations presenting a variety of challenges, including post-operative shoulder and knee rehabilitation, complex orthopedic trauma, and vestibular issues. Ellen established the vestibular rehabilitation program at Jackson County Physical Therapy in Medford, Oregon, successfully treating BBPV in a large population and developing rapport with referring physicians. At PTP, she continues to pursue her interest in vestibular rehabilitation, as well as specializing in kinesiology taping, and orthopedic evaluation and treatment of the cervical spine and upper extremities. When not working at the office, Ellen enjoys practicing martial arts and yoga, and going hiking.

Christian Montoya, DPT

Christian has worked for Physical Therapy Plus since 2017. He received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, and his Bachelor’s degree in Physiology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Christian got into PT after a snowboarding injury led to surgery. During rehabilitation, he gained an appreciation of the time and care that a PT is able to give patients, and quickly realized that it was his life’s work to help people recover and improve physically. He enjoys treating all types of cases, especially balance issues and stroke recovery. He believes that empowering people to become health conscious and self-reliable is the most effective way to improve health in the long term. Being from Pojoaque, he is glad to be home and working with people from his community. He enjoys snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, camping, mountains, the ocean, and video games – and is happy to talk extensively about any of them.

Physical Therapy Plus Office Staff

Kierra Holmes, Medical Receptionist, Los Alamos

Kierra Holmes is 21 years old. As well as being the Los Alamos PTP Inc receptionist/scheduler, she is a full-time student at New Mexico Highlands University with a focus in Business. Kierra graduated from New Mexico School for the Arts in 2020 with a focus in dance and minor in creative writing. She loves to hang out with family and friends, dance, color, and build puzzles.

 

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