Our team

Karen Hodges, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Karen Hodges, Doctor of Physical Therapy

 
 

Emily Kistner, Physical Therapy Assistant, Pelvic Floor Therapist

 
 

Erika Van Harken, Practice Manager

Karen Hodges received her doctorate in physical therapy at UCSF/SFSU and then went on to become a Certified Functional Manual Therapist (CFMT) through the Institute of Physical Art. As a lifetime athlete, she is dedicated to helping patients get out of pain and meet their fitness goals. After becoming a mom, she pursued pelvic floor therapy to be able to uniquely address therapy needs of moms. Karen also has her certification in lymphatic therapy to support her love of treating cancer survivors. Karen can be found bouncing around Alameda with her close and incredibly supportive family network including 2 kids, husband, twin sister (+family) and little sister (+ family).

 

Emily is a lifelong learner and comes to physical therapy after careers in property management, therapeutic mentoring, and assisting with births as a doula. She is passionate about pelvic health for all bodies and brings a deep listening to every treatment session. Emily promotes functional wellness through a variety of treatment interventions with a whole-body and personalized approach including promoting gentle strength and stability combined with hands-on techniques. Outside the clinic, Emily finds joy in her veggie and herb garden, kettlebells, hiking with her wife and laughing at the endless antics of her feline companion.

 

Erika has a degree in kinesiology and a passion for fitness. She has spent three years in patient care at the UCSF cancer center. Erika has four children and loves getting out and exploring and traveling with them and her husband.

 

Specialties:

Sports Medicine : using Functional Manual therapy to enable efficiency of movement

Women's Health : prenatal health, postpartum rehabilitation and pelvic floor therapy for women of all ages

Lymphatic Therapy : decongestive therapies in conjunction with manual treatment pre and post mastectomy

Visceral Manipulation :  promoting the inherent motion of organs and balance among organ systems.