Dr. Colleen Kerins
DPT, CFMT
About Colleen
Dr. Colleen Kerins Doctor of Physical Therapy Colleen grew up near Binghamton, New York. She graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science from SUNY Fredonia in 2009. After which, she pursued her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Touro College in Bay Shore NY.
Throughout her career, she has been passionate about pursuing continuing education to further develop her manual therapy skills. She completed a six-month residency program in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) at Kaiser Vallejo. She also has accomplised becoming certified in Functional Manual Therapy (CFMT) through the Institute of Physical Art. She finds great fulfillment connecting with her patients, and helping them re-engage in activities that make life meaningful.
Colleen has also been practicing yoga for over 10 years and became certified to teach yoga in 2018. She believes yoga can bridge the gap between physical and mental health, and that it is a great modality for self-care. She currently teaches a therapeutic yoga class in Aptos geared towards those who are healing acute conditions or managing chronic conditions that may not be appropriate for other group exercise classes. When indicated, Colleen incorporates breathing exercises and mindfulness practices into PT treatment. Colleen is passionate about holistic health and is a lifelong student. She is constantly seeking new information and alternative healing strategies for the prevention and management of chronic illness. She has a strong interest in Functional Medicine and is learning how lifestyle, nutrition, and mental health can play a role in our endocrine and immune systems.
Getting to know Colleen
Why are you a PT?
I was first drawn to the field because of its holistic approach. Rather than masking a symptom, PT is a root cause approach that facilitates healing in real, long-lasting ways. Growing up, I quickly learned that movement is medicine. Dance classes would wash away the NY winter blues. As I got into yoga, I realized its profound healing effects not only the physical body, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies as well. I recognized that movement practices can empower people to help themselves heal, and I wanted to be a part of that. Additionally, I was drawn to PT because of the connection the patient and therapist have. I am a people person 🙂. Other medical practitioners get to see their patients for 10-15 minutes once every year or 6 months. I like that I can have an hour a week with people over the course of a few weeks or months, and really get to know them. It is so rewarding to help people reach their goals.
Are there any remarkable moments, stories, or patients that stand out to you—ones that remind you why you love being a PT?
There are so many! Just yesterday a woman had tears in her eyes telling me that for the first time in decades she has felt hope. She felt hope that her condition is not something she has to live with, but something that can be changed. She spent years learning to ‘deal with it’ and feeling a shift in the first treatment was overwhelming to her. I had a similar experience last week; someone had a surgery on their ankle and had been to PT for 4 months at another clinic. They had discharged her telling her to keep up the exercises and it will probably loosen up. However, no matter how much she did the exercises, she was lacking significant mobility in her ankle. After we did some specific joint mobilizations, she had greatly improved range of motion in just one session. She began squatting down to the ground, which she couldn't do before, and is required for her job duties. She also had tears in her eyes as she told me that she believed it would be stuck like that forever. I think it’s hard for people to know where the ceiling is on their recovery, and it requires a different approach. Try not to keep doing the same thing if you want a different result. Being Certified in Functional Manual Therapy, I have a much different approach that can work really well especially if other types of more traditional treatment has not gotten them a good outcome.
Another fun fact:
I am from upstate NY. After moving to Long Island for PT school and starting my career there, I was ready to make a change. I bought a minivan, turned it into a camper, and took 3 months to drive across the country by myself. I visited 9 national parks and completed a 4 day backpacking trip in Colorado solo. It was quite an empowering experience. My plan was to do travel PT for a while, which is temporary work assignments and constant moving around. Back in 2022 I had planned to live in Santa Cruz for 6 months. It sucked me in in the best possible way. Not only do I love the area, but I also got connected to Revolutions in Fitness along with Curtis who is an amazing boss and mentor, and great co-workers who are dedicated to learning and deepening their PT practice. They all help fuel my creative intelligence which keeps me excited and motivated in the field. Life has really unfolded for me in the West Coast and I intend to stay. You can also find me practicing down in Santa Cruz.
What do you like to do when you are not working as a PT
I love live music and I love to dance. My partner and I met on the dance floor. I also love being outdoors hiking or camping. Some of my favorite trips have been to national parks doing long day hikes with incredible views.
