Jessica Kerr, Founder

Jessica Kerr was our guest on The BirthGuide Podcast discussing “Pelvic PT for every postpartum mother“.

Jessica is a founder and a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy. She received her B.S. in Kinesiology with an emphasis on exercise and health promotion and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jessica is passionate about all things related to birth and babies and enjoys supporting individuals throughout their prenatal and postpartum journeys. Her interest in prenatal and postpartum care started after her own pregnancy. She successfully rehabilitated herself after a diagnosis of diastasis and was able to return to Ironman training and weightlifting soon after the birth of her daughter.

Jessica is skilled in working with individuals with pelvic floor dysfunction or those who are pregnant or postpartum. She is a trained Herman and Wallace pelvic health provider and obtained her certification as a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist.

Jessica also loves working with children and has experience treating infants and children in their home and community environments.

In her free time, Jessica enjoys running, weightlifting and racing long-distance triathlons. She has completed 4 Ironman triathlons, 2 half-Ironman triathlons and numerous olympic and sprint distance triathlons. Jessica believes that movement is medicine and is diligent in incorporating exercise in her daily routines.

Melissa Pugh, Pediatric Physical Therapist

Melissa is a pediatric and an orthopedic physical therapist with years of experience treating patients of all ages. She received her Bachelors of Health Sciences and Masters of Physical Therapy from Northern Illinois University. She has worked in various outpatient clinics, working with all ages and conditions and focuses on creating a wonderful connection with her patients to help them reach the maximum benefit from therapy.

Melissa’s passion for pediatric physical therapy and Early Intervention came after her son had to undergo a year of speech therapy through Early Intervention.

Melissa loves to spend time with her husband, 3 year old son, two dogs and her cat. She is an avid crafter and reader.

Brittany Flaherty, Physical Therapist

Brittany Flaherty, PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist who obtained her Doctorate in Physical Therapy, B.S. in Exercise Science, and minor in Psychology from Saint Louis University. She has many years of experience working in the sports and orthopedic field in a variety of settings. Brittany is credentialed in Early Intervention Services.

Brittany enjoys treating people of all ages, from infants to adults. She is a Certified Manual Physical Therapist and believes that utilizing these techniques with each patient allows for personalized care and a more holistic treatment approach. Brittany is passionate about working with children and families and in developing a collaborative relationship in order to help them reach their goals.

Brittany enjoys traveling, reading, and doing yoga. Her favorite activity is spending time with her two children and her husband, exploring all the fun activities in Chicago.

Tara DeWolfe, Pediatric Physical Therapist

Tara DeWolfe, PT, DPT, CNT, CLC, is a pediatric physical therapist specializing in early intervention, with expertise in supporting infants and toddlers from birth to age three. She earned her BA in Psychology and Biology and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from St. Ambrose University.
Tara is dedicated to fostering nurturing experiences for babies and families. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT) and holds certifications in the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP), Prechtl’s Method on General Movement Assessment, and is a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). Tara is the co-developer of the Developmental Participation Skills Assessment and has co-authored multiple publications, related to newborn trauma informed care.
Tara is passionate about education, mentorship, and fostering family-centered care. As part of the Allied Therapy Partners team, she provides PTA supervision and works alongside colleagues to support evaluations and collaborative care.
Outside of Tara’s work, one of her greatest joys is raising her seven children with her husband, Ben. Tara’s passion for nurturing connections holds true both at home and in her work.

Suzanne Lans, Pediatric Physical Therapist

Suzanne is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and a credentialed Early Intervention Provider. She brings a decade of experience working with children from birth through 18 years of age across a wide range of orthopedic, neuromuscular, and developmental conditions, and has primarily provided services through the Illinois Early Intervention Program since 2021. Suzanne has pursued ongoing professional development in areas including toe walking, torticollis, and Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT).
Suzanne is passionate about helping children reach their fullest potential and believes strongly in partnering with families every step of the way. She enjoys empowering parents with knowledge, strategies, and confidence so they can support their child’s development during everyday routines and celebrate each milestone along the journey.
In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys traveling, hiking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her husband and two young children.

Beckett Shea-Shumsky, Occupational Therapist

Beckett is a board certified and licensed Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) with a special credential in Early Intervention. Beckett received their Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Colorado College and their Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Illinois at Chicago.

Beckett has experience in many different settings, including adult mental health, schools, hospitals, clinics, and early intervention. Beckett was inspired to specialize in Early Intervention after working with older children who had never received therapy services through the program because of long waitlists.

During therapy, Beckett loves collaborating with families to come up with personalized activities that work for everyday routines. Beckett uses a variety of approaches, including DIR Floortime, neurodiversity-affirming care, trauma-informed care, and play-based therapy. Before becoming an occupational therapist, Beckett conducted research in neuroscience, psychology, and recovery from stroke and trauma. Now, Beckett does research on evidence-based practice in pediatric occupational therapy and is also involved in disability rights advocacy.
Outside of work, Beckett likes to jog, paint, and cook. If they’re not doing any of those things, they’re lost in a good book.

Emily Moehlmann, Pelvic Health Physical Therapist

Emily is a Physical Therapist who specializes in treating Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Rockhurst University. There she obtained a B.S. in Biology and Psychology and earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy.

Emily has worked in a wide variety of settings as a traveling Physical Therapist before settling into her role as a pelvic health specialist. She earned her Pelvic Rehab Practitioner Certification through Herman and Wallace and feels passionately about treating this patient population. Emily believes this patient population is sacred and is honored to hold space for patients in their journey toward healing. She specializes in treating all genders with several pelvic floor diagnoses including; bowel/bladder incontinence, pelvic pain, interstitial cystitis, dyspareunia, constipation, pre/postnatal care, and other pelvic floor dysfunction.

Danielle Cywinska,, Pelvic Health and Orthopedic Physical Therapist

Danielle Cywinska graduated from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at Emory University. She has dedicated her career to the orthopedic and women’s health settings. She takes a holistic approach in her commitment to helping patients regain bladder, bowel and sexual function and helping them overcome chronic pelvic pain. She is passionate about helping women restore their health and confidence through physical therapy. Her interests include urinary and bowel dysfunction, chronic pelvic pain, pregnancy and postpartum, musculoskeletal complaints including SIJ dysfunction, and general orthopedics. Danielle holds a Certificate of Achievement in Pregnancy/Postpartum Physical Therapy (CAAP Certification) from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is pursuing her Women’s Health Certification (WCS). She is a member of the APTA section on Women’s Health.
Her goal for her patients is to create a safe, comfortable space to help find and treat underlying causes that might be affecting their pelvic floor. This might include treating a totally different body part that doesn’t seem at all related to the pelvic floor, but because it could be influencing the pelvic floor dysfunction, it’s important to treat it!
When she’s not working she likes to travel, walk in the forest, bake, hang out with her friends and family and catch up on 90-day Fiance.