Faculty
Mary Massery has developed all of the courses that she teaches. She continues to develop faculty to be primary instructors for her core course: “Mary Massery’s BREATHING COURSE.”
Nechama Karman, PT, MS, PCS
Certified Faculty: 2016
Nechama Karman received her MSPT from Columbia University in 1994, her Advanced MS in orthopedic PT from Touro College in 1998, and has completed her Health Sciences PhD coursework at Seton Hall University. Nechama is an APTA board-certified pediatric clinical specialist and the chief clinical educator at Mobility Research for LiteGait nationally and internationally. In addition, Nechama owns a private practice in NYC focusing on complex neurological conditions and complex pelvic conditions.
Nechama completed an invited 2-year Massery faculty apprenticeship in 2016, becoming Mary’s first certified faculty member for the “Breathing” course! In 2019, she became Mary’s first certified faculty member for the I SURVIVED, NOW WHAT? musculoskeletal course.
One of Nechama’s proudest “Mary Massery” moments occurred when she treated a man suffering from prostatectomy-related incontinence using Mary’s approach. She taught him to transfer without incontinence for the first time in 9 months – all in under 15 minutes! She is passionate about helping other therapists learn these important concepts.
Patricia (Trish) West-Low, PT, MA, DPT, PCS
Certified Faculty: 2018
Dr. West-Low holds a Bachelor’s degree in PT from The University of Scranton, an Advanced Master’s Degree from New York University, a Doctoral Degree from Seton Hall University, and is a Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist. She has developed and taught courses locally and nationally, on the topics of Physical Therapy Examination and Treatment of Individuals with Autism, Connective Tissue Mobilization for Pediatric Therapists and Yoga for Special Populations.
Dr. West-Low’s journey with Dr. Massery began in 2001. She has served as a teaching assistant in all of Mary’s courses and completed a 2-year, invited teaching apprenticeship becoming a Massery certified faculty member in 2018. Currently Dr. West-Low is a clinician at Children’s Specialized in New Jersey. She consults with schools/private practices and teaches therapeutic yoga privately. Trish and her dog Lucy also serve as a volunteer therapy dog team. Trish’s proudest “Mary Massery” moment was rehabbing the first pediatric phrenic nerve graft recipient in the United States.
Vincent Leddy, PT, DPT, PCS
Certified Faculty: 2019
Dr. Leddy competed his BS in Physical Therapy in the Netherlands in 1988, his DPT at Rocky Mountain University in 2017, and his APTA certification as a Pediatric Clinical Specialist in 2018. In 2019, he completed a 2-year invited apprenticeship to become Mary Massery’s third certified faculty member!
Dr. Leddy’s interest in breathing and postural control extends beyond pediatrics and includes complex neurological patients, adult orthopedic patients, and elite level ballerinas. He is a life-long learner and teacher, focusing on creating long-term benefits for his clients, such as with his “Now What?” peer project pairing young adults with cerebral palsy (CP) with adult mentors with CP.
Vincent’s proudest “Mary Massery moment” was using Dr. Massery’s concepts to improve the breathing patterns of an infant with developmental delays caused by gastric reflux and multi-system consequences. He would not have recognized this link without the mentorship he received in his faculty training. He can’t wait to show other therapists how to apply these concepts to their patients.
Noel Marie Spina, PT, DPT, PCS
Faculty-in-training
Noel Marie Spina received her BS in physical therapy, with a physiology minor from California State University (CSU), Long Beach in 1989 and her DPT from Western University of Health Sciences in 2011. She is a clinician at Children’s Hospital Orange County specializing in caring for medically complex infants as well as young children diagnosed with cancer. Noel teaches the pediatric DPT curriculum at CSU Long Beach.
Dr. Spina is an APTA pediatric certified specialist, a certified clinical instructor, and an APTA Pediatric Program Committee member. She holds certifications and advanced training in Prechtl’s General Movement Assessment of Infants, Neonatal Touch and Massage, Sensory Integration and Praxis and Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT).
She attended Dr. Massery’s “If You Can’t Breathe, You Can’t Function” course in 2000 where it acted as a career changing moment, shifting her perspective in patient care and clinical reasoning. She has completed and assisted all of Dr. Massery’s courses and will begin an invited faculty apprenticeship in January 2020.
