Current Role Working With The Athletic Population

Dr. Heather McGill is a board-licensed physical therapist specializing in sports physical therapy and founder of Physical TheraPT. She received her doctorate from USC and holds undergraduate degrees in both Business and Spanish from UCLA. She is one of 2400 physical therapists in the nation who are board certified Sports Specialists (SCS). Her area of expertise includes: manual therapy, movement & biomechanical analysis, running & golf analysis, injury prevention, postural restoration & ergonomic assessment, post-operative rehab & sports performance training.

Within the community, she is a board member of The Olympic Club Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the oldest athletic club in the United States. She is passionate about the foundation, which has granted over $4 million to thousands of underserved Bay Area youth, promoting athletics and community enrichment. She enjoys both participating in & watching sports: running, triathlons, skiing, Pilates, swimming & cheering for her UCLA Bruins, SF 49ers, Giants & Warriors!

Professional Philosophy

As a clinician, Heather’s treatment philosophy focuses on the goal of optimizing healing and movement for the entire body.  She utilizes manual therapy, soft tissue techniques, breathing & postural restoration with integration of therapeutic exercise-driven treatment strategies to correct both painful and dysfunctional movement patterns throughout the body. Heather believes in a one-on-one treatment model in order to treat each patient individually with the most effective, evidence-based outcomes. She has experience working with a diverse population, including professional & college athletes, golfers, dancers, weekend warriors, adolescents and retirees. She is passionate about health & movement, striving to enable each patient to reach their own physical therapy & athletic performance goals.

Physical TheraPT supports a multi-faceted approach to recovery. In addition to physical therapists, our Certified Athletic Trainers(ATC) specialize in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.  Nina Szemis  designs reconditioning programs which seamlessly blend your physical therapy prescription, at a pace that makes sense for your body. Nina is a board-certified athletic trainer specializing in nutrition and wellness management. She received her masters from Boston University and holds an undergraduate degree in athletic training from James Madison University. She is a NASM certified personal trainer, as well as a Myofascial Decompression, Graston Technique and RockTape Functional Movement Techniques Provider. She is also certified by the Titleist® Performance Institute (TPI) and the Postural Restoration Institute (PRI). Her areas of expertise include: transitional fitness, injury prevention and rehabilitation, behavior modification, nutrition for active lifestyles, and alignment-based hatha.

Athletic Background

Academic Background and Professional Training

Doctorate from University of Southern California

Licensed Physical Therapist, State of California

Board certified Sports Specialist (SCS)

Active Release Techniques (ART) Certified Provider

Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certified

TRX Sports Medicine Trainer

NSCA Certified Personal Trainer

Certified Emergency Responder - American Red Cross

CPR/AED Certified - American Red Cross

Additional Information

• Postural Restoration Institute (PRI)
• Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
• Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA)
• McKenzie Method
• Maitland-Australian Approach
• Graston Technique Certified
• Rocktape certified-FM1/kinesio taping
• McConnell taping