Toni Menge, PT, DPT, OCS, CHT, CSC-1, earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College in 2008. She is board-certified in orthopedics by the American Physical Therapy Association and has dedicated nearly 20 years to the field of physical therapy.
Throughout her career, she trained in various manual therapy techniques before discovering the transformative power of Counterstrain. After witnessing its profound impact on patient recovery and overall well-being, she refined her approach to focus exclusively on Counterstrain.
Toni is passionate about continually expanding her knowledge and expertise in this technique to provide the highest level of care to her patients.
James Simmons, PT, is the owner of Central Washington Physical Therapy, located in Yakima, Washington. With over 30 years of clinical experience, much of his patients’ success is due to his emphasis on Fascial Counterstain, which allows for quick identification and treatment of the underlying causes of his patients’ dysfunctions, and provides significant relief with minimal discomfort.
David Dalbey , June, 2020
I’m David Fein, PT, DPT, CSCI, a physical therapist with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Baylor University and over a decade of experience in osteopathic manual therapy. My work combines both research and clinical experience, focusing on the intersection of mind-body techniques and advancements in osteopathic care. I’m certified in Counterstrain and have completed all of the advanced curriculum. My approach integrates innovative therapies to optimize patient outcomes and promote healing.
Doug has been in continuous practice since receiving his Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Colorado in 1970. He began specializing in manual treatment techniques in 1975, and has had extensive training in various forms of joint and soft tissue mobilization including Maitland Technique, Muscle Energy Technique, Manipulation, Cranial Sacral Therapy and Myofascial Release. In 1992, Doug was board certified as a Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy (OCS), which he maintained for 20 years. Counterstrain training began in 1994 in a course taught by Dr. Jones and Randall Kusunose, PT. He has continued receiving training through the Jones Institute since. It is the primary, and often only, form of treatment used with every patient in Doug’s practice. Counterstrain’s ability to release soft tissue, joint and visceral restrictions makes it the most effective treatment technique that he has found in the treatment of painful conditions that often span decades of patient lives.
After 50 years in practice, Doug is in “permanent semi-retirement” and plans to continue to use this valuable tool in helping patients as long as possible.
Kristi Dutcher completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy at the University of Washington. She went on to complete a year long, full time residency in Orthopedic Manual Therapy at Kaiser Permanente in Hayward California. Kristi has held clinical faculty positions at the University of Washington and the University of Puget Sound and has been a teaching assistant for Australian educators Jenny McConnell and David Butler. She has been a board-certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) through the The American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties since 2002. Kristi was first introduced to Strain and Counterstrain in the late 1990’s and began studying Fascial Counterstrain in 2010. She has completed all of the Fascial Counterstrain courses with the Jones Institute and many of the advanced courses with the Counterstrain Academy. Kristi has a large tool box from which to draw, but finds that the Fascial Counterstrain technique provides the most precise assessment and the most efficient and effective treatment for clients. She works part time in a clinic near University Village in Seattle, Washington.
In 1990 Cynde began her journey in physical therapy after working as a massage therapist in an outpatient orthopedic clinic that practiced manual medicine. There she found her passion, eventually graduating in 1996 from Shenandoah University with a master’s degree in physical therapy. Cynde has practiced exclusively in the outpatient orthopedic setting since becoming a physical therapist. She has made Fascial Counterstrain her focus due to the superior outcomes she noted after incorporating the technique into her clinical repertoire.
In addition to practicing Counterstrain, Cynde utilizes her Pilates, yoga and massage background to help her patient reach the best possible outcomes.
My passion has always been helping people turn off pain, control symptoms, and maximize function so they can enjoy their life to the fullest. In 2007 I had been practicing PT for 15 years when I took my first classic counterstrain course. It dramatically changed the way I assessed and treated patients. After taking many classic counterstrain courses, I began to train rigorously in Fascial Counterstrain. I deeply value that this incredibly powerful technique, like no other manual technique I have been exposed to in almost 30 years of practice, targets the source of a patient’s dysfunction. I can rely on the specificity of the technique to guide the treatment whether I am working with a person living with a connective tissue disorder, dysautonomia, chronic headaches, Lyme disease, chronic pain, or a professional athlete. It is gratifying to see the relief and hope patients with a history of unresolved vestibular, pelvic health, lymphatic, or digestive dysfunction feel after experiencing Fascial Counterstrain. I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility when a patient trusts me to work with them in physical therapy. They are sharing their most valuable resource with me, their time. Fascial Counterstrain enables me to give them the best care I can.
