About Us
Who we are
Lets Work Together
Higher Physical Therapy was created by Julie Zapata, a licensed PT for 22 years. Ever since her first job, Julie noticed the limitations that the system placed on good therapists and doctors and wanted to make a difference. She has always intended to provide the highest level care, no matter the obstacle. Since 2000, insurance limitations have only gotten worse. Therapists and Doctors have even less time to spend with patients and less choice. Many providers and patients have realized that our healthcare system is broken. Higher PT is a hybrid practice. It is the best arrangement we can make in order to provide the type of therapy we think that our clients deserve. We work with Medicare and out of network with the other major payors.
Since 2000
0
+
Higher PT is a general practice for all adults and children who have a physical need. We provide New Yorkers with a way to become and stay active and healthy without depending on medication and surgeries. All of the therapists in the practice are dedicated to their own optimal physical health, and educate all of clients with their expertise.
June enjoys working with older adults. She loves interacting with them. She learns from them and they learn from her unique approach to exercise, manual therapy and healing.
A patient can call our office or book him or herself online anytime. On an initial phone call, the following information may be provided:
In your 1st visit you’ll receive:
- a full body evaluation and movement assessment
- a hands-on treatment
- a customized home self-treatment program, including appropriate therapeutic exercises for you to do on your own at home
- a plan on how often and frequent you will need to follow up to solve this problem
Our 1st goal is to help you decrease the pain and symptoms you are experiencing. The 2nd goal, once your pain/symptoms are under control, is to find the root cause of the issue and correct it. Goal 3 is to help you make your body stronger and more resilient so that there is a much less likely chance of this occurring again in the future.
Meet Our Team
Julie Zapata, PT, MSPT
Julie is a New York State licensed Physical Therapist. She has experience working in diverse settings, such as home, hospital and private practice. She is well qualified to work with children and adults with simple or complex problems. Chronic pain is a specialty of hers.
Julie strives to understand the whole person and values the relationship between patient and therapist. She works one-on-one with her clients to establish an individualized program combining manual therapy and exercise prescription. Her main goals are improving function and enabling patients to meet their personal goals.
Julie obtained her Masters of Science degree in Physical Therapy in 2000 from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), now Rutgers University. She also has certification from Stott Pilates for Rehabilitation as an Instructor. She has extensive hands on training with the Institute of Physical Art, Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) and with the John Barnes, PT Myofascial Release Institute. She values education and quality care.
Julie speaks Spanish fluently. She enjoys traveling, the great outdoors, spending time with animals, classical music and Bikram Yoga!
Andrea Wolkenberg, PT, DPT
Andrea Wolkenberg, PT, DPT, MA, CKTI, MCMT graduated from The University of Pennsylvania in 1979 with a BS in Physical Therapy and received her clinical doctorate (DPT) in Physical Therapy from The College of St. Scholastica in 2016. She also holds a Master’s Degree from The New School For Social Research in Medical Anthropology.
In a career that spans more than 40 years, Andrea has worked primarily in inpatient rehab and outpatient orthopedic facilities, and currently maintains her own concierge home care private practice. Andrea was the Director of Physical Therapy at Spine Options in White Plains for almost 10 years, specializing in conservative spine care, and was the Assistant Director of Rehabilitation at Florence Nightingale Health Center’s Rehab Institute of New York for many years before it closed in 2005.
Andrea is certified in Manual Therapy through Hands On Seminars and is a Certified Kinesio Taping Instructor as well as an instructor of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) for HawkGrips. In addition to teaching continuing education courses, she has taken dozens of courses with many of the luminaries in the physical therapy profession and is dedicated to life long learning.
Teaching is one of Andrea’s great joys and is fundamental to her approach to treatment. She empowers her patients with knowledge about their condition and teaches them the tools they need to resolve or manage their symptoms and the underlying dysfunction that is causing them. Manual therapy and exercise are the other pillars of treatment in Andrea’s approach.
These include, among others, myofascial release, joint manipulation, IASTM, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), trigger point therapy, and total motion release. Andrea is delighted to be working with Julie, whom she considers a kindred spirit in pursuit of clinical excellence, and so happy to be working in the Washington Heights community where she also lives.
Angela McErlain, PT
Angela McErlain was educated in Ireland graduating in 1986 from University
of Ulster with BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy. Working at New York hospital she
became licensed to practice Physical Therapy in NY in 1988, working
primarily in orthopedic outpatients and sports medicine. She trained in
Craniosacral therapy in the UK and in John Barne’s Method Myofascial
Release therapy in the U.S.
With more than 30 years experience she finds this hands-on holistic approach
has proven to be effective in the evaluation and treatment of a variety of acute
and chronic conditions including:soft tissue injury, back and neck pain,TMJ
disorder, post mastectomy, headaches , asthma, anxiety and depression to
name but a few.
As a facilitator she feels privileged to help clients achieve significant
improvements in health at their own pace and finds the gentle and caring MFR
approach ‘works’ to restore overall health when nothing else will.
Married to her best friend and having four children has developed patience
and listening skills and enhanced her awareness of others. Outside of work
she enjoys walking, yoga and gardening.
Edya Kalev MA, RYT
Is a MELT Master Trainer specializing in chronic pain relief, injury prevention and recovery, and helping people recover from surgery, trauma, childbirth, or just the day-to-day stresses that age our bodies.
Edya began her MELT studies in 2006 with MELT Creator Sue Hitzmann, and is now one of the senior teachers of this unique method of “hands-off bodywork.” She offers online classes and workshops, as well as in-person classes and private sessions in Manhattan.
For more information about MELT, go to www.meltmethod.com or to Edya’s website https://studioforselfcare.com/melt/
Edya has also studied yoga extensively with Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews (co-authors of the book “Yoga Anatomy”), Cheri Clampett and Arturo Peale (Restorative Yoga), Deborah Quilter (Yoga for Seniors), Jyothi Larson (Mommy & Baby Yoga), and Mari Miyoshi (Brain Gym). She has traveled to India twice to study at the Sivananda Yoga Vendanta Ashram in Kerala and the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai. Edya is also a trauma-informed Reiki Master (Tara Tonini) and has a background in CranioSacral Therapy.
Our Value
Who We Help
- Do you have: back pain, neck pain, stiffness in your spine, joints, limbs?
- Did you just have surgery on your knee or hip?
- Do you have disabling headaches/migraines?
- Did you have surgery to treat cancer?
- Did you have a Sports injury; are you pre or post operative?
- Do you feel like your body is falling apart?
- Have you had dental work lately, and end up with a stiff or clicking jaw?
- Is it hard to get through the work day/work week?
- Are you always tired, stressed, irritable?
- Did you just have a baby and want to get your body back, without getting hurt?
- Did your doctor say there’s nothing he/she can do?
- Do you have cramps, tingling, burning or numbness somewhere in your body?
- Restless legs?
- Are you training for a marathon or other race, and keep getting injured, and can’t meet your goals?
- Do you lose urine when you laugh?