Alicia Austin PT, CSCS
Physical Therapist
Alicia graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Sciences. She earned her M.S. in Physical Therapy from the Arizona School of Health Sciences (AT Still University) in 2000. During her professional career, she has had the opportunity to work closely with orthopedic surgeons to gain extensive knowledge of post-surgical rehabilitation. Alicia is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She is also certified as a Mat I Pilates Instructor through PHI Pilates. She has had the honor of being a past presenter at the state Athletic Trainer’s Convention. Her presentation was about integrating Pilates into the athletic training room. Her most recent accomplishment has been becoming a Certified Kinesio® Taping Practitioner (CKTP) as well as becoming certified in Dry Needling through the American Dry Needling Institute. Alicia is a native of Arizona and enjoys spending time with her family. She has a young son and enjoys watching college basketball, reading, and golfing.
Allison Nickolaou, OTR/L
Allison received her Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University in Health Sciences. She went on to earn her Decorate of Occupational Therapy from Northern Arizona University. Allison began working as a therapist at DHT in June 2019 and is working towards becoming a Certified Hand Therapist. In her free time, Allison loves spending time with family and friends, as well as hiking and camping with her two golden retrievers.
Anna Espeland OTD, OTR/L
Joined DHPT in 2024. She earned her undergraduate degree from Montana State University and her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from the University of Mary. With a diverse range of experience, Anna has worked with individuals facing musculoskeletal, orthopedic, and neurological conditions. One of the aspects she values most about occupational therapy is its holistic approach. She enjoys building personal connections with her patients and developing individualized care plans to help them achieve their goals and return to their daily lives. Anna is currently pursuing certification as a hand therapist and is an active member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). In her free time, she loves to spend time outdoors, whether it's golfing, playing tennis, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, or rock climbing. Her favorite life motto is: "The grass is always greener where you make it."
Anna Wan, OTR/L, CHT
Anna is an occupational therapist at the Mesa DH&PT location. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University and earned her Master's degree from A.T. Still University in 2016. Anna's background spans inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, and lymphedema management before she specialized in hand therapy. She jointed DH&PT in 2021 and achieved her Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) certification in 2024. Outside of work, Anna enjoys spending time with her son, Beckham, exploring the outdoors, and experimenting with new recipes. She also loves to travel and has to been to 30 countries!
Annette Berka, OTR/L, CHT
Annette received her B.S. Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida in 1985. She spent the next two years working in general rehabilitation and hand therapy in South Florida before moving to Arizona in 1988. She joined Desert Hand Therapy six months after its inception and worked as the clinical director for one of their busiest offices in the Valley. Annette ventured into independent practice for five years before returning to Desert Hand Therapy in 2014. She is passionate about patient care and building relationships with her patients and their medical team for the best outcomes. In addition to her clinical work with Desert Hand, she is an active member of ASHT. Peoria Location
Ashley Moody, MOTR/L
Ashley has been practicing hand therapy since 2017. After graduating with her bachelor's degree in kinesiology and exercise science from California State University Sacramento she moved to Tennessee. While living in Tennessee Ashley earned her Masters of Science in occupational therapy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and discovered her passion for treating the hand and upper extremity. Immediately after graduating Ashley began working as a hand therapist in Las Vegas, Nevada, and joined the Desert Hand and Physical Therapy team in 2018; where she continues working towards her goal of becoming a certified hand therapist. Ashey’s hobbies outside of work include history, watching football, and hiking with her husband and two dogs.
Brittany Day
Brittany is a proud Arizona native who loves the Cardinals and the Suns (when they are doing really well). She received her Bachelor of Public Health at Northern Arizona University. She went on to earn her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Northern Arizona University. Brittany began working as a therapist at DHPT in June 2021and is working towards becoming a Certified Hand Therapist. Chatting up with her patients and helping them return to the activities they love doing is her favorite part of being an OT. In her free time, Brittany loves shopping, drinking wine with friends, going on day trips, and playing with her puppy Boots.
Brittany Moya, OTR/L, CHT
Brittany graduated from Saint Francis University with a Bachelor's in Allied Health Sciences and Psychology in 2012 and a Master's in Occupational Therapy in 2013. She began her career as a burn therapist and worked in a trauma and burn ICU for 2 years prior to transitioning to hand therapy. She passed her Certified Hand Therapist examination in 2017 and has been practicing in outpatient hand therapy with Desert Hand and Physical Therapy since 2015. Brittany is the Director of our Goodyear, Laveen & Glendale Clinics as well as Desert Hand & physical Therapy’s marketing team. She specializes treatment in wound care and traumas and has additional training in manual therapy strategies and techniques. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, reading and spending time with her husband and daughters. Goodyear Location & Laveen LocationCarlos Ramirez COTA
Casey Blaesing OTD, OTR/L, CHT
Casey is an occupational therapist at the Laveen DH&PT location. She received her BA from the University of Iowa (Go Hawkeyes!) and pursued an OT clinical doctorate from NAU. While in college, she studied abroad in Spain to develop proficiency in Spanish. Casey completed a Level II fieldwork rotation with the company in summer 2019 and returned to complete a pediatric hand therapy capstone project in spring 2020. Prior to joining the team at DH&PT, she worked with kiddos with developmental delays in a sensory integration clinic. In May 2021, she joined the company as an employee and obtained her certification in hand therapy in October 2023. She also has served as adjunct faculty the last two years for NAU's OT program, assisting in teaching their upper extremity course. In her free time, she enjoys reading, being outside, petting her cat Finnegan, and of course spending time with her fiancé and family.
Charlotte Reed, MOTR/L, CHT
Charlotte grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She graduated from Cornell College where she studied Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. She completed her Master of Occupational Therapy degree at Midwestern University in Glendale. Charlotte rejoined Desert Hand & Physical Therapy team in April 2021. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, and enjoying the outdoors. North Phoenix LocationChris Cardella, ORT/L
Chris joined DHPT in 2022 after graduating from Lynchburg College and the University of St. Augustine. His career experience includes working as an athletic trainer with Division 1 football and baseball teams, as well as minor league baseball. He has been involved in throwing programs and return-to-sport rehabilitation for shoulder and trauma injuries. Chris loves being an occupational therapist because it allows him to help athletes return to their sport, especially after trauma. His career goal is to become a certified hand therapist (CHT). In his free time, Chris enjoys traveling to different countries, kayaking, golfing, playing sports, and exploring new restaurants. His favorite life motto is: "I'll tell you two things if I'll tell you one."
Chris Reynolds, PT, MHS, CHT
Chris received his Bachelor of Applied Sciences Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Michigan in 1979. He moved to Phoenix one year later to begin his career in hand therapy and has been part of a growing profession ever since. He worked for a group of hand surgeons and hand therapists for 17 years and helped lay the groundwork for this burgeoning specialty. During this period Chris authored several chapters in Rehabilitation of the Hand and a number of other publications while giving over 100 talks and presentations nationally and locally. He became a Certified Hand Therapist in 1991 and received his Masters of Health Science Degree from the University of Indianapolis in 1994. In 1997 Chris started Desert Hand Therapy and has been the Director ever since, establishing 10 clinics in the Valley of the Sun. He continues to see a full caseload of patients finding immense joy in helping patients with injured upper extremities regain motion, strength, and function. He recently patented a continuous passive motion machine for the elbow and is working on a new brace/splint combination for injured hands and wrists. Through the years Chris has had the pleasure of mentoring individuals who have expressed an interest in entering the field of hand therapy. Chris served on the Board of the American Society of Hand Therapy and has been an item writer for the Certification examination. He is a member of the APTA, AZPTA, and ASHT. When Chris is not at work he enjoys his involvement with his church, participating in sports of all kinds, and spending time with his “little brother” through Valley Big Brothers and Sisters. He particularly enjoys family vacations with his wife Laure, daughter Jessica and son Chase. Central Phoenix Location
Desarae Johnson OTR/L, CHT
Desarae earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Wellness at ASU in 2013. In 2015, she graduated with her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Midwestern University in Glendale. She earned her Certified Hand Therapy certification in May of 2019. Desarae was inspired to become a hand therapist after being a patient herself. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and son.
Donna M. Gilbert, OTR/L, CHT
Donna attended Kearney State in Nebraska and the University of Nebraska in Omaha before obtaining her B.S. in Occupational Therapy at Loma Linda University in California in 1992. She has enjoyed working in the specialty field of Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation for the past 23 years in Kansas City and Phoenix areas. She obtained her Hand Therapy Certification in 2001. She joined the team at Desert Hand Therapy in 2001. She continues to treat patients at our Avondale clinic location while acting as a director of our North Phoenix, Surprise and Avondale locations. She is an active member of AOTA, AriZota, NBCOT, and ASHT. Currently, she is the Legislative Co-chair for the Arizona Occupational Therapy Association. Avondale LocationGrace Croswell, OTD, OTR/L
Grace joined DHPT in 2023 after graduating from the University of Florida. As part of her OTD Capstone project, she designed a hand and upper extremity rehabilitation elective course for the University of Florida's OTD program, showcasing her commitment to advancing the field. Grace loves being an occupational therapist because the profession values compassion, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning, all of which help her support individuals through their recovery. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, hiking, and traveling.Jason Michael Darnell, COTA/L
He joined DHPT on May 1, 2023, after graduating from Brown Mackie College in Akron, Ohio. In addition to his work as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Jason is a licensed massage therapist and a certified police officer in Ohio. He loves being a COTA because it allows him to help people improve their quality of life and be part of their journey toward progress. His career goals include continuing his work in hand therapy. In his free time, Jason enjoys mountain biking, hiking, and spending time with his dog, friends, and family. His favorite life motto is "The Desiderata Poem."
Jillian Patterson OTR/L Jillian was inspired to be a hand therapist when she saw her little brother having difficulty using his index finger since birth. She witnessed her little brother's first hand therapy session with an Occupational Therapist and was hooked! Jillian then went to Arizona State University where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Psychology and Wellness foundations. She then attended A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona where she earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. After interning as a student at Desert Hand and Physical Therapy, she fell in love with the work culture and the people receiving hand therapy. She now works with the team at Desert Hand and strives to provide the best quality of hand care to her patients.
John Schouten
John joined DHPT in June 2021. I graduated from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. I have spent most of my time in the field in outpatient orthopedics. I decided to become a PT because all of the anatomy and sports medicine classes I took in college were very interesting to me and PT was a way I could keep learning about those things after college. I also love seeing and talking to a bunch of different people throughout the day and helping them get better. In my free time, I love playing basketball. If I could have a superpower it would be the ability to fly. I would love to be able to fly wherever I want but I would also love the fact that I could basically go sky diving whenever I want. When I was a kid my dream was to be an NBA basketball player. Clarendon Location
Joy Ramsey, MS, PT
Joy graduated from Sanford University in 1989 and earned her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the University of Alabama Birmingham in 1991. For over 29 years, she has worked at in-house rehabs, outpatient clinics, school systems, and home health addressing a variety of diagnoses as it applies specifically to every age group. This includes patients with strokes, head and spinal injuries, work injuries, amputees, orthopedic procedures, sports weekend warrior injuries, back, shoulder & neck pain, TMJ issues, and developmental delays.
In June 2015, Joy joined the Desert Hand & Physical Therapy team as a hand therapist, while also developing a full-body PT program at the Estrella office.
Her hobbies include golf, gardening, travel, and spending time with family. Joy is native to Nashville, TN. She has practiced PT in Birmingham AL, Naples FL, and Phoenix AZ for the last 20 years.
Kelcee Bacon, OTD, OTR/L
She joined DHPT in 2024 after graduating from the University of South Dakota. She has a background in outpatient orthopedics and neurology, and her passion for occupational therapy stems from helping people achieve their goals and return to activities that bring joy to their lives. Kelcee’s professional goals include advancing her career in hand therapy, obtaining her CHT certification, and becoming certified in dry needling. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT). In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, exercising, and spending time with friends and family. Her life motto is: "Work hard, be yourself, and have fun."Kelsey Melton, OTD, OTR/L
Joined DHPT in 2024 after graduating from Northern Arizona University. She loves being an occupational therapist because it allows her to help people regain independence in their daily activities, which she finds incredibly rewarding. Kelsey’s professional goal is to continue her career in hand therapy and work toward becoming a certified hand therapist (CHT). In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors and being with family and friends.
Kristen DiCicco OTR/L
Lisa Austin, PT, CSCS
Lisa Austin is a native of Arizona. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences. She continued her graduate studies at AT Still University for Physical Therapy. Lisa has been practicing for over 20 years. She is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is Certified in Dry Needling. Lisa utilizes different treatment techniques to develop individual treatment programs based on the patient’s goals. Personally, Lisa enjoys watching college basketball, golfing, and baking. She enjoys reading and learning about the world around her. Lisa enjoys spending time with her husband, Amp, and their son, Aubry.
Mia Graham, OTD, OTR/L Joined DHPT in 2022 School: I attended the University of Tampa for my undergraduate degree and Creighton University - Denver Program for my occupational therapy degree. Experience/Background to Highlight: I have experience in both outpatient hand therapy as well as the acute care hospital setting. I also had the pleasure of completing two clinical rotations with DHPT during my schooling. My favorite part of OT is helping patients get back to doing the things they love so they can return to enjoying activities at home and in the community. Career Goals: I am working to become a certified hand therapist and plan to work with a wide variety of patients. Professional Association: AOTA Enjoy doing in free time: I enjoy traveling, outdoor activities, trying different restaurants, and spending time with my friends and family. Favorite quote/life motto: My favorite quote to live by is: "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
Mikayla Murphy, OTR/L
Joined DHPT in 2024 after earning her degree from Midwestern University. Her career has been marked by a passion for helping individuals regain independence in their daily activities. Mikayla particularly enjoys identifying meaningful activities that have been disrupted and applying her knowledge of anatomy through activity analysis to create personalized intervention plans for her patients. She is eager to further her career by becoming a certified hand therapist and is a member of both the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Arizona Occupational Therapy Association (ArizOTA). In her free time, Mikayla enjoys spending time with friends and family and is always exploring new places around the Phoenix area. Her favorite life motto is: "The race is not for the swift, but those who endure to the end."
Payten Smith I was born and raised in Huntington beach, California where I achieved my bachelors in Sports psychology, Kinesiology at Cal State Long Beach. I then went on to complete my masters in occupational therapy at west coast university, Los angeles. From here it has been a goal of mine to obtain my CHT in the near future, which has brought me to Arizona for my first time. In my free time I love spending time outdoors adventuring and weightlifting.
Rae Aaronson, MSOTR/L, CHT
Rae graduated Summa Cum Laude from Richard Stockton University of NJ, receiving a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. She completed affiliations in inpatient and outpatient pediatrics, as well as, sub-acute rehabilitation centers. She successfully passed her national certification board in occupational therapy in 2014 and her national certification in hand therapy in 2017. Rae has been working in hand therapy in New Jersey since 2014 and has joined Desert Hand Therapy in 2019. She is an active member of AOTA, NJOTA, and ASHT. Rae's interests include traveling and coaching gymnastics.
Regan Liss, MOT, OTR/L
Regan joined DHPT in 2024. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Health from the University of Iowa and earned her Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) from Midwestern University. Regan loves being an occupational therapist because it allows her to help patients achieve their functional goals and return to their daily activities. Her career goals include becoming a certified hand therapist (CHT) and one day becoming certified in upper extremity lymphedema. She is a member of both the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Arizona Occupational Therapy Association (ArizOTa). In her free time, Regan enjoys reading, baking, learning new topics, and spending time with friends and family. Her favorite life motto is: "She believed she could, so she did." - R.S. Grey.
Richard Standage, PT, MPT, CHT
Richard has been practicing in the east valley for over 20 years. After graduating from ASU with his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science, he attended NAU where he earned a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy, graduating with honors. He discovered his passion for treating the hand and upper extremity early in his post-graduate studies and started with Desert Hand Therapy as an intern in 1999.
Immediately upon graduating in 2000, he began practicing in the area he grew up. He has shared his experience with multiple other therapists, mentoring them to become Certified Hand Therapists.
Married almost 30 years, he and his wife, (Gayle) have 3 daughters. He loves vacationing with his family but also enjoys long motorcycle trips in the summers with his brother. His other interests include golf and playing ping pong.
Tom Conklin COTA/L
Tom Conklin is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. Tom received an Associate’s degree in Occupational Therapy in 1994. Prior to this, he worked as a therapy tech. This is where he developed an interest in helping people regain their physical health. Following graduation, Tom worked 13 years for an outpatient orthopedic clinic, where he specialized in upper extremity rehabilitation, with the last 5 years as a clinic manager. Tom then spent 4 years working in a rehab hospital, helping patients improve life skills, strength, and overall function. Tom joined Desert Hand Therapy in 2011, where he has been at the Surprise office. In his leisure time, Tom enjoys woodworking, working out, and spending time with family.
Troy Geiger
A native of Arizona, Troy received his degree in Exercise and Wellness from Arizona State University. He then continued his graduate studies at Northern Arizona University where he received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Before his continued education in physical therapy, Troy was a Licensed Massage Therapist for 6 years. He utilizes the manual techniques that he learned as a massage therapist along with his physical therapy training to assist patients in their road to recovery and physical health goals. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, and following the local sports teams. Arcadia Location
