Ridgefield Staff

Joanne Sullivan, PT

Clinic Manager

Joanne is a graduate of College on Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale N.Y. She received her B.S. in Biology, with a certificate in P.T. from College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. Prior to joining Carlson Therapy in 1993, Joanne has past clinical experience in orthopedic and neuro rehab in both acute and long term rehab at Beth Israel Medical Center in N.Y. NY, Kim Rehab in East Orange N.J., Montclair Community Hospital in Montclair N.J., Danbury Hospital and Waveny Care Center in New Canaan, CT. Continuing Education includes numerous manual therapy courses, muscle energy, and cranio-sacral therapy.

Crystal Benson, MSPT

Assistant Clinic Manager

Crystal graduated from Springfield College with a bachelor’s degree in science in 1997 and a master’s degree in science in Physical Therapy in 1998. She has been employed with Carlson Therapy since 2000. Prior to joining Carlson Therapy Network in 2000, Crystal worked for a sports medicine and rehabilitation center in Danbury for 2 years. She has several years experience in treating patients with a variety of orthopedic and neurological diagnoses. Continuing education include: functional shoulder rehabilitation, lower kinetic chain inquiries in the female athlete, Vestibular Rehabilitation, Myofascial Release, Myofascial Mapping for Integrative Diagnostics, Mulligan techniques for the upper and lower quadrants, Surgical intervention and rehabilitation for the overhead thrower, muscle energy techniques for the upper quadrant, opening and closing the functional chain-Gary Gray’s total functional profile.

Gail Fennell, PT

Senior Therapist

Gail is a 1987 graduate of SUNY Health Science Center @ Brooklyn (formerly Downstate) she joined Carlson Therapy Network in 1990. Over the years Gail has grown with Carlson and furthered her knowledge by taking extensive coursework in Manual therapy including Muscle Energy Technique, Myofascial Release, Advanced Strain Counter Strain, CranialSacral Therapy, Visceral mobilization Neural Tissue Tension Release, Mulligan Mobilization, and Lumbar Segmental Spinal Stabilization. Gail has expertise in orthopedic rehab, spinal rehab and prenatal /postpartum exercise and treatment.

Gail began her career at the Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Lubin Rehab in the Bronx. In 1989, she relocated to Ridgefield, where she worked at Norwalk Hospital as Senior Physical Therapist and Rehab Unit PT Program Coordinator until joining Carlson Therapy in 1990.

January 2005 Gail opened Carlson Therapy and Spine Rehab. This is a specialty office focused mainly on Spinal Care. Gail can be found at 20 Germantown Road on the Second floor, Danbury, CT 06810.Telephone 798-6523, fax 798-9303.

Caitlin Casti, DPT

Senior Physical Therapist

Caitlin graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2006 with a bachelo's degree in health science, and in 2009 with a doctorate in Physical Therapy. She started as an employee of Carlson Therapy in 2009,

Robin Raposa, PT

Senior Physical Therapist

Robin graduated from Downstate Medical Center SUNY with a Bachelor's of Science in physical therapy and from Queens College with her Master's of Science in exercise physiology. A recent addition to CTN, Robin comes with extensive experience in orthopedics and sports medicine. As owner and director of a private practice in White Plains, N.Y. she treated a wide variety of acute and chronic injuries including patellofemoral pain, plantar fascitis, ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff pathology and cervical and lumbar strains. While in practice she developed a proficiency in evaluation and casting for orthotics and taping techniques for mechanical correction of muscle imbalances and reduction of inflammation. She worked closely with Athletic trainers and exercise physiologists in the rehabilitation of recreational and adolescent athletes. With many years in clinical practice Robin has completed extensive continuing education coursework in orthopedics including sport specific courses to the throwing athlete, muscle energy, Mulligan mobilization, Maitland, McConnell, Paris and myofascial release.

Melissa Hackett, LMT

Massage Therapist

Melissa is a graduate of the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Westport and is licensed in both Connecticut and New York. She has been an employee of Carlson Therapy Network, P.C. since 1995. Melissa specializes in Swedish massage integrating techniques of Jin Shin Do, Therapeutic Touch and Trigger Point Management.