Our Staff

Deborah Matthews, PMA®-CPT A Founding Partner of InsideOut Body Therapies, Deborah is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance® and a PMA® Certified Pilates Instructor. She trained at The Pilates Center of Boulder (TPC) whose owners, Amy Alpers and Rachel Segel, studied with Pilates Elder Romana Kryzanowska, a long-time student of Joseph Pilates. Deborah completed her initial Pilates training in 1999, the TPC Master's Program in 2008, and currently serves on the Faculty of The Pilates Center. She is the Director of the InsideOut Body Therapies Pilates Teacher Training, which is officially licensed from The Pilates Center. Before moving to Durham, Deborah managed and taught GYROTONIC® at White Cloud Boulder and was Senior Teacher for Cara Reeser at Pilates Aligned in Denver. Deborah offers a classical, yet highly innovative approach to Pilates, with a deep understanding of the damaged body in need of rehabilitation and the everyday body in need of strength and flexibility. Her teaching has been influenced by her study of art, Rolfing® movement, and the process of her own rehabilitation from many challenging physical issues, including a kidney transplant. In addition to ongoing training with Pilates masters, Deborah's teaching is continually informed by her work with Hubert Godard, Dean of Dance and Movement Analysis at the University of Paris and Rolf Movement Instructor at The Rolf Institute®. Deborah studied the Gyrotonic Method with Master Trainers Skye Shansby and Sebastian Plettenberg.

Mischa Abshire, PT, DPT, OCS, PMA®-CPT Mischa Abshire, PT, DPT, OCS, PMA-CPT, a Partner at InsideOut Body Therapies, holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Duke University School of Medicine and a BS in Exercise and Sport Sciences from the University of Florida, and is an Orthopaedic Certified Specialist. Mischa is a PMA® Certified Pilates Instructor and trained at The Pilates Center of Boulder whose owners, Amy Alpers and Rachel Segel, studied with Pilates Elder Romana Kryzanowska, a long-time student of Joseph Pilates. She is a graduate of The Pilates Center Master's Program and is on the Faculty of The Pilates Center. She co-leads the InsideOut Body Therapies Pilates Teacher Training and is Director of the InsideOut Body Therapies Pilates-Based Physical Therapy Fellowship Program. Mischa's love of movement began with her study of ballet, modern dance, and theater. After witnessing the effectiveness of Pilates in rehabilitating injuries during a ballet workshop, Mischa knew that she wanted to integrate Pilates into her physical therapy practice. She has since worked in many different settings including hospital-based acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient orthopedics most notably at NovaCare Rehabilitation in Chapel Hill, The Durham Rehabilitation Institute, Jack D. Close and Associates in Las Vegas, and The American Dance Festival.

Mischa developed the Pilates-Based Physical Therapy Program (PBPT) at InsideOut Body Therapies in 2006. PBPT is a client-centered approach to healing grounded in the moving body that assesses and treats the whole person -- not just an injury or symptom -- through Pilates exercises and traditional physical therapy methods.

Mischa is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association, and the Pilates Method Alliance®. She has training in manual therapy through Maitland Australian Physiotherapy Seminars and Michigan State's School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Alana Isiguen Alana Isiguen helps out at the front desk a few weekday mornings, in addition to participating in the InsideOut Pilates Teacher Training. A Charlotte, NC native, she graduated with honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Dance Department. There she performed works by Mark Morris and William Forsythe, presented her own choreography at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in Manhattan, and studied abroad on full scholarship at the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in Austria. She has performed professionally with the North Carolina Dance Theatre, Piedmont Dance Theatre, and Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, as well as in post-grad projects at Dance Theatre Workshop, Symphony Space, and the Joyce SoHo. Alana's passion for movement transferred into a love of teaching, and she has taught ballet, contemporary, and improvisation around the East Coast since 2003. It was her study of Pilates in NYC under Master Teachers Kathy Grant and Blossom Leilani Crawford that inspired Alana to begin her path to Certification. She is thoroughly enjoying learning from the amazing staff here and honored to be a part of InsideOut.

Amy Ginsburg, Ed.D., PMA®-CPT Amy Ginsburg, Ed.D., is a PMA® Certified Pilates Instructor and Dance Educator with extensive training in contemporary dance techniques, ballet, Laban Movement Analysis, and Ideokinesis. She completed the Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training Program at Body Precision Pilates Studio near Philadelphia. Amy holds a B.A. in Psychology from Duke University, an M.A. in Dance from the University of Illinois, and an Ed.D. in Dance from Temple University. Before relocating to Durham with her husband, Amy developed and directed the Dance program at Dickinson College where she was Associate Professor and Director of Dance. Since then, Amy has taught at Meredith College, Duke University, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and she continues to serve on the Executive Committee of the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA). Passionate about Pilates, Amy was delighted to begin teaching at InsideOut in 2005. Amy's work is fueled by a deep appreciation of the transformative power of movement.

Ashley Smitherman, PMA®-CPT Ashley Smitherman is a PMA® Certified Pilates Teacher. She began taking Pilates classes in 2005 while looking for something new to complement her regular cardio & weight training sessions. She quickly fell in love with the method and was fascinated by the changes in her body. Under the direction of Deborah Matthews & Mischa Abshire, Ashley completed over 900 hours of intensive education through the Pilates Center Teacher Training at IOBT. A member of the Pilates Method Alliance® Ashley teaches a variety of mat & equipment classes as well as private lessons. She is passionate about sharing the joy of movement through Pilates with her clients & mentoring teacher trainee students as an advisor. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Ashley enjoys following Tar Heel sports. She and her husband Bryan welcomed their first child, Wyatt, in November 2009.

Bart Matthews

Bart Matthews is a Pilates Instructor. He trained at The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO. A graduate of Duke University in biology, he has a long-standing interest in Pilates, Ashtanga and Anusara yoga, and GYROTONIC®. He is also an avid musician and athlete.

Crystal West, PMA®-CP Crystal West, a Raleigh native, is a PMA® Certified Pilates instructor, dance teacher, and performer. She completed the 950+ hour Pilates Center Teacher Training program at IOBT after experiencing the transformative nature of pilates on her own body and movement quality. Crystal has been dancing, teaching, choreographing, and performing her entire life, and is honored to have studied with many well known and respected artists. She was a guest artist at the Boston Conservatory during during her four year stay in Boston, MA and currently teaches dance for CC & Co Dance Complex in North Raleigh. She holds a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in English from UNC Chapel Hill and had a double-life as a software engineer and dancer for years until pilates simply won her over. Crystal is especially passionate about how pilates can both prevent injury and enhance performance for athletes and movement artists. When Crystal isn't in the dance studio or on the Reformer, you can find her spending time with her husband, Jeffrey, and their son, Owen, in Carrboro.

Daisy Farmer

Daisy is a newcomer to North Carolina, having grown up in Sydney, Australia. She studied sports journalism at Charles Sturt University, and also completed a Study Abroad semester at UNC-Wilmington in 2006 where she fell in love with the state and her future husband, Paul. Daisy enjoys spending time with friends, travelling, dogsitting, reading, and writing. She also has a newfound interest in gardening. A lover of dancing and cricket, Daisy is a big fan of what InsideOut offers. She is looking forward to getting to know all of our wonderful clients. Daisy misses Australia, in particular her family and her dog Benny, but has been touched at the welcome she has received in Durham.

Jessica Satterlee, PMA®-CPT Jessica is a Pilates Method Alliance® Certified Pilates Teacher and is InsideOut's Pilates Teacher Training Coordinator. Jessica fell in love with Pilates after her very first class. Pilates exceeded any expectation she had ever had for exercise and it became an addiction - an addiction to health, happiness, and balance. Jessica's passion for Pilates and her desire to share that passion with others led her to complete The Pilates Center Teacher Training at InsideOut. Pilates has changed Jessica both physically and mentally and she aspires for that change in her clients. Jessica's other enduring passion is for baking. She loves to see the smiles of friends and family when she shares her creations with them. Visit her cookie kitchen for more information.

Jude Roman, MSOM, MSPT, LAc, Dipl OM

Jude earned a BS at James Madison University in Health and Human Sciences in 1993 with a core study of Athletic Training. He then obtained his Masters of Physical Therapy from Old Dominion University in 1995 and worked extensively in outpatient orthopaedic and geriatric health settings. He received his Masters in Oriental Medicine from the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in 2000 and is nationally certified by NCCAOM in Acupuncture, Chinese herbology, and Oriental Medicine. In 1999, he completed studies in Acupuncture and Chinese herbology in China at the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He is licensed as an acupuncturist and herbalist in North Carolina. He specializes in treating musculo-skeletal disorders, internal medicine, and allergies.

He began studying Tai Chi Chuan and Qi Gong in 1996 with Dr. Robert Carpenter DOM of New Mexico. During this time he studied, Yang style long form, fast form, push hands, Yang style sword form and Taoist qi gong. In 2001, he began studying with Master Wei Lun Huang of Miami, Florida. From Master Huang he has continued to refine and expand on the yang style long form while developing his qi gong exercises to open and strengthen the body. In addition, he has studied Liu He Ba Fa, Yang style fast form, classical push hands and tai chi applications.

Katie Cannizzaro, PT, DPT

Katie completed her Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of physical Therapy at LSU in New Orleans. She is an avid runner and was Captain of LSU's cross-country team from 2002-2004. She has worked with a variety of PT patients including athletes, people with traumatic brain injuries, and numerous orthopaedic and neurological injuries. After Hurricane Katrina, Katie worked with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans. She currently helps run the Journal Club at Duke, which promotes evidence-based practice.

Katie completed The Pilates Center's Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training at IOBT and is now seeing clients for Pilates-Based PT.

Kim Crowley

Kim Crowley is a North Carolina native who grew up enjoying life near the coast. She graduated from Meredith College and spent 15 years working in marketing, advertising and office administration. Kim spent the last several years at home raising her two young boys while teaching preschool music classes. Kim's favorite pastimes include hiking, reading, singing and playing music, cooking, playing with her boys, and enjoying the NC coast and mountains as much as possible. Kim is thrilled to be working in a health-minded atmosphere and loves taking pilates and yoga!

KimLien LaFitte, LMBT, BCSI

KimLien is a Certified Kinesis Myofascial Integration Practitioner and Certified Structural Integrator. She is also a nationally Certified Bodyworker (NCBTMB) and is a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist in the State of North Carolina (NC License #6058). She received her initial training at the Body Therapy Institute (BTI) in Silk Hope, NC and remains on their Faculty as well as maintaining a private Structural Integration practice.

She loves to learn and teach and has received additional certifications in Medical Massage and The Spirit of Learning both at BTI and recently assisted Tom Myers in teaching his KMI approach to Structural Integration. She is a member of the International Association of Structural Integrators and the AMBP.

KimLien believes bodywork is about awareness. Bringing an awareness to the physical body, and awakening the inner spirit. It is from this place that we can expand into wholeness.

Lauren Fitts, PMA®-CPT Lauren is a PMA® Certified Pilates Teachter passionate about health, movement, and the potential of every client. She felt an instant connection with Pilates when she took her first lesson over five years ago and has since trained with Deborah Matthews and Mischa Abshire in The Pilates Center Teacher Training at InsideOut. The more she learns about the form, the more excited she is to share her discoveries with her clients. She finds great joy in helping others realize their strengths and actualize their potentials through movement. Lauren and her family moved from Chicago to Chapel Hill in 1998 to begin an entrepreneurial journey and they have been in the area ever since.

Lorien Armour, PMA®-CPT Lorien Armour, PMA-CPT was certified to teach Pilates through The Pilates Center Teacher Training Program and is a Breast Cancer Post-Rehab Exercise Specialist certified through The Pink Ribbon Program, Inc. Although she has always been interested in exercise and movement, she was especially drawn to Pilates because of the therapeutic aspects that allowed her to stay active while healing a series of injuries in 2006. So, while she does enjoy teaching Pilates to those who just want a good workout, she also loves to help those who are working through injuries or other conditions keeping them from their full potential.

Margot K. Martin

Margot K. Martin has been immersed in the art of movement for 23yrs. She has studied ballet, modern, jazz, and hip-hop with numerous well known teachers throughout her career. Her professional career has carried her to stages across America, Europe, and the Pacific rim. Most recently, Margot retired from the stage after performing with the Carolina Ballet as a soloist for 13 seasons. Her innate understanding of the mind-body connection led her to become a certified Yoga instructor in 2005. Through her 6 years of teaching Yoga locally, she has earned her reputation as both a challenging and compassionate instructor. Margot has also been teaching ballet nationally and locally to children, teens, and adults for nearly 10yrs. Her love of movement, music, and good old fashioned hard work led to the creation of "The Ballet Burn." She is more than excited to be a part of the team at IOBT. Margot is committed to helping people achieve their fitness goals through "creative movement, total body awareness, and positive intentions."

Mary Lee, LMBT (NC License # 9554)

Mary is a Licensed Massage Therapist in the State of North Carolina. She is a graduate of Body Therapy Institute in Siler City and specializes in deep tissue/myofascial massage. She enjoys incorporating movement as well as assisted stretching into her sessions and she gives an amazing Swedish massage. She is training to become a Massage Therapy Instructor in The Spirit of Learning Teacher Training Program at BTI, as well.

Matthew Tarnowski

Matthew Tarnowski offers a unique blend of classical and contemporary yoga derived from Hatha, Tantra and Kundalini yoga. With nearly 1,000 teaching hours and twelve years of experience in yoga philosophy and practice, Matthew is a knowledgeable and intuitive guide to anyone seeking positive life changes, growth and healing through yoga.

Merging a devotional approach with a deep interest in functional anatomy, Matthew's classes and workshops offer a unique blend of practical vinyasa and spiritual insight that are just right for those seeking a salve to body, mind or spirit.

To find out more and enjoy free guided meditation and breathing practices, visit www.youryogamatt.com.

Megan Mortensen, PT, DPT

Megan recently moved to Durham from Atlanta, after graduating from Emory's Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. Originally from Southern California, Megan began practicing Pilates during her years in PT school and is currently enrolled in The Pilates Center's Teacher Training Program at InsideOut Body Therapies. When not practicing Pilates or physical therapy, Megan enjoys numerous outdoor activites including running, biking, and spending time with her boyfriend, Cameron and dog, Hudsen. Megan is currently accepting new Pilates-based PT clients.

Michael Dorman, RYT

Michael Dorman, RYT, took his first yoga class in 2003, has been a devoted student of Anusara® Yoga since 2005. He earned Anusara-Inspired Yoga Teacher status in April, 2009, after much study with his primary teachers, Paul & Sommer Sobin and Lila Brown, as well as Anusara® Founder, John Friend.

Anusara® Yoga's heart-centered practice has helped him forge a strong connection between his mind and body, find a place of confidence and calm from which to act, and to connect more closely with others, especially the local Anusara® community. When not on the mat, he works to find the yoga in his marriage, cats, cooking, programming computers, playing very loud electric guitar, and doing drop-backs from diving boards.

Nancy Jacobs, RD, PMA-CPT Nancy's first career was in nutrition and after receiving a BS both in Foods and Nutrition and Institution Management and Dietetics from Oregon State University she completed a dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. She worked for many years as a Clinical Dietitian at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA. In 2003 Nancy had her first Pilates lesson and loved it from the start. What really drew her to Pilates was its accessibility to people of all ages, fitness levels and shape. She was motivated to become an instructor so she could share the amazing benefits of Pilates with others! In early 2011 Nancy completed the 950 hour Advanced Teacher Training program at IOBT. She is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance and a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher. She also maintains her status as a Registered Dietitian. Nancy enjoys teaching all levels of the Pilates Method and especially enjoys the mind-body aspect of Pilates. She also enjoys introducing Pilates to people who are new to exercise or might have reservations about starting Pilates. Nancy will help you ease into a program that is right for you!

Natalie Morton

Natalie Morton began her ballet training at The Ballet School of Chapel Hill under the amazing guidance of M'Liss Dorrance and Jennifer Potts. She went on to attend Meredith College where she fell in love with Modern and Contemporary Jazz and continued to pursue and develop her love of theatre. She dabbled in the New York world and returned home to North Carolina where she has been lucky enough to be a part of many performing opportunities including Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, Whirlwind Dancers, choreographer Killian Manning, and The Dance Cure.She currently teaches at The Ballet School and has been a guest teacher at Cary Ballet Conservatory, International Ballet Academy, and Carolina Ballet's Young Dancer summer intensive. She is also a certified Pilates instructor, licensed Zumba instructor, wife to one, Mitchell Morton, and mother to Quinn and Avery Morton. She is so excited to be bringing the awesome energy and fresh challenge of The Ballet Burn to everyone!!!

Nicola Bullock

Nicola is a Pilates Teacher and Dance Educator at InsideOut. She began studying Pilates in 2001 when she moved from her hometown of Chapel Hill, NC, to New York, NY, to attend Barnard College. A lifelong dancer, she noticed that the technique helped improve her balance, strength, coordination, and flexibility. Nicola continued to study Pilates after graduating from college and pursued her Certification at The Kane School of Core Integration so that she could share her passion for Pilates with other people. She recently moved back to the Triangle Area to continue teaching and dancing closer to home. Her approach to Pilates combines classical repertory with a contemporary understanding of anatomy and biomechanics. She is very excited to be working at InsideOut Body Therapies, surrounded by such knowledgeable and enthusiastic people. Nicola compliments her study of Pilates with many other movement styles, including: modern dance, hip-hop dance, running, yoga, the Alexander Technique, and Feldenkrais.

Learn more about Nicola and read her blog at www.nicolabullock.com

Tim Hackett

Tim Hackett, LMBT, NC License #3012 is a Certified Massage Therapist specializing in NeuroMuscular Reprogramming, a comprehensive technique predicated on specific muscle testing. The NMR protocol allows him to identify muscles that are either weak or inhibited by other muscles or groups that cause imbalance, impairment, restricted motion and often chronic pain. Drawing on 6 years of private practice, Tim is able to correct these imbalances through extensive work with Sports Massage, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point and Swedish all with the primary focus on increasing healthy and pain-free movement in the affected area. His private practice includes many local athletes from fun runners to competitive ultra marathoners and tri-athletes. In addition, Tim has worked at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center for nearly 3 years. Tim is also a Certified Personal Trainer where he focuses on increasing not only strength in his clients, but flexibility, full range of motion and a life long love of exercise. SPECIALTIES: Integrative Bodywork and Neuromuscular Reprogramming, Trigger Point Therapy. Tim has been a Certified Massage Therapist in Raleigh, North Carolina since March 2002. He is married and has two children. In addition to his Massage Practice, Tim has been a stay-at-home-Dad since July 1997. He is also a Certified SCUBA Diver, and has logged several Tandem Sky Dives! Additionally, Tim has been a Certified Personal Trainer since February 2006.

Toby Matthews, LMBT

Toby is a Certified Rolfer™ and Certified GYROTONIC® & GYROKINESIS® Instructor. He is a Nationally Certified Bodyworker (NCBTMB) and a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist (LBMT) in the State of North Carolina (NC License #3687).

Before becoming a Rolfer, Toby studied drama, biology, and dance at Duke University as an A.B. Duke Scholar. Since then, he has done graduate work at The University of Akron in Theatre Arts, Naropa University in Somatic Psychology and Dance/Movement Therapy, and was a member of the New World Performance Laboratory.

Toby's abiding interest is in the relationships between the body, movement, sensation, perception, and the mind. His practice has been particularly influenced by his time with teachers Hubert Godard, Liz Gaggini, Susan Aposhyan, Christine Caldwell, Barbara Dilley, and, of course, his wife, Deborah Matthews. He apprenticed in GYROTONIC® with Master Trainers Skye Shansby and Kathy Van Patten and has continued to train with Miriam Barbosa and Bradley Kreamer.

Toby is a member of the The Rolf Institute® and the International Association of Structural Integrators and served on the WFSS Faculty of the 2008 American Dance Festival.