Our Staff

Mischa Abshire, DPT, holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Duke University and a BS in Exercise and Sport Sciences from the University of Florida. She has worked for the past two years at NovaCare Rehabilitation in Chapel Hill, NC. At NovaCare, Dr. Abshire worked with a wide variety of orthopedic injuries and developed a Women's Health program. Prior to her experience at NovaCare, she interned at Duke University's Durham Rehabilitation Institute, as well as in Las Vegas, NV at Jack D. Close and Associates.

Dr. Abshire is a PMA Certified Pilates Instructor and trained at The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO. The Pilates Center is under the direction of Amy Alpers and Rachel Segel, proteges of Romana Kryzanowska, who was a long-time student of Joseph Pilates. During her training, Dr. Abshire apprenticed with Deborah Jarboe Matthews, owner of InsideOut Body Therapies, PMA Certified Pilates Instructor, and Rehabilitation Specialist.

Dr. Abshire's love of movement began with the childhood study of ballet, modern dance, and theater. She first learned about Pilates at age fourteen while attending the Princeton Ballet School's summer workshop. Several of the dancers used Pilates to recover from injuries and continue dancing. After witnessing the effectiveness of Pilates in rehabilitating injuries that summer, she knew that she wanted to one day integrate Pilates into a physical therapy practice. She has since worked in many different settings including the American Dance Festival, hospital-based acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient orthopedics. She continues to explore how Pilates can support and transform the practice of physical therapy while facilitating a positive movement experience for her patients.

Dr. Abshire is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, (including the Orthopedic and Women's Health Sections), the North Carolina Physical Therapy Association, and the Pilates Method Alliance.

Body Therapies Practiced:

• Physical Therapy
• Pilates