Women's Journey Physical Therapy

At Women's Journey, you can expect to receive patient-centered, personalized, and expert care for conditions like pelvic health, musculoskeletal pain, cancer recovery, and pregnancy/post-partum conditions.

We will spend time discussing the findings of the evaluation, teaching you about your condition, and developing a home exercise program. Our practice is passionate about empowering each individual to fully understand and take charge of their condition through education using anatomy, pictures, and demonstration. We believe in a comprehensive, holistic approach to care that incorporates the whole-body, including the entire musculoskeletal system, nervous system, breathing and daily movements.

Karlene is a licensed Physical Therapist who has extensive knowledge and experience in Women's Health. She is good at treating women of all ages and stages, and she is passionate about empowering women to be educated and in control of their bodies. She has finally followed her bliss and started Women's Journey. Come join her on this journey towards optimal health! Karlene, who lives in Cambridge, enjoys spending time with her 3 young daughters and husband, creating nutritious meals, practicing yoga, and playing outdoors.

Karlene is one of a small number of board-certified Women’s Health Clinical Specialists (WCS) by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialities (ABPTS). She is certified by the American Physical Therapy Association in Pelvic Floor and Obstetric Physical Therapy (CAPP-Pelvic, CAPP-OB). She is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT) awarded by The Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy with extensive knowledge and experience with manual lymph drainage, compression bandaging, and breast cancer treatment. She attended Boston University where she was captain of the Division I Lacrosse team and earned her degree in Exercise Physiology, which speaks to her passion for treating athletes. She achieved her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. She has worked at some of the best and most respected hospitals in the country including Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

Diana is a physical therapist who specializes in treating women's pelvic health issues. She became interested in this area after the birth of her son, and has since gained experience working with women of all ages with a variety of different diagnoses. In her free time, Diana enjoys spending time with her son, trail running, cooking, and reading about health and wellness.

Diana has a lot of experience in evaluating and treating different pelvic floor diagnoses and enjoys helping women achieve their optimal health goals. Diana has been treating outpatient orthopedic/sports PT issues for almost a decade and is a board certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS) by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). Diana is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Diana was an indoor/outdoor track and field athlete at the University of Massachusetts Lowell where she earned her degree in Exercise Physiology. She achieved her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

Brianna is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy who is passionate about helping women discover the benefits of pelvic floor retraining. She developed this interest after recovering from her own post-partum journey. Brianna enjoys spending time with her family, as well as staying active with snowboarding, weightlifting, distance running and cycling.

Brianna has been working in the field of physical therapy for over a decade and is experienced in treating a variety of orthopedic injuries. She is a board certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), a Graston Technique Certified Provider, and has received extensive training in functional dry needling. Brianna received her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Towson University before earning her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from MGH Institute of Health Professions. She has also completed post-graduate education from Herman & Wallace pelvic floor rehabilitation institute, as well as training in the management of neck pain, headaches, craniofacial and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Brianna has clinical education as a manual therapist from Maitland-Australian Physiotherapy, and uses a skillful hands-on approach when treating patients. Brianna strives to advocate for women by guiding them through their pelvic health recovery while providing compassion towards their individual needs.

After giving birth to my second child, I soon began having pain in my core. I was diagnosed with diastasis recti and pelvic floor weakness. I had 8 PT visits with Karlene, who taught me a lot about how my body had changed during pregnancy and how the exercises I had always done before pregnancy were actually making things worse. She took the time to make sure I was doing all of the exercises with proper technique and that I understood why each exercise was helping. My core felt stronger and more supported after the 2 months of weekly visits, and I also noticed that I was less likely to end the day with back pain and fatigue.

I would highly recommend Karlene to anyone seeking help for urinary incontinence. She was always positive and kind, providing clear explanations for each week's exercises. It was obvious that she cares about her patients and wants to see them succeed.

Working with Diana was a life-changing experience. I used to be very athletic, running and lifting weights regularly, but after having a baby, I developed diastasis recti and experienced pain that wrecked my fitness routine for a year and a half. However, the one-on-one work I did with Diana helped me get back on track. I no longer experience pain and I'm back in the gym, feeling better than ever.

After the difficult delivery of my daughter, working with Karlene was great for my physical and mental wellbeing. She was a great coach, and after only a few sessions I started to feel stronger and more confident about my body and its ability to heal. I felt very comfortable talking about and working on such a "private" problem as bladder control with Karlene. I would highly recommend Karlene, and pelvic floor physical therapy in general, to any postpartum woman.

Diana is an amazing caretaker and I never felt rushed during my appointments with her. She was always careful to explain the exercises using illustrations and demonstrating what to expect so I never felt embarrassed. I would highly recommend her to anyone because I know they will be well cared for.

I highly recommend Karlene to anyone seeking treatment for pelvic floor challenges. She is an excellent clinician and my patients always tell me how pleased they are with her care.

In early 2017, I was diagnosed with stage 3 malignant melanoma. As a result, I had surgery to extract the effected lymph nodes and any suspicious surrounding tissue from my upper leg and my lower abdomen. The surgeon had prescribed physical therapy to assist with the healing process. At first, I was not sure what that would entail. I had always thought of PT for things like a broken foot, leg, arm, etc., but for lymph node draining and redirecting, and softening the scar tissue, I was like, "what?" Karlene not only taught me how to redirect the lymph node drainage, she taught me about the lymphatic system, the main drains, and the direction in which they flow. Karlene also helped with the scar tissue healing, releasing, and softening, which at the beginning was extensive, very dense, and tight. She massaged and stretched the tissue until we both felt the release. What a wonderful feeling! She always asked if it was too much when she was stretching the area, to be sure I was always comfortable. I always responded, "No, it felt good."

I honestly don't know if I could have made it to 38 weeks pregnant with twins without Karlene's help. She's an expert in physical therapy and was so kind throughout my journey. I first started seeing her to help with back and sciatic pain, but she ended up helping me calm my anxiety about becoming a new mom to twins. Karlene was always gentle and good at reading my physical and emotional needs at each visit. She really cared about providing me relief and made sure the stretches were attainable for my exhausted, growing body. We would go through the stretches and massages for my troubled areas, and she would also take the time to get to know me and my family. It was so clear that she loved her job and her patients. Even my twin boys in utero were greeted with love each visit. I looked forward to my visits and often felt like it was the highlight of my week. After having past experiences with physical therapists, I truly think Karlene is one in a million. She's a gift to the field of physical therapy and I feel blessed to have had her support over the past year.

Thank you for your help. You are perfect for this job. You have changed many lives for the better and I appreciate everything you have done.

Have you ever dealt with a medical condition that no one has an explanation for?!? Everyone you go see thinks it could be one thing, but it ends up not being that. They even order tests that come back negative with no answers stating that everything looks normal! It’s a scary place and I was there for 8 long months.

Diana is an amazing physical therapist who has helped my daughter immensely with her pelvic pain. My daughter's gynecologist recommended pelvic floor PT and since doing physical therapy with Diana, her pain has completely gone away. Diana has such a great bedside manner and made my daughter feel comfortable with what could have been a very awkward situation. We are both so grateful.

I have been working with Karlene for the past decade to help breast cancer patients through their diagnosis and recovery. I have always considered Karlene to be a pioneer in integrating physical therapy and massage in breast cancer rehabilitation and recovery. Whether she is making suggestions for my massage sessions or honoring my work as an integral part of a woman's healing process, our patients have found that her passion and expertise have provided the needed direction in their journey back to health and wellness. I am glad that we will be able to continue to work together as she expands the breadth of her practice in her own space.

It is not a small thing to make yourself emotionally and physically transparent when seeking medical advice and care - something I talk to women about regularly as a doula. I got to know Karlene pretty intimately when I worked with her to prepare for her twin birth, and I can say with honesty and enthusiasm that she is an incredible woman, mother, and physical therapist. She is the kind of person I'm always nudging my own students and clients to seek out for care, and the first professional I now refer them to when they are seeking relief and support for their pelvic floors. At her core, Karlene is a healer, not just a physical therapist. She is the perfect balance of detailed-oriented and compassionate, kind and direct, and joyful and empathetic. I hope that you will find any needed healing and relief that you seek in her care.

I'm a childbirth educator and doula, and I've worked with Karlene in a professional capacity. I'm all too familiar with pelvic floor issues from my work, and I know how often women don't know where to turn for help. I'm delighted that Karlene has opened her own practice to cater to women in a loving and respectful manner! Karlene is truly gifted - she puts her heart and soul into her work, and I wholeheartedly recommend her to all of my clients!

If you are unhappy with the wait time for an appointment, please email me at [email protected] and I will put you on a waitlist for a sooner appointment.

If you're looking to save money, our Out-of-Network payment style may be a better option than In-Network services. With In-Network costs like co-pay, co-insurance, and deductible, as well as the time and effort spent commuting and attending physical therapy, the total cost can add up quickly. Often, our expert, personalized treatment style can get you better faster, which can save you both money and time in the long run.