Staff

Anna Carissa A. Suarez, Physical Therapist

Carissa as she is known by all graduated with a B.S. Physical Therapy degree in 1996. A year after graduating, she decided to put her physical therapy career on hold to pursue further studies and in 1999 graduated with honors and a Masters Degree in Health Services Administration. She has been a board certified licensed practicing physical therapist since 1999.

Carissa has extensive experience working in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers and home health services. She has also done numerous independent contract works with several registries and agencies. For the past years, she has been serving patients in San Mateo County and it surrounding areas, having a great understanding of what the community needs are.

After several years working and getting experience in various practice settings, and being offered director positions, Carissa thought opening a physical therapy clinic will prove more challenging and exciting. She made that dream come true and in 2004, Pillars Physical Therapy and Wellness Center opened its doors.

Carissa has abundant experience working with people from various backgrounds and cultures. It is this great diversity and understanding that makes her very adaptable and creative with treatments and solutions. Her philosophy of treatment is to listen to the patient and have a total understanding of their well being in order to achieve successful outcomes.

Carissa has always been dynamic. She keeps active through the art of dance. It has been her hobby, exercise, stress release and form of creative self-expression. She has been dancing since she was 5 years old and has had formal training in polynesian, ballet, modern, hip hop and jazz.

She is not particularly fond of exercising in the gym so she keeps an active lifestyle by engaging in various activities such as pilates, yoga, hula hooping, and other forms of dance. She also enjoys traveling and outdoor activities such as: biking, camping, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, and scuba diving.

She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, California Chapter and the Private Practice Section.

“Given the opportunity, you have to try everything at least once!”

“Great ambition without contribution is without significance.”