"My favorite part of my day is getting to know each and every one of my patients through storytelling and problem-solving. It is the only way that we can identify meaningful functional goals, understand how important it is to achieve them, and discuss the physical, emotional, and behavioral barriers to achieving them. I love getting to offer my patients simple, tangible strategies on reducing dysfunction, and demonstrating that there is hope for the future."
Lena's journey into human performance and health care is a story of dedication and transformation. Her love for movement began at age 3 with ballet. At the age of 14, Lena moved away from home to attend the Harid Conservatory, an international boarding school for Russian-style classical ballet. Lena danced professionally in Nashville before facing the challenges of chronic injury and emotional burnout, which led her to retire from her dance career. However, her ballet experience endowed her with keen observational skills, a deep understanding of anatomy and biomechanics, and the resilience necessary for mastering a physical art.
Upon returning to Southern California, Lena found her path in the fitness industry, beginning with yoga teacher training in 2014. Yoga's emphasis on how movement feels rather than its aesthetic value, along with the profound impact of intentional breath, sparked Lena's passion for human movement and laid the foundation for her future as a physical therapist.
Lena earned her BS in Kinesiology/Exercise Science from CSULB in 2019 and completed her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Regis University in 2022. She continued her specialization through an orthopedic residency at CSULB and achieved board certification in orthopedic clinical physical therapy in 2024-a distinction held by only 6% of physical therapists in the US. Lena finds immense joy in hearing the diverse and enriching stories of her patients, and her clinical interests include foot and ankle pathologies and chronic pain in athletes.
Beyond her clinical work, Lena is an active community member. She is a Rizing Tide scholar and participates in several professional organizations, including the American Physical Therapy Association, the California Physical Therapy Association, the California Orthopedic Manual Therapy Special Interest Group, and the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. In her spare time, Lena enjoys backcountry hiking, paddleboarding in the harbor, and savoring the vibrant food scene of Orange County.
