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November 2024 by Jiwon Y.
After our friend recommended Ryan, my partner and I started seeing him. I've been dealing with recurring shoulder flare-ups that disrupted my life, causing me to wake up at night in pain. Despite seeing several physical therapists, and knowing surgery wasn't an option, I feared this struggle would be lifelong. Ryan helped me get my shoulder strong gradually, but surely. I had a couple of flare-ups on the way. I felt impatient with myself and was quite frustrated, but Ryan was incredibly patient and came up with new programs to continue the work while adapting to my body's needs. Ryan's experience and kindness truly stand out. His ability to maintain energy and focus with numerous clients back-to-back is impressive. If you've tried physical therapy before without success, I highly recommend giving Ryan a try!
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October 2024 by Kenny H.
I've been taken care of by Michelle Bostick for several months now after a pretty gruesome tibia/fibula break with broken heel and foot bones that I received from a snowboarding accident. This was not an easy recovery as I now have multiple plates and many screws just below my knee. Michelle has years of experience and was respectful of my progress, my goals, and my limitations. She helped me formulate a recovery plan that I was not only comfortable with but I believe accelerated my recovery and made it as painless as it could possibly be considering the damage that was done. She pushed when it was time to push and she rested when it was time to rest. I couldn't be more comfortable with the hands I was placed in. Avant is not only staffed with excellent PT's. The referral coordinators are knowledgeable and friendly as well, greeting you by your name when you arrive and making sure you are checked in and scheduled out. I would recommend Avant to anyone who needs it. They are top-tier and the overall experience they provide is one I won't forget. Five stars.
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April 2024 by Jennifer Guthrie
Avant and Laura Shellooe Soderlind are incredible. I highly recommend this group of talented and caring PTs. Laura deftly guided my daughter through a dance-related ankle injury. Not only is my daughter's ankle much better but she is much wiser about how her whole body plays a role in the care of her joints. The attention to correcting the problem while also setting patients up for long-term success is top notch. Roni, who leads the admin team, is sharp, kind, and quick to respond. All so greatly appreciated!
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April 2024 by Bradley Cason
When i came to Avant I was five months in to the protracted recovery of a femur badly broken in a snowboarding accident. I was having difficulty walking and in a lot of pain. I’d spent about six weeks working with another therapist before receiving a recommendation from an athletic trainer friend to check out Avant.I immediately felt a level of care and attention that gave me a much needed boost of hope in a difficult time. Laura performed an initial assessment and paired me up with Ryan Perry, who proved to be a perfect fit.Ryan was able to create a routine for me early on that allowed me to progress my muscle recovery while accommodating my lingering injury pain using BFR training, which I believe significantly sped up my recovery. As the pain reduced, he was very quick to introduce new approaches that had me putting on muscle mass and gaining balance and flexibility that went beyond what I’d had before the injury. I have continued to use many of the exercises he taught me in my regular workout routine.I feel like I came away from my time at Avant not only recovered from my injury, but stronger and more knowledgeable than before I started. I would highly recommend Ryan and Avant.
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March 2024 by Eleanor Lewis
I honestly cannot recommend Avant enough. I have seen over a dozen PTs in my life all of varying quality. However, the PTs I’ve seen at Avant are at or near the top of the list.I’ve been going to Avant for over 2 years now for extreme hypermobility and joint instability. When I started I often needed a mobility aid to walk, could not lift my arms above my head, would blackout if someone put too much pressure on my ribcage, among many other symptoms.Now I’m at a average chronic pain level of zero (absolutely insane for people with my connective tissue disorder) I’m back to dancing Ballet which I thought I would never be able to do, can hang my body weight on my shoulders, and am able to take high impact work on many of my joints.I’m currently working with Laura Shellooe and have been for over a year and I cannot sing her praises enough. My body often requires creative thinking and adaptability, and Laura is always coming up with brilliant ways to solve new problems and complications. She is also helping me work with other people like ballet instructors, Pilates instructors, and GYROTONIC®️method instructors to holistically get me to where I want my body to be.Thanks Avant!
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March 2024 by Paul Gedeon
I had issues with my right foot hurting me after extended periods of walking or running. I had about 10 sessions with Kate. The sessions were the right amount of challenging and the homework exercises were manageable with my schedule. She gave me a clear roadmap to graduate out of PT and we met our timeline. My foot stopped hurting ever since. I highly recommend Kate.
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February 2024 by Shannon Cochran
I wasn’t going to write this review, but after my experience with the office I might as well warn others. I’ve been seen at Avant 2 times previously for neck instability / weakness. I was seen by Kate both times. Kate’s personality isn’t for everyone, (she’s curt, makes off putting comments) it certainly isn’t for me but I put that to the side in hopes of focusing on getting my neck stronger. My neck did improve under her care during the times I saw her and I decided to see her a 3rd time when my neck started having issues again. This appointment was very different than the others, she used most of the appointment time to ask the same 100 questions she has already asked at previous appointments. When there were 5 minutes left in my appointment she began strength testing- she was not gentle with my neck. She abruptly jerked it into multiple positions suddenly and without warning. It hurt. My neck immediately seized up and became tight and painful. At this point, I’m stiff because of how rough she was while “testing” my strength and she then tells me to get on my hands and knees and perform an exercise where my neck was not supported. I could hardly move and perform the exercise without pain and I said, “I’m not sure if I can do this” in which she responded, “sure you can”. I completed the exercise in pain and left the appointment very upset. I came home and laid in bed with my head supported. The rough treatment of my neck triggered my vertigo and tinnitus. I’m off balance and cannot move my head without discomfort. I’ve been in bed waiting for my muscles to relax for 3 days now. I expressed my concerns to the office and said I am no longer interested in being seen by Kate. The owner, (Laura) sent me an email about my experience and basically gaslit me. She justified my increase in pain and symptoms by saying it’s normal when they do strength testing and then she compared testing the strength in my neck to testing an injured bicep and that they need to recreate pain to get an accurate depiction of the patients issues. So here I am, laying in bed because I am too dizzy to stand up but apparently this was necessary for them todo their job. What a joke. I hope I’m able to recover.
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February 2024 by Ada Zhang
Laura Shellooe Soderlind helped me so much with my ankle!I take beginning ballet classes as an adult, and sprained my ankle while rock climbing. I initially avoided going to PT, and while my ankle got back to daily activities pretty quickly, it still wasn't able to handle the demands of ballet even 10 months post injury.I've been to PTs for other injuries before and have found that they're often fantastic at getting injuries back to activities of daily living, but sometimes they struggle with extra strength required for specific sports. Not so with Avant! They have many PTs who specialize in dance. Laura knew exactly what I needed for ballet and expertly guided me and my ankle through exercises to improve function/strength. In the process, she also helped me understand better positioning/alignment for ballet, which not only helped stabilize my ankle, but also generally improved my dancing! Now I'm back to dancing, and I think I'm even better than before my sprain :)If you need a PT to help you get back into a sport, I would highly recommend you check out Avant!
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February 2024 by Polly Johnson
I have seen Ryan on and off through marathon training. He always gets me to the start line healthy, strong and excited. This last go around got me a BQ, he is THE BEST. I recommend him and Avant 10 out of 10 times!
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January 2024 by Deborah Schwarz
I have been treated at Avant Physical Therapy for a couple months now. My therapist has been Dr. Laura Shellooe Soderlind. I know that reviewers often inflate the star count assigned to a business; nobody wants to be mean. However, I've visited enough PT providers to know that this group is the real deal! Everything at Avant oozes professional attention to detail. From the front desk staff (I'm typically greeted by Ronnie), to the individual therapists, everyone there makes you feel warmly welcomed.In particular I want to single out Laura. For years I have battled chronic back problems. Every time I have sought remedies, I have ended up further injuring an already weak back. Laura is the first therapist who has really studied my bodies movement dynamics and carefully guided me through an exercise regimen that has actually made my back feel not just better, but stronger. That requires some very thorough knowledge that Laura clearly possesses and uses daily.Don't ask to go to Avant - demand it! You won't be sorry.
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November 2023 by Davis Harrison
I had an incredible experience with Laura B at Avant! In six months time, Laura was able to get me from dealing with daily back pain and being limited at the gym to no back pain and making huge strides in weightlifting.Laura was able to diagnose the root of my back pain that several doctors and PTs had been unable to and immediately got me on the path to relief with strength and mobility exercises. Laura looks beyond just fixing a single issue and thinks holistically about how the entire body functions. She identified solutions to several other issues I had (shoulder, foot) and helped me with those simultaneously.Laura pushed me to get stronger and safely go outside my comfort zone to start doing all compound lifts at the gym, which had been a goal of mine for years.Each session with Laura was a delight, she has an infectiously positive personality and kept me honest about working hard every week.I can't speak highly enough about Laura's practice in general and I'd trust any of her providers with top notch care.
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November 2023 by Alana Isiguen
I highly recommend Avant PT for their team of skilled practitioners, warm vibe, and the fact that you see your DPT for the entire session (instead of being transferred to a trainee for movement exercises). Every session builds on the last, never feeling repetitive, and the use of a shared app helps you track your homework in a very manageable way. All the PTs here have the goal for their patients to leave stronger and with more tools than before.I’ve been fortunate to see Laura Bannister through various injuries, and she is one of the most knowledgeable, caring and skilled physical therapists I’ve ever worked with. She understands the demands and nuances of a professional dancer because of her own embodied experience and years of directing Avant. I always appreciate her proactive and honest approach, taking the time to identify and rework biomechanics and habitual patterns, with the goal of becoming more informed and aware. Even when it felt like I would never reach a point of being pain free or strong again, she helped me rebuild not only the physical strength, but also the mental confidence necessary to return. I am so grateful to have found her as my go to resource here in Seattle, as she plays a vital role in the longevity of my career and overall well being.
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November 2023 by Ted Leung
I worked with Laura Shellooe at Avant Physical Therapy for male pelvic floor related issues. She was wonderful to work with, and we made enough progress for me to "graduate" from PT and avoid the need for surgery! Laura explained everything very clearly and logically and it was amazing how I could learn to connect to and control parts of my body. I highly recommend her!
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November 2023 by T B.
Ryan enabled me to eat crunchy, chewy foods again!! I have EDS and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my jaw as well as TMJ, and was put on a soft food diet for several years. The doctors I had seen before Ryan told me I'd be on a soft food diet for the rest of my life. Ryan explained that the jaw is different from other joints when they degrade, and that I probably could eat real food again! And he was right!! After several months working with Ryan, the continuous headaches are gone and I'm eating salad and crusty bread! Honestly I feel like Ryan gave me my life back! While my splint doctor had told me about the "jaw exercises you can do", a one page handout from the dentist office was not enough to make me successful. Ryan was able to break down the exercises into smaller steps: literally the tubing for one exercise started small, then increased in size. As a person with EDS I have trouble with proprioception, so Ryan's coaching was imperative to make progress. For example, he showed me the signs that I was moving in a slightly wrong direction ("see how the tubing points up?") so that I can self-correct when I do my PT homework. I saw the other review from Lani and feel bad that she had such a different experience from me with the same PT! Indeed, there is a learning curve for any new PT when working on me, they often have to try something, and realize they gotta dial it back next time. As someone with EDS, I've come to realize that's part of the process and acceptable as long as over a few months I'm improving. I felt Ryan showed a lot of care for me. He knew when to be concerned about a symptom vs "oh that's a one off, don't worry about it". He was patient when I over-describe some situation that led to a flare up, and was able to kindly point out when I had a pattern that was making my symptoms worse ("are you sleeping on that side?"). He's also got a great sense of humor which makes the time fly by! Note: I come into the office in person. Virtual PT can work, but it's a lot harder and slower especially for the jaw (harder to demonstrate over video chat than a leg or arm). Like many with chronic diseases, I am still masking when I go out in public, but I don't mind that others around me are not masking, so the no-mask-required policy at Avant (now in 2023) doesn't bother me. The office appears very clean and I haven't gotten sick from my PT visits.
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October 2023 by Jeff Sievers
Five stars for Brenna, the best physical therapist for kids in Seattle!My son, Dexter, is an 11-year-old basketball player struggling with foot problems. He was in a lot of pain and couldn't play the game he loved. We took him to see Brenna, and she helped him get back on his feet in no time.Brenna was excellent with Dexter. She was patient, understanding, and fun. She made PT enjoyable for him and always knew how to motivate him.Brenna quickly diagnosed Dexter's foot problems and developed a personalized treatment plan for him that helped Dexter get back on the court at full speed!If you are looking for a physical therapist for your child, I highly recommend Brenna David. She is the best!
