Our team.

Dr. Katie Bacarella is a physical therapist and certified CrossFit Level 2 trainer. Beginning at Albion College, she earned a bachelor of arts in Athletic Training while running at the Div. 3 collegiate level. Shortly after beginning her studies for a her doctorate of physical therapy degree at the University of Michigan- Flint, she passed her athletic training certification exam.

Katie has always lived an active life, including swimming, horseback riding and running from a young age. In high school she was exposed to weightlifting and fell in love. However she wouldn't return to weightlifting until 5 years later, when her boyfriend at the time (now husband) exposed her to CrossFit. In August 2014, shortly before Katie's PT school graduation, they opened their own CrossFit affiliate in Monroe, MI.

Specialties

Katie’s background as a collegiate runner, CrossFit athlete and CrossFit coach helps shape her clinical practice. She specializes in a “fitness forward” rehab approach - perfect for CrossFit athletes, athletes (return-to-sport), is an internal-trained pelvic floor physical therapist and has a special interest in treating & working with pregnant and postpartum women.

In addition to a “fitness forward” approach, Katie also utilizes techniques such as kinesiology taping, dry needling, cupping, IASTM, and pelvic MET to optimize results for patients.

Katie is a Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism coach, a CrossFit Level 2 trainer and enjoys coaching & running workshops at Light the Fire CrossFit. In addition to coaching CrossFit classes, Katie also programs & coaches pre-hab/accessory work classes.

Background

Katie graduated from Albion College with a degree in Athletic Training in 2011, and graduated with a doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2014.

In her free time, Katie enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters Victoria, Julianna & Natalia, working out, riding horses and reading.

Dr. Jenny LaCross PT, DPT, PhD, WCS, ATC, CLT is a residency-trained, board- certified clinical specialist in women’s health physical therapy through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as well as a certified athletic trainer.

Jenny has loved moving since she was little, including dance (ballet, pointe, tap) and later, lacrosse. She spent a summer dancing with TapKids and was a member of University of Michigan’s tap ensemble, RhythM. She also taught weekly tap classes at an assisted living facility in Ann Arbor all through college. Jenny has been weight training since middle school but finally worked up the courage to start CrossFit in February of 2022 and hasn’t looked back.

Specialties

Jenny’s background as a dancer, dance teacher, CrossFit athlete, and researcher informs her clinical practice. Similar to Dr. Bacarella, Jenny also specializes in a “fitness forward” rehab approach, meaning she will do everything to keep you in the gym and moving in your desired capacity. Jenny has lived all over the country, working with active women & female athletes across the lifespan. She has a special interest in working with women who are pregnant & postpartum, women with any type of pelvic floor dysfunction, and active individuals with hip pain and/or low back pain.

Jenny is also trained in myofascial decompression (cup therapy) and lower body dry needling, techniques which she uses to augment movement & rehabilitation.

Background

Jenny graduated from University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with a degree in Kinesiology-Athletic Training in 2011, Washington University in St. Louis with a doctorate in physical therapy in 2014, and Texas Woman’s University with a Ph.D. in physical therapy in 2023. She additionally completed a 15-month women’s health physical therapy residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Centers for Rehab Services in 2015 and a 1- year post-professional women’s health certificate program at Texas Woman’s University in 2018.

When not seeing patients at MOVE PT, Jenny works as a post-doctoral research fellow with University of Michigan-Ann Arbor & Michigan Medicine’s Pelvic Floor Research Group. She also serves as adjunct faculty in the DPT programs at South College-Knoxville and University of Michigan-Flint. In her free time, Jenny enjoys spending time with her husband & two mini Goldendoodles, doing CrossFit, golfing, and reading.

Dr. Madeline Reau is a physical therapist who has been immersed in pelvic floor therapy since the beginning of her career as a physical therapist. Madeline grew up in Temperance, MI, and completed her undergraduate degree at Siena Heights University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. During her time at SHU, she played on the women’s soccer team for four years, which fueled her passion for movement and the female athlete.

She pursued her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Michigan-Flint, where she received exceptional mentorship and support in her interests in women’s health. As a student, she began taking additional courses in pelvic health and had the opportunity to complete a full-time clinical rotation in a pelvic health clinic. Since then, she has dedicated her career to the pelvic health field, gaining extensive experience in treating a diverse range of pelvic floor dysfunctions, from pregnancy and postpartum issues to chronic pain.

On weekends, you can find Madeline in the Downriver area with her boyfriend, Harley, and their adorable pup, Tig, enjoying adventures and the beautiful Michigan summer.

Meg is a Physical Therapist Assistant, CrossFit Level 1 Coach, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach and Certified personal trainer. Meg is currently enrolled in a pregnancy and postpartum athleticism course, to further her training and be able to help more people! She has also completed internal pelvic floor physical therapy training as well.

Meg earned her Associate’s degree from Professional Skills Institute in 2016, and has since started building a unique skill set working closely with Dr. Katie. She worked at a local outpatient clinic for 5 years before leaving to try her hand at Homecare, only to land in her current roles at MOVE Physical Therapy and Light The Fire CrossFit!

Meg is a lifelong athlete who played softball and basketball, softball being her first love. She found a love for weightlifting in 2004, with experience in powerlifting and strongman as well as traditional body building style training.

Meg is a mom to a daughter, Oakleigh, German Shepherd named Ellie and 3 kitties. She is married to her partner of 14 years, Amber.

She hopes to use her experiences as an athlete, coach, mom and therapist to help as many people as possible with MOVEment.

Kristen may not hold the same credentials as our amazing clinical team, but her strength lies in her personal journey and profound interest in physical therapy. Her path to this field began when her hip started acting up just as she discovered her love for running. Intrigued by the workings of physical therapy, Kristen was fascinated by how therapists assess and target issues, offering exercises that work wonders (as long as you do them, right? 😄).

Though her son jokes about her prescribing physical therapy for everything, Kristen genuinely believes in its potential. Witnessing our incredible team restore abilities and freedom in patients holds deep meaning for her.

Arriving at Light the Fire was no accident. Kristen was drawn by Bill and Katie's impressive backgrounds and knew she'd be in good hands. Now, she's grateful to work alongside this remarkable team, ensuring patients gain access to essential care and overall well-being.

Kristen thrives on being the guiding force behind the scenes, assisting patients, answering questions, and navigating insurance matters, all to kickstart their physical therapy journeys with our phenomenal team. She knows firsthand the life-changing impact physical therapy can have.

Beyond her dedication to our patients, Kristen is a devoted wife to Nick and a proud mom to three incredible kids: Holden, Grant, and Isabella. Outside of work, she's passionate about staying active and hitting the gym.