Donald Sanchez, PT
Donald graduated from UNM’s Division of Physical Therapy in 1983. He has worked in several clinics throughout the Southwest but returned to his hometown of Los Lunas in 1996 to fulfill the dream of owning his own practice. He has dedicated his life to physical therapy and the application of a comprehensive, all-inclusive approach to patient care. He believes that physical therapy is a perfect venue to be able to help people and touch lives. Donald is committed to the advancement of the profession of PT and the ongoing conversation of the healing capacity of the human body. Donald lives in Los Lunas with his wife Loraine and their son Estevan. He enjoys gardening, classic cars, exercise, and the outdoors.
Nicole Rejda
Nicole is the heart and soul of Paradigm. She helps to bridge the gap between clinical staff and administrative staff and has more responsibilities than can be listed. She has been with Paradigm since 2010 and in her time has effected very positive change. She is married with 2 children and lives in Valencia County.
Los Lunas Staff
Betsy Atchinson, MPT, OCS, IOC, Cert. DN
Staff Physical Therapist · Los Lunas
Betsy comes to us from Charlottesville, Virginia, originally. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Virginia in 1990, then obtained her Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of St Augustine Institute for Physical Therapy in 1998. She worked for Taos Physical Therapy in Taos, NM, from 1998-2004, then moved down to Albuquerque in 2004, where she worked for Health South/Select Physical Therapy for 18 years. She is board certified in orthopaedics through the American Physical Therapy Association, and she received an Integrated Orthopaedics Certification, which is a combined orthopaedic/manual therapy certification offered through the University of St Augustine in Florida and The Insitute of Physical Art in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She is a certified dry needling practitioner, as well. She lives in Albuquerque with her husband, Rick, their dog, and their horses. She enjoys foxhunting on the weekends.
Antonio Valdez, DPT
Staff Physical Therapist · Los Lunas
Antonio grew up in Artesia, NM before moving to Albuquerque in 2010 to attend the University of New Mexico. He graduated in 2015 from UNM with his Bachelors in Liberal Arts with a focus in Exercise Science and Health Education. He took time off to work in the PT field as a tech, spend time with family, and married his wife in 2018. He applied to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the UNM School of Medicine in 2018 and graduated in 2022. Antonio enjoys working in the outpatient setting due to the variety of age groups and diagnosis he gets to work with. He is especially interested in orthopedic, sport, geriatric, and neurological rehabilitation to maximize functional outcomes to help patients meet their goals. When not in the clinic Antonio loves to spend time with his wife, little girl, newborn son, and his crazy dog and cat. He loves being outdoors with his family and catching up on his favorite movies and TV shows during his down time.
Idaly Landeros, PTA
Clinic Manager / Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas
Idaly was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. She is a first generation college graduate. Idaly graduated from CNM in 2022 and started her career at Paradigm shortly after receiving her license as a Physical Therapist Assistant. Idaly enjoys working with all age groups and being able to help translate for the Hispanic community. Idaly enjoys being physically active and playing sand volleyball in her free time.
Celeste Peters, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas
Celeste grew up in Winslow, Arizona, and received her bachelor’s of science in Environmental Studies from Northern Arizona University, graduating summa cum laude with a full-ride scholarship. She worked in holistic health and as a yoga instructor before moving to New Mexico to pursue a career as a physical therapy assistant. Celeste loves to integrate these experiences into her patient care, fostering a holistic and nurturing environment for her patients. Celeste specializes in pelvic floor therapy. In her free time, she enjoys oil painting and being outdoors with her loved ones.
Adrian Avitia, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas
Adrian graduated in 2018 from Central New Mexico Community College and became a licensed physical therapist assistant. He later attended Northern Arizona University and earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant in 2020. He was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. He is committed to growing as a healthcare professional with Paradigm and furthering his education. Adrian believes in delivering compassionate care and tailoring therapeutic interventions to patient’s goals. Outside of work he enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, fishing, and playing volleyball.
Jake Theis, DPT
Staff Physical Therapist · Los Lunas
Jake Theis grew up in Santa Fe NM, before moving to Albuquerque in 2015. Jake completed an exercise science degree, while personal training and working as a Physical Therapy technician for 4 and a half years. Jake graduated from UNM’s DPT program in 2024 and started working at Paradigm Physical Therapy. Jake enjoys the outpatient setting and is interested in orthopedics, vestibular, and neurological rehabilitation. Jake is an avid fly fisherman and enjoys the outdoors.
Kristy Gronseth, OT
Kristy Gronseth is a New Mexico native being born in Albuquerque NM and graduating high school in Carlsbad, NM. She attended her first two years of pre-requisites at NMSU and she graduated from Colorado State University in 1994 with her degree in Occupational Therapy. During her 30 years as an OT, she has treated many different diagnoses and has primarily practiced in the neurological rehabilitation setting. She has specialty training in Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury. She has also treated many other neurological conditions such as Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, etc. She has experience in treating orthopedic conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome and carpal tunnel release, osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, and shoulder impingement, just to name a few. Kristy treats her clients with passion, creativity and focus on individualizing the treatment plan for each client that she sees.
Zanyaa Placencia, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas
Zanyaa was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated from the Physical therapist assistant program at Pima Medical Institute in October 2024. She is a first generation college graduate in her family. She is committed to pursuing her new journey at paradigm physical therapy to enhance her education. Zanyaa enjoys working with every patient that walks in the door and loves to challenge her patients to be their best selves. Zanyaa enjoys going to the gym and spending her time with loved ones.
Brittany Garcia, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas, Albuquerque South Valley, Belen
Brittany is from Farmington, NM and completed her PTA program there. She graduated from San Juan College and became a licensed therapist in 2021. She is a former traveling PTA and after completing multiple contracts with Paradigm over the last few years, she has decided to join our team permanently. She enjoyed the variety that travel offered and can’t wait to utilize those skills and techniques to achieve the best possible outcomes with her patients. “Being a therapist is great, you never know what you’re gonna get from one day to the next. Plus, I love challenging people to do things they thought they couldn’t.” Outside of work, she enjoys camping and fishing, and restores classic cars with her husband.
Justin Solomon, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas
Bio Coming Soon!
Belen Staff
Meghan Guy, DPT
Staff Physical Therapist · Belen
Meghan is a recent graduate from the University of New Mexico, earning her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2025. Born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, she attended Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon where she graduated with her Bachelors in Exercise Science in 2022. She now calls Los Lunas home and is dedicated to helping her community achieve better health and mobility. She enjoys working in the outpatient setting and has a special interest in neurological rehabilitation to help maximize functional outcomes and improve patient’s quality of life. In her free time she enjoys swimming, reading, baking, and spending time with her two cats.
Vivian Navarro, DPT
Staff Physical Therapist · Belen
Coming Soon!
Jean Elliott, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Belen
Jean grew up in the Belen, NM area but moved away to Farmington, NM for many years before returning to the area in 2020. Jean attended school at SJC and became a PTA in 2012. Jean loves NM and the variety that NM offers. In her free time, Jean loves everything about the outdoors from skiing to hiking to boating and everything in between. She even heads over to Santa Rosa for NM style scuba diving. Jean is happy to be back in the area and to care for the members of the community she grew up in.
Ben (Trey) Porcher, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Belen
Has lived in Belen since 1996, a family man married for over 30 years with four children. Enjoys outdoor activities such as golfing, hiking and gardening. Has been a physical therapist assistant since 2015 and enjoys working with people to help them feel better and achieve their fitness goals.
Danielle Cook, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Belen
Originally from Los Lunas, Danielle moved to Albuquerque in her teens, where she graduated from Rio Grande High School. She is now moving back to her roots in Los Lunas, where she and her family are having their forever home built. She received her Bachelor’s degree from The University Of New Mexico and her Associates from Pima Medical Institute; she has been practicing as a PTA since 2019, and is a certified LSVT BIG Parkinson’s Program Clinician. Danielle loves working with the diverse caseload that comes with a rural community, and is comfortable providing both high intensity sports related patient care and more global functional movement care. She is committed to providing one on one personalized patient care, and puts her heart into all that she does in the clinic.
In her free time, Danielle loves riding through the cool mountain pass on her Soft-tail Slim HD and playing semi-pro football, which is how she and her Wife first met and where their love story began. Danielle is a new momma and loves spending time with her baby boy!
Sarah Wenze, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Belen
I was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM where I went to Sandia High School then attended Western NM University where I played basketball and earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in Kinesiology and a Minor in Sports Medicine. I graduated from WNMU in 2011 then took some time off and coached basketball and worked at UPS and decided it was time for a career change and physical therapy was calling my name. I was accepted to CNM’s PTA Program in 2022 and graduated in December 2023. Paradigm was my first clinical rotation in school and my first job out of school. I love the atmosphere and the patient demographic that paradigm has to offer and I am excited to start my career here. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends, camping, hitting a local brewery and most of all traveling.
Brittany Garcia, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas, Albuquerque South Valley, Belen
Brittany is from Farmington, NM and completed her PTA program there. She graduated from San Juan College and became a licensed therapist in 2021. She is a former traveling PTA and after completing multiple contracts with Paradigm over the last few years, she has decided to join our team permanently. She enjoyed the variety that travel offered and can’t wait to utilize those skills and techniques to achieve the best possible outcomes with her patients. “Being a therapist is great, you never know what you’re gonna get from one day to the next. Plus, I love challenging people to do things they thought they couldn’t.” Outside of work, she enjoys camping and fishing, and restores classic cars with her husband.
Albuquerque South Valley Staff
Eryk Ocasio, PT, DPT
Staff Physical Therapist – South Valley
Eryk is originally from Alamogordo, NM, received his Bachelor’s in Business Administration at NMSU in Las Cruces, NM in 2009 and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Washington University in St Louis, MO in 2015. After working in a hospital based clinic in northern Missouri doing outpatient and inpatient care for a couple years, he is happy to be back in his home state near family and friends (and with much better weather!). His treatment philosophy involves incorporating not only exercise prescription but also addressing the mechanics of functional motions one does in everyday life that can aggravate or lead to an injury (getting up from a chair with knees together, standing with slouched posture, walking with feet pointing outward). He has a lovely, wonderful wife and a cool dog and enjoys hiking, climbing, biking, playing bass, and martial arts.
Lindsey Borders, PT, DPT, MHA
Staff Physical Therapist · South Valley
Lindsey earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from the University of New Mexico in 2016 and later completed a Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Oklahoma State University in 2022. With over ten years of experience in outpatient physical therapy, she has developed extensive expertise in treating both orthopedic and neurologic conditions. She is also taking her Orthopedic Specialist Certification board examination this following year.
Lindsey is certified in dry needling and LSVT BIG, a specialized treatment approach for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. She enjoys working with patients of all ages, with particular interest in post-surgical rehabilitation and helping those with Parkinson’s disease improve mobility, strength, and confidence in their daily lives.
Outside of the clinic, Lindsey enjoys staying active with her daughter through hiking, mountain biking, snowboarding, and yoga. When not outdoors, you can often find her exploring the arts community in New Mexico with activities such as knitting, weaving, and hand-dyeing yarns.
Jennifer Dominique, PTA
Clinic Manager / Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · South Valley
Jenny Dominique has been working with Paradigm as a PTA for seven years, and has more recently stepped into the role of Clinic Manager for our South Valley Clinic. Before becoming a PTA, Jenny was a certified yoga instructor for more than ten years, working with people of all different ages and abilities. This led her to pursue a career in physical therapy, which only deepened her passion for empowering people in their healing. In her spare time, she enjoys epic Uno tournaments and goofy adventures with her husband and two teenage sons. She loves doing anything creative, but especially baking, gardening and crocheting. She also loves to hike and is on a mission to visit as many National Parks as she can in this decade of her life. So far she’s up to 9.
Eileen Kugler, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · South Valley
Eileen is a Physical Therapist Assistant who graduated from Mid-plains community college and Pima Medical Institute. She has always wanted to work in the physical therapy field due to experiencing injuries while playing sports as a young child. She is a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner who enjoys providing adequate care for her patients. Eileen is motivated to help restore her patient’s overall health. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys traveling to see new places.
Gianna Springer, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant – South Valley
My name is Gianna Springer and I was born and raised in Albuquerque NM. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from New Mexico Highlands University and am a recent PTA graduate from San Juan College. I was a competitive gymnastics coach for 18 years and have a high level of passion for athletics and pediatrics. Maintaining an active lifestyle, playing with my two kiddos, my energetic pup and enjoying life with my husband is what brings me joy. Providing education and tools that allow an individual to regain or increase their quality of life is why I became a PTA. I take great responsibility knowing I have the privilege to be a part of someone’s healing journey and I will always strive to meet each person with compassion, understanding and grace.
Sherysse Garcia, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · South Valley
Sherysse is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and a recent graduate from Pima Medical Institute. Passionate about delivering the highest quality of care, she is dedicated to helping patients achieve their goals through personalized, evidence based treatment. Sherysse is excited to begin her professional journey with Paradigm Physical Therapy and Wellness, where she looks forward to expanding her knowledge and skills. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her two boys and her husband. She enjoys playing slow pitch softball and taking yearly family trips to Disneyland.
Brittany Garcia, PTA
Staff Physical Therapist Assistant · Los Lunas, Albuquerque South Valley, Belen
Brittany is from Farmington, NM and completed her PTA program there. She graduated from San Juan College and became a licensed therapist in 2021. She is a former traveling PTA and after completing multiple contracts with Paradigm over the last few years, she has decided to join our team permanently. She enjoyed the variety that travel offered and can’t wait to utilize those skills and techniques to achieve the best possible outcomes with her patients. “Being a therapist is great, you never know what you’re gonna get from one day to the next. Plus, I love challenging people to do things they thought they couldn’t.” Outside of work, she enjoys camping and fishing, and restores classic cars with her husband.
Kristy Gronseth OT – Offers Pre-Driver Screenings
Occupational Therapy covers many treatments but did you know that Pre-driver screenings is one of them? We will assess visual perception, cognitive skills, and physical abilities for driving, with recommendations for cessation or referrals to driving specialists as needed. Call 505-866-0055 or visit paradigmnm.com for an appoint with Kristy Gronseth, OTR/L#OccuaptionalTherapy #OT #PreDriverScreening #CognativeSkills #VisualPerception […]
Halloween 2025 at Paradigm Physical Therapy
Some Halloween silliness at our South Valley Clinic!
Congrats to Dani Cook, ALL PRO in the American Women’s Football League
Congrats to our All Star clinician Dani Cook (Belen) on her ALL PRO selection in the AWFL (American Women’s Football League). Dani showed grit and determination on the gridiron this season, earning her a spot in the All Pro game to be played in Charlotte, NC on July 12th! Great work, Dani! @danyeezy_23 @americanwomensfootballleague
Here at Paradigm Physical Therapy We Have the Best Admin Staff
Here at Paradigm Physical Therapy we have the best admin staff. They are always friendly and helpful! Thank you for all your hard work to make our clinic run smoothly! #staffappreciation
Kristy Gronseth OT – Making a Difference, Take Her Patients Word For It!
April is Occupational Therapy Month and Kristy Gronseth, our resident OT, is making a real difference in peoples lives. Don’t take our word for it, see what our patients are saying about Kristy. February 10th, 2025 My therapy with Kristy Gronseth has been very helpful. She is very thorough and encouraging. My pain has decreased […]
April is Occupational Therapy Month – Inspiring Hope, Changing Lives.
Focus on Participation Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) help patients in meaningful activities (occupations) in order to promote physical and mental health and quality of life. Occupational therapists (OT) are referred to as OT practitioners (OTPs). OTPs promote participation in the following areas: Education/school work (e.g. attending in class, handwriting, managing classroom materials) Play and leisure […]
