With more than 60 years of dance and 40 years of physical therapy experience, May Kesler has brought her healing touch and expertise in physical and massage therapy and movement dynamics to many people.

She specializes in the integration of manual therapies such as myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, joint mobilization, trigger point release, somatoemotional release, lymphatic drainage, and visceral manipulation.

She also uses her knowledge of somatic movement including Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Technique, yoga, ballet barre, and Pilates to her work in exercise and movement reeducation.

May’s devotion to dance started formally in childhood with Helena Baron School of Ballet. This part of her life, coupled with the experiences of healing with her mother who was a Harvard Medical School trained pediatrician, brought May to focus her work on the, union of body, mind, spirit and motion in healing.

May graduated from Rutgers College in NJ in 1977, and then Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, School of Physical Therapy in 1982.

She became interested in physical therapy after injuring her calf while dancing at the American University Academy for the Performing Arts in 1975-6, where she studied and danced with Twyla Tharp and Merce Cunningham Dance Company. She found, in trying to recover, that there was a complete scarcity of understanding of dance medicine, and had to forge her own way for her rehabilitation.

Her work is also with compassion and sensitivity forged by her admiration for her mother, who was also a Holocaust survivor and a Harvard Medical School trained pediatrician, who's story is written here: https://www.amazon.com/GRIT-Pediatricians-Odyssey-Soviet-Harvard/dp/1438944624. Her mother, sadly, passed away from breast cancer when May was a teenager.

47 years later, May was proud to teach workshops at Harvard Medical School as part of the Movementis Conference on Movement and Cognition in July 2018. The topic of the workshop was "Using Dance and Choreographic Devices to Enhance Learning of Fascial and Biotensegral Motion."

She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, the International Association of Health Care Practitioners and the American Bodyworker Massage Professionals.

In addition to her healing profession, she is a lecturer and published author. Her article “Healing the Dance” was published in the book Working Wonders edited by Dr. John Upledger in 2005. She was also movement director for the off-Broadway musical production of Creeps in 1985, and has worked as a choreographer and performer in New Jersey, New York, Florida,

She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, the International Association of Health Care Practitioners and the American Bodyworker Massage Professionals.

Stacey Gayer, PT has been a manual physical therapist for 24 years. Gayer holds a Master's of Physical Therapy degree from Thomas Jefferson University, and specializes in myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation and pelvic floor rehabilitation. She treats both women and men with pelvic floor dysfunction. She is a member of the APTA and Pelvic Health Section and International Pelvic Pain Society.

Stacey has also treated patients in an acute care setting, skilled nursing facility, aquatic therapy and outpatient settings. She recently moved to the DMV area from Pennsylvania.

She provides a thorough assessment of the patient including posture, musculoskeletal system, balance, visceral listening and pelvic floor assessment if needed. As with all sessions at Kesler Physical & Massage Therapy, individual treatment sessions are usually an hour long, ensuring patients have the dedicated attention they deserve. Sessions consist of manual therapy and exercise/posture instruction to continue the healing process,.

When reflecting on her approach to healing, she says, "I view the body as connected from head to toe through the fascial system. I treat the mind, body, and spirit. My patients get results: more movement and less pain. My passion is helping people heal and getting their lives back!"

When she is not treating patients, she enjoys nature walks, yoga, holistic healing, live music, dancing, being involved in her community and spending time with family and friends. She is also very interested in healing modalities from all over the world.