The heart of my work

A mindful approach to Care

I build a partnership with you by creating physical and emotional rapport that creates trust. This relationship allows me to work with you - your mind and your body - to support you in your healing process and uncover the epicenters of your pain or dysfunction. I integrate all my training, intuition, and experience to set you up for success. We discuss your goals in order to get you back to the activities that you enjoy most.

About Deanna “Deedee” Savant, PT

With over 30 years of experience, Deanna “Deedee” Savant has reimagined the art of physical therapy to meet the needs of each individual client. She combines evidence based state of the art biopsychosocial physical therapy practices with intuitive approaches such as osteopathic manual therapy (including cranial sacral therapy, myofascial release, strain counter-strain, and muscle energy technique), Pilates, Yoga, and functional athletic-based triplane balance exercises. Like a detective, Deedee uncovers movement and postural dysfunctions, that may be contributors to pain or tissue tightness then focuses each person on a treatment plan to address individual needs. She aims to help you return to the key activities that help to feed your soul. Committed to whole person care, Deedee is well connected in the healing arts community. and helps her clients to create a care team when needed. Deedee embarked on her PT career from a background in dance, as well as movement, and fitness.

Certifications

Certified Pilates instructor

Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment (McKenzie)

Mental Health Physical Therapist

Advanced Education

Osteopathic Manual Therapy

Cranial Sacral Therapy

Muscle Energy Technique

Lymphatic Drainage

Myofascial Decompression Technique (“cupping”)

Iyengar Yoga, Pranyama breathing

Education

B.A. Pomona College, Sociology/Public Policy Analysis

M.P.T. University of Southern California, Physical Therapy

Teaching

Creator of Pilates teacher training program LPT, Lafayette, CA

Creator of Better Balance Senior classes Fyzical Grand Lake Oakland, CA

Corporate Injury Prevention Speaker

Former Clinical Instructor, U of Wisconsin, Madison

In Gratitude

I did not get to this point in my career without help and support from generous people who allowed me to learn, share, and grow from and with them.

  • The McKenzie Institute - Robin McKenzie revolutionized the concepts of directional preference in positioning and movement, and emphasizing patient responsibility in physical therapy.

  • Upledger Institute - I have taken a multitude of lower level and advanced classes in cranial sacral therapy and lymph drainage from this wonderful institute. They taught me how to "listen" with my hands and follow each body's lead in the moment, rather than a protocol or preconceived notion of what will heal or help.

  • Gary Gray, DPT, PT- Gary promotes function in all three planes of motion, which was a surprisingly radical concept when he was first teaching. I have taken many classes from him and use his concepts daily.

  • Rebecca D’Amour - Rebecca taught me the entire organic movement based Pilates repertoire in her teacher-trainer program. She was a long time student of Ron Fletcher, who was a 20 year student and protégé of Joseph Pilates.

  • Kerry D’Ambrogio, D.O.M., A.P., P.T., D.O.-M.T.P. - Kerry has integrated physical therapy with acupuncture, cranial sacral therapy and lymph drainage. His approach is near and dear to me as I also strive to combine and integrate western and eastern approaches in my work.

  • Kaiser Vallejo - Advanced Training in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) - I completed this 3 month full time residency at the beginning of my career. PNF informs every treatment approach that I perform.

  • Judy Smith, PT - Judy was my first Iyengar yoga teacher and she opened up the world of yoga for me. She taught me about Ayervedic medicine and how to integrate yoga into physical therapy care, particularly with chronic pain clients.

  • Brian Mulligan, ONZM, F.N.Z.S.P. (Hon), Dip. M.T. - This optimistic physiotherapist and teacher showed us how joint and soft tissue mobilization can be performed honoring the triplane movement of each joint, and made us laugh along the way.

  • Lorimer Moseley, PhD, PT - Dr. Moseley explains the concepts of pain neuroscience with humor and easy to understand metaphors.

  • Joe Tatta, DPT, PT - Joe is helping transform the physical therapy profession by bringing mental health awareness and therapeutic techniques into the mainstream. While many of us have long understood the deep connection between mind, body, and spirit, the PT field has historically focused narrowly on the physical domain.

  • Pomona College Dance Department - While I was enjoying a practical major in Public Policy, it was my love of dance (and my minor at Pomona) that fed my passion for exploring human movement and set me on the path to become a physical therapist. Thanks especially to Professor Meg Jolley and to all my fellow dancers (47 forever). (And for those of you who are curious, I did my PT training at USC. I hope that you will understand that on any given football Saturday, I am rooting against my graduate institution).

  • Owen Rogers - Everyone needs a truth teller in their lives. Thank you, Owen, for constantly inspiring me to push boundaries.

  • Marlee Holly - Marlee took every photo on this site. Thank you for your artistry! And thanks also to Nathan and Sophia for being patient models.

  • Montana Kurahara - my endlessly creative and enterprising son-in-law helped me design my logo. The round frame that creates a complete circle from mere strings is a lovely metaphor for what I hope is my contribution to making my clients feel whole again.

  • My Family - to my husband Dominic Savant and children Elsa Savant Kurahara and Nathan Savant, and my parents, Marvis and Howard Brodke - you are my muses. I could not do what I do without your love and support.