Maryland Physical Therapy - Friendship Heights Staff

Friendship Heights Physical Therapy of Maryland Meet Our Staff
Our physical therapists are what makes Friendship Heights the best choice when looking for a physical therapy program in Maryland or the Metro DC area.
Executive Director: Therese Rodda, PT Therese (Terri) graduated from the State University of New York in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy. She has spent her entire career working in the Washington, DC metropolitan area in a variety of settings, hospital, outpatient and home care. As the owner of Friendship Heights Rehabilitation Center and Director of Clinical Services, she is committed to hiring the highest quality staff to provide excellent rehabilitative care with an emphasis on wellness. She was a former Community Health Professional of the Year nominee by the Maryland National Home Care Association. Terri’s diverse background enables her to work with all age groups and diagnoses. However, she has a special interest in the problems that develop as a result of lung disease and problems faced by the aging senior.

Staff Physical Therapist: Katie Taraban, DPT Katie is from Northern California and attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Exercise and Health Science. She moved to the East Coast to study physical therapy at New York University, and received her doctorate in 2009. She utilizes a combination of manual techniques and specific therapeutic exercises to optimize patients’ results and outcomes. She enjoys working as a physical therapist because it provides her with the opportunity to personally connect with her patients and help them return to the activities which are important to them.

Staff Physical Therapist: Joseph Elbert Villamor, PT Joseph received his degree in Physical Therapy from De La Salle University in the Phillipines. He has been practicing as a sports physical therapist for over ten years. He enjoys using his manual skills to help treat athletes and patients of all ages and abilities from students to professionals with a variety of musculoskeletal injuries. Joseph uses a combination of manual therapy (ex. trigger point release, muscle energy, myofascial release with dry needling), along with evidence-based physical therapy to provide patients with individualized care and effective treatments suited to their specific needs.Joseph has a special interest in biomechanics and uses that interest to develop his skills as a therapist. In his spare time, Joseph enjoys numerous sports especially basketball.

Staff Physical Therapist: Emily Claire Roberts, DPT Emily grew up in Rockville, MD and attended the Univeristy of Maryland, College Park for her undergraduate work in kinesiology. She then received her Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from The University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. She has worked as a physical therapist in an outpatient setting and also works with orthotics, prosthetics and adaptive equipment for over 2 years. Emily has experience with all age ranges, but has a special interest in the pediatric populatiuon. She has worked a variety of pediatric diagnoses and enjoys making children with impairments more functional in their daily lives and in play.