Meet the Therapists

Lea Flanagan

Welcome. My name is Lea Flanagan, owner of and treating clinician at Essential Physical Therapy and Wellness. For more than 20 years I have had the honor of working with many wonderful patients who have entrusted me with their care.

Through experience, I know that a patient’s healing process can be accelerated through early hands-on care complimented by exercise and education. My emphasis is to treat the whole patient, not just the diagnosis and it is my priority to help patients reach their goals through a collaborative effort by both clinician and patient. I believe the job of a physical therapist is to bring together head and heart to help a person achieve wellness.

I learned the value of such care first-hand when I was a teenager recovering from major knee surgery. It was challenging, not only physically but emotionally and mentally. I was fortunate to have worked with a compassionate physical therapist who gently motivated me to move and helped me work through pain and dysfunction. He exemplified caring for the person as a whole and helped me return to doing all of the things that I loved to do. I will always be grateful for that positive and impactful experience as it shaped who I am today.

After graduating high school with the intention to study physical therapy, I attended Ursinus College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology in 1997. I then attended Widener University and graduated with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy in 2000.

For the past 20 years, I have completed extensive continuing education courses in manual therapy, which has become a passion, through several programs including the University of St. Augustine, the Institute of Physical Art and the Barral Institute. In addition to manual therapy training, I am certified in assessment and treatment using the Balance-Based Torso Weighted Vest through Motion Therapeutics. I am also certified in the Graston Technique and I have trained in mat Pilates through Basi. My career has been spent working with both the orthopedic and neurological patient population.

On a personal note, I grew up in southern New Jersey and now live outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with my husband and our three children. They keep my days busy and my heart full. Some of my favorite moments in life are moments of connection…with patients, friends and family.

Claire Wiedmann

Claire has been a practicing Physical Therapist for the past 34 years, having graduated in 1991 from Witwatersrand University in South Africa with BSc Physiotherapy. Her initial focus began in orthopedic manual therapy and sports medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. She moved to Chicago, USA in 1993 and continued to focus on her manual therapy skills, including craniosacral therapy.

She later received training in Pelvic Health while living in Hawaii and moved to Pennsylvania in 2007, furthering her studies in pelvic health, visceral manipulation and craniosacral therapy. She continues to practice as a holistic orthopedic and pelvic health practitioner, utilizing her manual orthopedic, craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation skills as well as educating her patients on bladder, bowel and gut health to help them understand and facilitate their own body's natural healing process. Through the pelvic health specialty, she also developed a keen interest in trauma and the Polyvagal Theory which further enriched her understanding of holistic medicine. She received a certification in MovNat- Natural Movement to help patients understand the importance of natural daily movements and how these movements encourage healthy regulation of the nervous system.

She continues to support and guide her patients in developing a deeper sense of awareness physically and emotionally as they continue their journey towards overall health and well-being. In addition to her patient care, she has developed and presented workshops on pelvic health and natural movement in various communities.