Staff
Emily Monson, MS, PT
Physical Therapist/Practice Owner of Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists
Emily received her Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Physical Therapy program in 2000. She also attended the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Emily opened the Turtle Lake clinic location in 2005 and the Clear Lake clinic location in 2009. She specializes in orthopedics, post-operative rehabilitation, TMJ dysfunction, and industrial medicine. Her interest in work injury management has provided career development through partnership with regional businesses for onsite prevention services, ergonomic training, safety education, and specialized testing for the injured worker. She is actively involved in her professional organization as a current APTA member and member of the Private Practice Section. She also held a position from 2011-2015 as an editorial board member for Impact Magazine. Emily is a graduate of Clayton High School and now resides in Clear Lake, Wisconsin with her husband and two children. She is an active Business Council member and Lion’s Club member. She enjoys coaching volleyball for the Clear Lake District youth programs and in her free time, enjoys running, camping, and spending time with friends and family. She enjoys providing physical therapy to the communities that provided such a helpful experience in her youth. It is her mission to have every patient’s rehabilitation experience with Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists be extraordinary.
Kyle Larson, DPT
Doctorate of Physical Therapy
Kyle Larson grew up and went to school in Clayton, WI. He was an avid athlete playing football, basketball, and baseball. After high school, he continued with sports into college and played football at UW-Stevens Point. After college he continued onto grad school at the College of St. Scholastica where he received his doctorate in physical therapy. He became interested in physical therapy at a young age after getting injured playing basketball and coming to see the team at Turtle Lake Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists. His interest includes treating all patients with a variety of different presentations and conditions. Kyle enjoys working in the orthopedic field and helping people get back to what they love doing. Outside of the clinic, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, golfing, hunting, and being outside in general. Kyle is happy to be in a position to give back to the community where he is from.
Tessa Traynor, DPT
Doctorate of Physical Therapy
Tessa was first introduced to Physical Therapy and Rehab Specialists during an internship in the spring of 2023 where she worked under the owner, Emily Monson, at the Turtle Lake location. She grew up in Barron, WI, graduating from Barron Area High School in 2015 and went on to obtain her Bachelor’s in Science at UW-Eau Claire. She finished off her schooling in 2023 at UW-La Crosse where she earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. She has always known she wanted to work in healthcare to help individuals improve their quality of life. She committed to the profession after witnessing family members benefit from physical therapy to attain their functional goals. Her main interests within the profession include orthopedic, geriatric, neurologic, and many other diagnoses. Tessa now resides in Amery, WI with her husband and dogs, spending as much time outside as possible.
Brooklyn Sandow, DPT
Doctorate of Physical Therapy
Brooklyn was first introduced to Clear Lake Physical Therapy and Rehab Specialists during an undergraduate internship in 2020; then, once again, while completing her final physical therapy internship during the spring of 2024. She grew up in Boyceville, WI and graduated from Boyceville Community School District in 2017 where she was a three sport athlete participating in volleyball, basketball and softball. She went on to obtain her Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Physiology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN; followed by earning her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the College of St. Scholastica. She has had a passion for physical therapy from a young age due to multiple sport related injuries and observing the success her family members had during the rehab process. Her main interests with the field of physical therapy include orthopedic conditions, geriatrics and pelvic health, as well as other diagnoses. Brooklyn now lives in Ridgeland, WI with her husband and dog. She enjoys spending as much time as possible with family, whether that be riding side by side, boating on the lake or sitting around a campfire at the family cabin in Birchwood, WI. She is excited to be working in a rural town and looks forward to building connections with each of her patients.
Nada Abouelnaga, DPT
Doctorate of Physical Therapy
Nada was first introduced to Physical Therapy and Rehab Specialists during her final clinical rotation in Spring of 2024. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt until her freshman year in undergrad when she decided to study abroad and move to the US in 2017. She graduated from Concordia University in Saint Paul, MN with a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Science in 2021, followed by her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy in 2024. She knew she wanted to be a physical therapist since she was in middle school. Nada was once a volleyball player, which led her to find her passion in physical therapy. She discovered her body through injuries and surgeries that she encountered as an athlete. She found her passion in physical therapy after being a patient herself and after witnessing the enormous impact it can have on people. Nada enjoys the variety that the field of physical therapy brings. She loves working with patients of all ages including athletes and geriatric, and she has interest in treating various orthopedic conditions within all different body regions. Outside of work she enjoys traveling, spending quality time with friends and family, and playing volleyball anytime she gets a chance. Nada is excited to be working in a small town and she's looking forward to improving her patient's quality of life and getting them back to what they love doing the most.
Krista Amundsen, PTA
Physical Therapist Assistant
Krista joined Turtle Lake and Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in October 2010 as a Physical Therapist Assistant. She graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical College with an Associate’s degree in Physical Therapy/Applied Science. Over the years Krista has gained experience working with a variety of patients including sports injuries, acute and chronic orthopedics, spine, geriatrics, work injuries, and aquatic therapy. Her true passion is working with the injured athlete as she gets to challenge them in many different ways both physically and mentally. Outside of work Krista enjoys spending time with her husband and children, camping, and watching sports!
Tanner Arnold, PTA
Physical Therapist Assistant
Tanner, a Turtle Lake native, joined the Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in September of 2018 as a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. Tanner is a 2018 graduate from Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, WI with an Associate of Applied Science – Physical Therapist Assistant Degree. He developed his passion for movement, human performance and helping others reach their highest level of function while closely working with his high school Athletic Trainer and area therapists while he was a multi-sport athlete for Turtle Lake High School competing in football, basketball and baseball. His clinical experience involves working in a TCU hospital setting, skilled nursing and outpatient orthopedics. Clinically, Tanner’s true passion lies within the injured athlete, enjoying direct, one-on-one treatment techniques to help assist patients return to peak potential within their desired activities. Tanner, a 2014 Turtle Lake High School graduate, has close ties to the Turtle Lake community, allowing him to have an instant connection to many patients that walk through our doors. Tanner is proud and excited to begin his career with Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists to give back to his local orthopedic community. In his spare time, Tanner is an avid bow hunter during both fall and winter seasons, enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, strength training, camping and anything else that involves moving around and being outdoors.
Kristine Ostertag, PTA
Physical Therapist Assistant
Kristine Ostertag joined Clear Lake Physical Therapy Rehab and Specialists in April 2021. She graduated from UW-LaCrosse in 2014 with an Exercise Sports Science degree. In 2016 she graduated from Western Technical College in LaCrosse, WI with an associates degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. From there she has worked in a skilled nursing facility and for the last four years she has worked as a Physical Therapist Assistant in an outpatient private practice clinic in the Twin Cities. Kristine has worked with a wide variety of injuries and is excited to bring her knowledge to the team and local communities! Kristine grew up in a small town and enjoys spending her time in the outdoors. In the fall she is either bow hunting, waterfowl hunting or upland hunting with her dog “Ted”. Kristine also enjoys ice fishing and open water fishing, along with spending time with her nephews and family.
Madison Zimmer, PTA
Physical Therapist Assistant
Madison grew up and graduated from Clear Lake High School in 2020 where she was very involved with high school athletics and the community. She graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical College in the spring of 2023 with an associate's degree in Applied Science/Physical Therapist Assistant. Madison was interested in becoming a Physical Therapist Assistant as she enjoyed studying how the body works on a musculoskeletal aspect as well as the importance of getting people back to their previous life goals before their injury. Madison enjoys working in an orthopedic setting with different patients and cases. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, being outdoors, hanging out with family and friends, and taking her dog Goose on hikes. She also enjoys coaching and has helped coach both the girl's varsity volleyball and basketball at Clear Lake. Madison is super excited to work in and serve the community that she grew up in.
Tina Siebert
Office Manager
Tina Siebert joined Turtle Lake Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in June of 2008 as the Front Desk Coordinator in the Turtle Lake and Clear Lake locations, holding this position for almost 10 years. Exciting changes within the practice allowed her to move into the position of Office Manager which she currently began at the start of 2018. Tina is a 2004 graduate of Barron High School and attended Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, WI and graduated as a Certified Medical Assistant in 2006. She has previously worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Dunn County Health Care Center in Menomonie and Pioneer Nursing Home in Prairie Farm and as a Certified Medical Assistant in the Anticoagulation Department at Marshfield Clinic. Tina's role at Clear Lake Physical Therapy and Rehab Specialists is to maintain general office flow by managing the support staff schedules, training/mentoring staff, marketing and promotions for the practice, and assisting the owner in the business finances. It's important to Tina that everyone is satisfied with their experience at Clear Lake Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists, in any way they work with us, so she strives to provide excellent customer service and wants those around her to do the same. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hunting, UTVing, and spending time with her husband and their dogs.
Jodi Dressen
Director of Billing and Reimbursement
Jodi Dresen is the Director of Billing & reimbursement/Compliance officer for Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists. She has more then 18 years of healthcare management experience specializing in billing and reimbursement strategies for the physical and occupational therapy disciplines. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Parkside with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management. Jodi has been a part of the Clear Lake billing department since opening in 2005. She specializes in Insurance communication with all Insurance companies, ensuring that all services are billed accurately and compliantly, as well as patient account collections and management. Outside of work Jodi enjoys the outdoors, running, biking, camping and being with her children and family.
Lisa Harmon
Billing Specialist/Patient Advocate
Lisa joined Clear Lake Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialists in September 2024 as the Billing Specialist and Patient Advocate. With 15 years of experience as a CNA/PCA at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Barron and additional experience in home health care, Lisa brings a wealth of compassion and expertise to her role. She is excited to continue learning and growing within our team.Outside of work, Lisa cherishes family time with her husband and two children. Together, they enjoy kayaking during the summer and are winter enthusiasts, spending weekends snowmobiling and ice fishing.
Brenda LaBlanc
Front Desk Coordinator
Brenda joined Turtle Lake Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialist as the Front Desk Coordinator in April 2021. As the front desk coordinator, Brenda handles the registration and scheduling of appointments and works closely with the providers to maintain a good clinic flow throughout the day. She has over 25 years of customer service experience and truly enjoys working with the patient population. Brenda is a native Turtle Laker. She is married to her husband Kevin of 10 years and they have been together for 20. She has two grown children and six beautiful grandchildren, which are the light of her life! Outside of work, Brenda enjoys spending time with her family. Also, in the winter going on vacation to Mexico and Texas, summer is spending time at a campground in Sarona where they have had a permanent site for 11 years.
Judy Church
Front Desk Coordinator
Judy joined Clear Lake Physical Therapy and Rehab in May of 2023 as the Front Desk Coordinator. Judy attended UW Eau Claire and received a degree in accounting. She later decided to return to school to graduate with a degree in Elementary Education from UW Superior. Judy had a very rewarding career as a teacher and upon retirement, decided to embark on a new adventure as the FDC in Clear Lake. She lives in Almena with her husband of 30 years and their 3 dogs. She enjoys spending time with her 2 grown children, gardening, reading, and attending musical theater performances.
Danielle Peterson
Front Desk Coordinator
Danielle joined Amery Physical Therapy & Rehab Specialist in July 2023 as a Front Desk Coordinator. Prior to taking this position she assembled kayak, canoe and stand up paddles and worked as a veterinary technician for 15 years. She hopes to learn and grow within her position. When she isn't at work she is a wife and busy mom to two kids. She and her family enjoy camping, fishing and relaxing.