PT, MSPT, C2 Schroth Certified

Deirdre McCarthy graduated from Boston University's Sargent College with a Master of Science in Physical Therapy with distinction in 1988. With over 30 years of experience in pediatric physical therapy, Deirdre has worked with children of all ages in a variety of settings, including outpatient, inpatient, early intervention, home-based, and school-based care. Throughout her career, she has treated patients with a wide range of diagnoses, and this diverse experience led her to develop a deep interest in scoliosis care.

In 2017, Deirdre became a Schroth Certified physical therapist, specializing in scoliosis-specific physical therapy. She is the co-owner of Schroth Spinal Physical Therapy of NJ and serves as a consultant to Schroth Spinal Physical Therapy of Coastal Jersey. Deirdre is passionate about empowering patients and their families. She believes that knowledge is key to achieving optimal outcomes. She works closely with her patients to fully understand their diagnoses, developing individualized treatment plans that align with each patient’s goals, values, and perspectives.

Deirdre remains dedicated to continuing education, staying up to date with the latest research and treatments available. She is proud to work with a diverse range of patients—from pediatric to geriatric—and uses her extensive experience to help each individual improve their quality of life through targeted and evidence based physical therapy.

PT, MSPT, C2 Schroth Certified

Amy Higgins is a physical therapist with a C2 certification in the Schroth Method from the Schroth Barcelona Institute. She co-owns Schroth Spinal Physical Therapy of NJ, located in Bridgewater, NJ, and is a consultant to Schroth Spinal Physical Therapy of Coastal NJ, located in Red Bank, NJ.

 Amy’s primary passion is bringing conservative care for scoliosis to her community through Schroth-specific exercises. Her mission is to make the Schroth Method accessible to patients of all ages, cognitive abilities, and neurodevelopmental levels. Amy takes a patient and family-centered approach, understanding that each family has unique goals and varying abilities to incorporate new routines into their daily lives. She collaborates with patients and their families, to achieve meaningful improvements. She works closely with doctors and orthotists who are at the forefront of conservative care, ensuring her patients receive the best possible treatment.

With over 26 years of experience as a physical therapist, Amy has worked in a variety of settings, including outpatient, acute care, brain trauma, subacute, rehabilitation, pain management, and pediatrics at JFK Medical Center for 10 years. For the past 13 years, she has been working in the school system with students aged 3 to 21 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With her compassionate method of care, she connects with both children and adults, tailoring scoliosis-specific exercises to meet individual needs, regardless of physical, emotional, or behavioral challenges. She has extensive experience in assisting with medical equipment ordering, including braces, wheelchairs, strollers, standers, and specialty seating.

Amy is committed to continuously educating herself on the latest advances in scoliosis care and incorporating new, evidence-based approaches into her treatment plans, which helps her grow her practice and better serve her patients.

PT, DPT, SSOL P2 Schroth Certified

Elizabeth (Beth) graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a Clinical Doctor of Physical Therapy.  She also earned her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry Cum Laude from Virginia Tech University.  She has 25 years of experience in the field of physical therapy primarily in pediatrics in a variety of settings including out-patient orthopedics, in-patient, Early Intervention, school based and in graduate education as an assistant professor. 

Beth is certified as a SSOL Schroth Advanced Physical Therapist and has a level one certification in comprehensive Pilates teacher training.  She works to integrate the principals of Pilates with the Schroth Method for her patients of all ages.  As the owner/therapist of Schroth Spinal Physical Therapy of Coastal Jersey she is committed to providing a caring and compassionate setting to help her patients attain their movement goals with personalized one on one sessions.