STAFF

Jennifer Chudy Shepherd
FOUNDER
MSPT, CFMT, FFMT, FAAOMPT, IFMCP
Jennifer Shepherd started her career as a traditional Physical Therapist, trained in mostly exercise, massage and general joint mobilization and muscle energy technique. She quickly became frustrated with the results she was getting with her patients and in her own body with back pain, knee pain and plantar fasciitis. Just as she was looking to pursue a degree in teaching High School Biology, she was invited to take a Continuing Education course in which she was exposed to Functional Manual Therapy from The Institute for Physical Art, in which she learned how to use her hands and eyes to identify structures that were not working efficiently and how to restore the mechanics, resulting in immediate improvements in mobility and pain. This ignited her curiosity and passion for understanding the human body, what happens to it, and why we struggle with pain.
She pursued Certification and Fellowship in which she learned precision in her manual therapy skills, organization of how to treat the whole person, and permission to think outside of the box.
Her next mentorship with The Barral Institute took her into assessing and treating inside the container…how a precisely trained hand and exquisite knowledge of anatomy can identify organs that are in suboptimal health and how they relate to illnesses and other health issues, including pain throughout the body.
CREDENTIALS
- Bachelors of Science – University of Dayton 1997
- Masters of Science in Physical Therapy – University of Colorado Health Sciences Center 1999
- Licensed Physical Therapist – Colorado 1999-present, Ohio 2015-present
- Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner 2023
- Certified Functional Manual Therapist – Honors 2006 Institute of Physical Art
- Fellow – Institute of Physical Art -2008
- Fellow – American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists 2008-present
- Member – American Physical Therapy Association 1997-present
- Division 1 Tennis Player University of Dayton
- Two time Ironman Finisher, IM Florida 2006, Vineman 2007
Alyssa Flora
Office Manager
Alyssa Flora is the Office Manager at The Shepherd Center for Integrative Health. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from Gannon University in 2022. A former collegiate athlete, Alyssa developed a deep passion for wellness early on and is committed to helping others achieve their health goals.
She has personally experienced the life-changing benefits of working with Jen and appreciates the powerful role integrative manual therapy plays in improving quality of life and supporting overall wellness.
Outside of the office, Alyssa enjoys walking her goldendoodle, Nala, sipping lattes at local coffee shops, playing golf with her husband, and planning their next tropical getaway.