Dr. Patrick Gathman, PT, DPT, CSCS
Background and Training
Patrick earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Stony Brook University. During his time there, Patrick served as President of his class and was inducted into the Alpha Eta National Honor Society for academic excellence among allied health professionals. Throughout his clinical experiences, he gained exposure to a wide array of patient populations including inpatient and outpatient orthopedics, acute care, ICU, outpatient neurology, pediatrics, geriatrics, sports rehabilitation, and post-operative spine, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle replacements. Currently, Patrick is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Titleist Performance Institute Certified, Certified Level-1 Blood Flow Restriction Training provider, LSVT BIG provider for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, and a Myofascial Cupping – FMT RockPods provider.
Before attending graduate school, Patrick received his Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science from James Madison University. While there, Patrick served as the President of the Men’s Club Volleyball team and was an active member of the Men’s Club Golf team and Phi Epsilon Kappa Professional Fraternity.
Born and raised in Northport, NY, Patrick enjoys serving his local Long Island community and helping his clients and athletes return to a pain-free lifestyle. In his free time, Patrick enjoys participating in recreational sports including CrossFit, volleyball, golf, and olympic weight-lifting. He also enjoys spending time with his friends and family, fishing, and traveling.
Professional Approach
Simply put, effective rehab is training around pain, the smart way. Patrick strives to identify and treat the root cause of his client’s pain and works to
develop a plan WITH them instead of FOR them. Patrick believes in providing 1-on-1 sessions in order to best fit his client’s needs. His goal is to promote
an active treatment approach, in which his clients feel educated,
empowered and ready to take action in their own rehab/health and
wellness journey. His treatment principles strive to provide individualized programs, incorporating corrective exercises and manual therapy to address imbalances.
Personal Life
Today, Patrick competes in local CrossFit competitions and plays golf at every chance he gets. He also coaches the Northsport JV Boy’s Volleyball team and participates in recreational beach leagues during the summer months. Patrick enjoys spending his leisure time on the boat fishing or at the gym working out. Patrick’s favorite quote is “Never give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about” and that is exactly why he created Movement Headquarters Physical Therapy, PLLC.
Currently working with clients in our Northport Location.
Dr. John Spirito, PT, DPT
Background and Training
Currently working with clients in our Northport and East Setauket Locations.
John earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Mercy College. John was exposed to a large variety of patient populations during his clinical affiliations including inpatient rehab, inpatient and outpatient orthopedics, inpatient and outpatient neurology, pediatrics and geriatrics, joint replacements, post-operative spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, hip, knee, ankle/foot. He previously worked at a clinic in NJ, where he saw a high volume of post-operative sports injuries including the following: ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, labrum repair, biceps tendon repair, patella tendon repair, and Achilles repair to name a few.
Prior to Physical Therapy school, John attended Farmingdale State College where he played Division-III baseball. John graduated from Farmingdale State with a B.S in Science, Technology & Society with a clustered concentration in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Psychology.
John has spent the last 4 years in NJ and Long Island City, Queens. He recently married the love of his life and bought a house in Kings Park. He is looking forward to returning to Long Island and beginning his professional career here after growing up in Smithtown.
Professional Approach
John believes in taking an individualized treatment approach, using his clinical assessment skills to identify and eliminate the CAUSE of the symptoms instead of just the symptoms themselves. John believes that no two cases are the same, and will personalize patient care depending on his patients’ goals.
John’s ideal patient is one who is determined to get better and one who does not take their health for granted. John uses a combination of individualized therapeutic exercise, patient education and manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue massage, IASTM, stretching/PROM, joint mobilization and spinal mobilization/manipulation in order to improve the function and/or performance of each of his patients.
Personal Life
John enjoys spending his free time with his wife, his dog, and family and friends. John loves any and all outdoor activities and loves to travel any chance he gets. He enjoys powerlifting and bodybuilding and any other activity that involves spending time in a gym. John began working out and discovered his fascination for the human body 13 years ago and has been studying and learning about health and fitness ever since.
Dr. Bes Lekperaj, PT, DPT, CSCS
Currently working with clients in our East Setauket Location.
Background and Training
Bes earned her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Stony Brook University, where she had a variety of clinical experiences involving treating patients of various musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, and cardiopulmonary disorders in both outpatient and inpatient settings. She completed one of her internships at Rehab 2 Perform, a facility that focuses on treating athletes as well as other active individuals with a personalized approach. She has experience with post surgical conditions such as ACL reconstructions, meniscus repairs, total hip replacements, rotator cuff repairs, as well as more chronic conditions such as chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis, tendinopathies, and much more.
Prior to PT school, Bes also went to Stony Brook for her undergraduate education, where she double majored and received her B.S. in Biology and Technological Systems Management. She was on the E-board for the Stony Brook Strength Club her senior year.
Professional Approach
Bes is passionate about getting patients back to doing the physical activities that play a huge role in their lives, whether it is a powerlifter who wants to return to deadlifting 700 lbs or a grandmother who wants to be able to pick up her grandkids without back pain. Treatments will be individualized depending upon the goals that the patient has for themselves. Bes is also passionate about pain science education as well as helping patients address all factors that may contribute to their pain, and empower them to take their health back into their own hands.
Personal Life
Bes was born and raised in Staten Island, NY, where her passion for health and fitness began in a gym class in high school. During college, she began powerlifting and even participated in a few competitions. Bes is also a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jisut and has participated in tournaments.
If Bes isn’t at the gym, she is spending time with her family and friends, starting a book she’'ll never finish, or traveling to a new country.
Dr. Scott Avery, PT, DPT, Level 2 CrossFit Coach
Background and Training
Scott earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Vermont. During his time at UVM Scott served as a DPT program officer, coached athletes through Special Olympics Vermont, and became a published author based on his doctoral research project. Scott gained exposure to a wide variety of care settings including outpatient orthopedics, sports performance, inpatient, and acute care. Scott completed rotations in general orthopedics in California, within the ICU at NYU Langone in Manhattan, and at Rehab2Perform, a sports performance setting within the DMV/Virginia area.
Prior to PT School Scott attended Clarkson University, where he received his B.S in psychology with minors in biology and cognitive neuroscience. During his time at Clarkson, Scott served on the Executive Board of a variety of organizations including Doctors without Borders, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS), and Club Soccer. Scott spent his summer breaks volunteering with Doctors without borders- participating in a variety of medical volunteer trips overseas to Peru and Costa Rica.
Professional Approach
Scott wholeheartedly believes that movement is medicine. Scott is passionate about patient education and helping individuals return/maintain their healthy and active lifestyles. Scott’s individualized and active treatment approach helps create an open environment for life-long learning, encouraging his patient to take their life/health into their own hands and help them create healthy habits.
Personal Life
Scott was born and raised in West Babylon, NY. Scott is a Level 2 CrossFit coach at Babylon CrossFit. When Scott is not treating patients, coaching athletes, or working out himself, he is most likely spending time with friends, family, and his dog Chase, or he is at the beach, fishing, playing soccer, snowboarding, or just about any outdoor/active activity you can think of.
Currently working with clients in our Northport and Babylon Locations.
Dr. Matthew Prager, PT, DPT, TPI Certified Provider
Background and Training
Matthew earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. While in physical therapy school, Matt gained experience in a number of different settings during his clinical rotations. Some of the different cases included orthopedics, sports rehab, neurology, and cardiovascular in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Matt completed a rotation at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital where he primarily worked on the orthopedic and amputee floor. Additionally, he spent time on the spinal cord injury, cardiac, neurology, and stroke floors. Matthew is Titleist Performance Certified (TPI), he has been trained to screen golfers to assess biomechanics and movement quality to maximize golfers’ swinging mechanics and speed. Additionally, he has completed An Orthopedic Approach to Myofascial Release through Great Lakes Seminars.
Prior to physical therapy school, Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in Sports Management at Western New England University in Springfield, Massachusetts. While at WNE, Matt was a member of the university’s lacrosse team.
Professional Approach
Matt believes that no two cases are the same, and as a result no two plans of care should ever be the same. He believes in creating rehab plans that are specific and individualized to each patient. Being able to treat 1-on-1 ensures that each person who enters the clinic is receiving care that makes it possible to return to whatever it is they want to get back to in life. He considers it a privilege to play a role in helping people reach their goals.
Personal Life
Matt lived all over New York State during his postgraduate studies including White Plains, Troy and Montauk, but has since returned to where he originally grew up in Smithtown.
Outside the clinic, Matt enjoys working out, spending time with family and friends, playing golf and cheering for the New York Jets.
Currently working with clients in our Northport Location.