Your Movement & Performance Specialists
What We Do.
We’re Here to Keep You in the Game. Not Take You Out of It!
As athletes and active individuals ourselves, we understand that movement limitations and stagnation in performance can be frustrating. If you’ve been told the only way to heal or improve is to take time off, stop lifting, don’t run, we’re here to tell you there’s another way! Rest has its place in the recovery process, but movement is the way forward - on the field, in the gym and in the game of life.
Our therapists and trainers are movement specialists. We understand the importance of not only working with you to identify and address the root cause(s) of your issues, but providing you with knowledge about your movement, mobility, stability and strength to be more efficient and confident in your movement to stay active longer.
We will empower YOU to take control of your movement, fitness and performance journey.
Get better faster - Stay active longer - Become more resilient - Reach your goals.
Who We Are.
Alison Synakowski
Clinic Director, Physical Therapist, DPT, OCS, AT
Alison is a certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist who has a love for learning and finding ways to improve the overall movement, health and wellbeing of her clients. She is a staunch believer that “movement is medicine.” While Alison is dedicated to all of her clients, as a former basketball player, she has a passion for working with athletes to return to sport following an injury, reduce the risk of injury, and increase overall performance.
Alison is highly trained and experienced in ACL injury prevention, rehabilitation and non-surgical management for all individuals. She works with high school, collegiate and adult athletes to return them to sport, training and life appropriately and successfully. Alison stays up on return to sport protocols and research following various injuries and educates our staff on appropriate rehab and training. She puts her client’s goals and long term success above all else, providing individual attention and programming with their specific sport in mind.
Alison also loves to treat people who have previously been told there is no hope to get them out of pain and then watch them progress back to being themselves! She has been trained in well known techniques such as McKenzie, SFMA, and Maitland and has experience getting to the root cause of chronic pain.
Alison is involved with the “First Principles of Movement” where she shares her passion for and knowledge of movement with other practitioners, and co-hosts “The Body Movement Podcast” with her brother. Prior to becoming a Physical Therapist, she graduated from Springfield College with her Bachelor's Degree in Athletic Training and worked at Hamilton College as an Athletic Trainer while pursuing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy, which she received from Upstate Medical University.
Outside of the clinic, Alison enjoys running, weight lifting, kettlebell training, golfing and playing basketball, as well as spending time with her family and dog, Roy.
Tom Giglio
Physical Therapist, DPT
Tom is a Physical Therapist who sees a variety of active clients, including baseball players, CrossFit and other fitness athletes, power lifters and adults looking to maintain their active lifestyle. As a former hockey player and collegiate baseball player he understands the dedication it takes to get back to your full potential, as well as the needs and goals of his clients. Through his work with the “First Principles of Movement” mentorship program, he is well versed in guiding clients to progress and challenge their movement, keeping them active longer.
Tom, along with Patrick, head up our baseball rehab and arm care program. Tom has experience rehabbing and returning high school, collegiate and professional baseball players to sport post injury, including post-Tommy John and shoulder surgery. As our tendon guy, Tom also has experience guiding clients through rehab and return to sport / training post-ACL, MCL, Achilles and Patellar Tendon tears (ACL, UCL, Achilles, Patellar Tendon). He focuses on returning athletes to sport appropriately and prepared for success, as well as reducing the risk of injury and increasing overall performance through movement, mobility and strength training.
Tom is a native of the Utica area and is excited to be in the Capital Region. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences from Utica College and graduated from their Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Personally, Tom enjoys staying active by doing CrossFit. In his spare time, you can find Tom with his dog Odin, hanging out with friends, golfing, or vacationing with family.
Sarah Clift Flannery
Physical Therapist, DPT
Sarah is our homegrown Physical Therapist who was raised in Bethlehem, New York and earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from Sage Graduate School after earning her Bachelors of Science Degree in Biology from Stonehill College.
As a former competitive gymnast and gymnastics coach, and a current avid CrossFitter, hiker and runner, Sarah works closely with CrossFit and other fitness athletes, gymnasts, runners and young athletes looking to maintain their movement and active lifestyle. Sarah understands the way the body works and moves from both her athletic experience and her training and experience as a Physical Therapist. She knows how to connect with clients through their shared experiences to make rehab enjoyable and effective.
Sarah has experience returning active adults and CrossFitters to training and life activities post surgery, including hip replacements, and after acute and chronic shoulder, knee and hamstring and other issues. She is also diving into pelvic heath, particularly lifting and training post-partum. Her understanding of their movements, be it lifting, running or hiking helps Sarah to appropriately guide her clients back to achieving their goals.
Outside of the clinic, Sarah enjoys CrossFit, running marathons, hiking (she’s a 46-er!), and pretty much any outdoor adventure, and most importantly spending time with her husband Nick, daughter and dog, Colden!
Patrick Suarez
Owner, Physical Therapist, OCS, SCS
Patrick created Suarez Physical Therapy in order to take a holistic approach to making people feel and move better. He is dedicated to providing clients with tailored, individual programs to keep them active and achieving their desired goals. He is a certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and Sports Clinical Specialist. As a former collegiate baseball and soccer player, one of the focal points of his practice is returning high school, collegiate and professional baseball players to sport post injury and reducing the risk of injury and increasing overall performance. He also works with soccer players, CrossFit athletes and other high school and collegiate athletes and active individuals. Based on his own experience, he understands the challenges faced by athletes, the importance of proper and efficient movement and how to help clients accomplish their goals.
Patrick is dedicated not only to personally staying at the top of the profession through clinical education and other courses, but also to improving the physical therapy and movement profession as a whole. He helps to educate and mentor physical therapy students and other cash-based providers in order to continue to develop and improve the profession, keeping the focus on providing the best clinical experience for each client.
Prior to becoming a Physical Therapist, Patrick earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology from Hamilton College, where he played varsity soccer and baseball, and went on to receive his Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from The George Washington University.
Outside of the clinic, Patrick coaches youth soccer and CrossFit and maintains an active lifestyle through CrossFit and playing with his two young children.
Matt June
Head Strength & Performance Coach, CSCS
Matt is an independent, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (“CSCS”) who has joined us to provide in-person and remote strength and performance training programming to clients. He is a native of Colonie, New York where Matt competed in football, basketball, indoor track and baseball.
Matt's passion for training has been a staple in his athletic career since he was in middle school. After competing as a college athlete he found the passion for coaching and uses the weight room as a platform for helping others. Matt shares our vision of helping athletes reach their goals and perform at their best — focusing on the whole athlete, including movement, strength, agility, mobility, injury prevention, overall health, education, confidence and having FUN! As part of his Performance Training Program at Suarez PT, Matt also works hand in hand with our PTs on movement assessments and any issues and limitations our athletes are experiencing.
Matt has extensive experience in this field. As a collegiate baseball player, Matt competed at SUNY Cortland where he did his Undergraduate work in Kinesiology: Fitness Development. While completing his Master's in Exercise Science, Matt was also the Assistant Strength Coach and an Assistant Baseball Coach at SUNY Cortland. Matt was the Program Director and Head of Performance at Athletes Warehouse located in Pleasantville, New York where he worked with athletes ranging from middle school to the professional level. He has been the Head Strength Coach for the College of Saint Rose, Hudson Valley Community College Baseball Team and Interim Strength Coach for the Manhattan College Men's and Women's Basketball Team, and he is currently the Head of Strength and Conditioning for Colonie High School.
Outside of training, Matt enjoys spending time with his family and friends, working out, playing sports and hiking.
Jenna Primiano
Licensed Massage Therapist
Jenna is a licensed Massage Therapist with a passion for helping people feel their best. Jenna is an independent, solo practitioner who operates out of, and at times in conjunction with, Suarez Physical Therapy as part of her business. She shares our goals of keeping clients active, moving and doing the things they love. She utilizes a variety of modalities in treatment sessions to help get clients moving and feeling better than when they walked in. Styles she may use range from Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point Release, Myofascial Release, Cupping and Graston/Scraping. As an Olympic lifter, Jenna understands the body and movement from the perspective of an athlete. Through her background in massage and Olympic Weightlifting, Jenna brings a unique perspective and skill set to treating elite and every day athletes.
When she is not treating clients, Jenna enjoys being in nature, reading, Olympic Weightlifting and spending time with her three small dogs.
Agnes Knott
Client Care Coordinator & Administrative Assistant
Agnes keeps things running at Suarez Physical Therapy. If you’re scheduling an appointment or have a question she’s likely the voice you’ll hear on the other end of the phone (at least in the first instance). She keeps us all on our toes and makes sure we’re taking the best care of our clients from the administrative side! She is dedicated to our approach to physical therapy and movement, and making sure that our clients and prospective clients understand our mission and values.
Prior to working at Suarez PT, Agnes worked for over 5 years as a teaching assistant working with special needs children and had a prior career in the travel industry with numerous years of experience in customer service.
Agnes currently works virtually and is enjoying the warmth of Florida with her husband and family. She stays active running (made more pleasant by the weather).
Alicia Suarez
Chief Operations Officer, Marketing
While she only joined Suarez PT recently, Alicia - as Patrick’s wife - has had a bird’s-eye view of the practice from its inception (offering unsolicited thoughts and advice from the start). As a former collegiate basketball player who put exercise on the back burner for years and is now re-prioritizing, she sees the importance of movement and shares our passion for keeping individuals active. Alicia focuses on putting systems in place to help the business run smoothly for our clients and sharing our message with the Capital Region. Have something you want to see on our Instagram? Let her know!
Prior to joining Suarez PT, Alicia spent over a decade as a lawyer, first as a Litigation Associate with Ropes and Gray in Washington, D.C. and then as a criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York. She is a graduate of Hamilton College and SUNY Buffalo Law School.
Outside of the clinic, Alicia enjoys volunteering in the community, working out at Metabolic and staying active with her two young kids (and hopes to pick up a basketball again soon!).
What People Are Saying About Us.
