Movement built around clinical judgment, delivered with genuine care.

Erica Mott, MFA

Co-Owner · Somatics Coach

A certified Pilates teacher, trainer, and movement specialist with 30 years of teaching and coaching. Erica began her embodied practice as a professional dancer and choreographer — work that taught her to observe movement, listen to the body, and collaborate. After healing her own injuries through Pilates, she began guiding other dancers, friends, and neighbours through their recovery. She blends classical and BASI Pilates with strength and balance training, the Feldenkrais Method, and Body-Mind Centering practices.

Ravi Patel, PT, DPT

Pilates Instructor / Physical Therapist

Born and raised in Chicago, Ravi competed as a gymnast and classical ballet dancer — which fueled his interest in movement science and rehabilitation. He became a certified Pilates instructor in 2017 and earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2023. Ravi blends dance, Pilates, and physical-therapy training to help clients improve function and mobility, manage pain, and build the foundations for a full and healthy life.

Anita Washburn, BS

Pilates Instructor

A certified Pilates instructor from San Diego with a degree in Anatomy and Physiology from UCLA. Anita brings years of healthcare experience as a physician partner, nursing assistant, and EMT. Drawing from her own journey with chronic back pain, she emphasizes spine health, mobility, and rehabilitation in her Pilates teaching. She has specialized training in pre- and post-natal Pilates and a focus on pelvic floor health.

Jessica Socha, ATC, PTA

Pilates Instructor / Personal Trainer

A Certified Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Pilates instructor with 8 years of experience across professional athletes, post-surgical patients, and clients managing chronic musculoskeletal pain — at facilities including Northwestern, Advocate, and Greathouse PT & Sports Science. Most recently she has provided home health care to clients living with Parkinson’s, amputation, and post-stroke deficits. She is trained in manual therapies including Graston technique, Mulligan Concept joint mobilization, soft tissue massage, cupping, and active release therapy, and combines hands-on work with progressive exercise to maximize results. Born and raised in Chicago, Jessica was a multi-sport athlete at Marist High School and a four-year member of the Women’s Soccer team at Carthage College.

Michael White, CPT, M.A., CMHC

Pilates Instructor · Personal Trainer

Michael came to Pilates as a triple-sport college athlete — cheerleading, swimming, and distance running — using it to rehabilitate old injuries and explore a new form of movement. Believing we carry so much subconscious stress in our bodies, he takes an evidence-based, solution-focused approach to releasing tension and developing strength. Having taught at physical therapy clinics, major health clubs, corporate fitness brands, and local boutique studios, he understands that quality instruction includes a modification or progression for everyone. While open to all clients, Michael specializes in LGBTQ+ and gender-affirming services, rehabilitation for current athletes, and supporting people through post-sport and fitness transitions with identity reconstruction and new movement discovery. His hope is to make the Pilates method as inclusive and accessible as possible, helping each client further develop their mind-body interconnection.

Rejena Taylor

Pilates Instructor

Rejena Taylor is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor through Balanced Body, with a passion for helping people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds move with greater strength, confidence, and ease.

With a background in Pilates, barre, and functional fitness, Rejena brings a thoughtful, personalized approach to movement. Her teaching emphasizes proper alignment, breath, core strength, balance, and body awareness, meeting each client where they are while encouraging meaningful progress.

Rejena is especially passionate about making movement accessible and empowering. Whether working with clients managing physical limitations, rebuilding strength, or simply looking to improve their quality of life, she strives to create a supportive environment where everyone feels seen, capable, and encouraged.

Alonza Thornton

Pilates Instructor / Personal Trainer

Alonza Thornton is a Certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Pain-Free Performance Specialist, Pilates Instructor, and fitness educator with more than 11 years of experience helping clients move better, build strength, and improve their overall quality of life.

His approach integrates Pilates, strength and conditioning, corrective exercise, mobility, functional movement, and suspension training to create thoughtful, individualized training experiences. Alonza emphasizes movement quality, proper mechanics, and purposeful progression, helping clients develop the strength, stability, mobility, and confidence needed to move and perform well in everyday life.

Throughout his career, Alonza has worked with individuals across a wide range of fitness levels, abilities, and goals. His coaching philosophy extends beyond simply guiding clients through exercises. He believes in helping people better understand their bodies, improve the way they move, and develop the tools necessary to make meaningful, sustainable progress.

In addition to his work with clients, Alonza serves as an Adjunct Professor of Fitness and Personal Training at Malcolm X College, where he helps educate and prepare future fitness professionals. His experience as both a practitioner and educator has shaped a coaching style that is knowledgeable, attentive, encouraging, and rooted in purposeful movement.

At Movement Med, Alonza brings together Pilates, corrective exercise, pain-free performance principles, and strength training to help clients move with greater confidence, build lasting strength, and perform at their best in everyday life.

Dara Pogoff, LMT, NCPT

Pilates Instructor / Massage Therapist

Originally from Minneapolis, Dara found movement through dance, training at the Perpich Center for Arts Education and earning her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. A 2010 Cortiva Institute graduate, she is trained in Trigger Point, Sports, Prenatal/Postnatal, Cupping, Table Thai, Lymphatic Drainage, Myofascial Release, Reflexology, and Reiki. She also holds her Pilates Diploma from the Pilates Center of Boulder. With more than a decade of experience, Dara blends anatomical precision with energetic sensitivity and trauma-informed care — particularly with older adults, spinal cord injury patients, stroke survivors, and clients with visual impairments. She is also a certified Canine Massage Therapist.