Pivotal Connections

Healing Hospitality meets Balanced Excellence

At Pivotal Connections, we’re in the business of helping people live life to the fullest. We understand your pain or injury isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s keeping you from being able to do the things you love.

Maybe your past physical therapy experiences left you feeling frustrated—clinics that felt more like a factory, with impersonal care that only got you partial relief. Pivotal Connections is a different kind of physical therapy experience. Through our attentive care and our industry-leading therapy techniques, we are committed to helping you feel better than you ever thought possible.

As a Physiospa, we offer a hybrid of one-on-one physical therapy services and an array of therapy modalities designed to tap into the body’s incredible potential to heal. Our team takes a proactive approach to your care, identifying the root of your pain and offering a full toolbox to help you recover and maintain full mobility.

We approach our work in a way that not only helps people recover and maintain their peak health but also gives them a sense of hope. Our goal is for you to leave our clinic feeling better—not only with relief from pain but also feeling lighter and happier as you go into the rest of your day.

Our Physical Therapy Team

Dr. Sandi Buchheister, DPT, OCS, RT(DXA)

Doctor of Physical Therapy, Board Certified Orthopaedic Specialist, Radiology Technician for BMD

Dr. Sandi Buchheister (pronounced Boo-hi-stir) has had a lifelong passion for setting people up for a lifetime of independent success. She takes a holistic approach, looking for the source of pain and movement dysfunction to help her patients recover beyond what they even thought possible.

Born and raised a Midwest girl from Wisconsin, Sandi’s undergraduate degree is in Biology from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she also played soccer at a collegiate level. After graduating, she gained life experiences as a personal trainer, microscopy technician, YMCA membership director, and a competitor in marathons and triathlons. Eventually, Sandi was driven to physical therapy (PT) and obtained her clinical doctorate in PT in 2008 from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

After working for several large PT clinics that operated more like factories, Sandi started her own PT business to give clients the best treatment possible. Thus, Pivotal Connections PT was born in Maryland in 2014, and she brought it to Arcata in 2016. In 2017, Sandi became an Orthopedic Certified Specialist and enjoys continuing to expand her qualifications and knowledge often. She is currently pursuing her certification in Osteopractics.

Sandi’s diverse training includes Sports & Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, and Women’s Health. However, her love is injury PREVENTION and treating MOVEMENT DYSFUNCTION, because prevention is easier and more cost-effective than treatment. That’s why most new patient evaluations include a full-body, Selective Functional Movement Assessment. This is a key tool for preventing future injuries and serves as her foundation for establishing a treatment plan.

Sandi is only accepting new clients on very limited and narrow basis. To get on her wait list please contact the clinic.

Nikki Davoodiaria, PT, DPT, Cert. Pilates

Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Pilates Instructor

Nikki Davoodiaria is a licensed physical therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Oakland University, Rochester, MI. She is a certified Pilates instructor from Stott Pilates® and has a Bachelor of Science degree in clinical psychology. She moved from Metro Detroit to Humboldt in 2016. She has over 17 years of experience in sports and orthopedic rehabilitation.
Her special interests include, but are not limited to, evaluation and customization of individually tailored exercise programs for athletes with injuries and or to prevent injuries. Nikki has extensive experience in applying Pilates principles to clients with injuries. Her primary goal is to develop, maintain, and restore functional abilities and improve body awareness. Her focus in physical therapy lies in combining therapeutic exercise, patient education, and manual therapy to provide effective rehabilitation interventions.

Rehab Pilates We offer rehabilitation Pilates, aimed at those who are recovering from injury/pain, surgery, or postural related pain and problems. The Pilates method focuses on building a healthy, balanced, injury-free body by encouraging controlled and concentrated movement. Our licensed physical
therapist, who is trained and certified in the Pilates method, uses her knowledge and skills to properly diagnose and treat areas of muscle and joint dysfunction. The Pilates method approach to rehab centers the body with core strengthening and stabilization while maintaining a dynamic flow. The benefits of Pilates-based rehabilitation from a licensed Physical Therapist and certified Pilates instructor is remarkable.

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These Values Drive Everything We Do

Vitality

Hope-filled

We believe everyone deserves to live life to the fullest, which is why we’re in the business of getting our patients better than they ever thought possible. We approach our work in a way that not only helps people recover and maintain their peak health but also gives them a sense of hope.

Hospitality

Healing

You’ll feel it from the moment you walk in—we foster a feeling of warmth and genuine joy throughout our clinic. Our goal is for you to leave our clinic feeling better—not only with relief from pain but also feeling lighter and happier as they go into the rest of their day.

Excellence

Balanced

As high-performance athletes ourselves, we understand the drive to push our bodies to the limits. But sometimes “no pain, no gain” can lead to straining our bodies past what’s healthy. We’re committed to helping our patients balance their hard work with a deep and effective self-care regimen to help them go the distance.

Our Support Team

Sheli Benson - Administrative Assistant

Sheli is responsible for many of the behind the scenes wizardry that goes on here. She joined the team early in 2022 and has proven herself to be extremely valuable in making the day to day process running as smoothly as possible. Sheli has been working on projects that will roll out over the course of the next 6 months. Make sure to stay tuned for those!

When Sheli is not at work she enjoys running, working out, handing out with family and exploring everything that Northern California has to offer. Make sure to stop in and meet Sheli!

Katie Rossi - Office Manager

Katie joined our team March of 2024. She graduated from Bakersfield College with an associate degree in liberal studies before moving to Humboldt for a change of scenery. She has worked in the medical field since 2011 and has been in administration for the past 6 years. Katie is enrolled in a yoga teacher training program, she looks forward to guiding others through yoga with awareness of injury and well-being.

Sebastian (Seb) Vaisset-Fauvel

Seb is pursuing his undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Therapy while also competing for the Cross Country and Track teams at Cal Poly Humboldt. His educational and athletic background not only provides him with a strong foundation in the field but also enables him to offer valuable insights and guidance to our clients. Outside of his professional pursuits, Sebastian embraces an active and vibrant lifestyle. He enjoys spending time with friends, fishing, biking, hiking, playing soccer and running. Living in Humboldt has taught him how to appreciate a lot about nature and the community he lives in.

Lauren Bankert

Lauren Bankerd is a current Kinesiology student at Cal Poly Humboldt. Having played soccer for 8 years when she was younger and finding a passion for weightlifting in high school, Lauren loves staying active and improving her athleticism. Since moving to Arcata, Lauren has developed a newfound love for yoga, lap swimming, running, hiking, and playing rugby.

Lauren assists with scheduling and operating the Cryotherapy modalities, sauna, and compression therapy at Pivotal Connections. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career that allows her to focus on maintaining her mobility and passion for fitness, as well as assisting others with improving their mental and physical health.