Meet Your Provider

I’m Zia Assad (she/they), PT, DPT, CLT, PHSC.

I earned my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Western Carolina University in 2018 and have been practicing outpatient orthopedics ever since. I am a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, sex counselor, and pelvic health specialist, with specialized training in neuro-meningeal manipulation, visceral manipulation, manual lymphatic drainage, and gender-affirming pelvic health.

After moving to California from the East Coast in spring 2025, I’m delighted to be putting down roots in the East Bay. As a queer, mixed-race athlete and lover of movement, I bring both professional expertise and personal experience to my work, including navigating chronic health challenges, life-changing injuries, and pelvic floor dysfunction. These experiences have shaped my commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive space where people feel empowered to navigate their own healing journeys.

Our bodies are the vessels through which we experience the world—joy, connection, grief, adventure, and everything in between. My work centers on helping you move through life with greater comfort, confidence, and ease. I’m passionate about supporting people in their pelvic health, athletic performance, and gender-affirming care journeys, helping them manage pain, reconnect with their bodies, and create meaningful, lasting change.

I bring specialized training in neuro-meningeal manipulation, visceral manipulation, manual lymphatic drainage, and gender-affirming pelvic health to provide individualized care that honors your unique needs, experiences, and goals.

My Approach

My approach to care is rooted in relationship. I believe meaningful therapeutic work begins with genuine connection, trust, and collaboration between client and practitioner. Together, we create a space where you feel heard, respected, and supported throughout your healing journey.

Care is personalized, collaborative, and grounded in a whole-body perspective that considers the interconnectedness of the musculoskeletal, visceral, and nervous systems. Whether you’re navigating pain, exploring your sexual health, affirming your gender, or working toward your athletic goals, your plan of care is shaped by your individual needs, lived experiences, and vision for your health.

I believe you are the expert on your own body. My role is to bring clinical knowledge, curiosity, and compassion to our work together so we can find an approach that helps you feel more connected, capable, and at home in yourself.