Hamden Archives - Performance Optimal Health

CJ Cofrancesco

“'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that is why it’s called the present' – Kung Fu Panda.”

CJ Cofrancesco, MS, is a personal trainer based in Hamden. He has a background in working with youth populations, general populations, and seniors with a specific focus on balance.

CJ is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University, teaching exercise science. He is also a group fitness instructor at his local Senior Center, and has worked in a variety of different positions at the YMCA.

For CJ, there is no better feeling than helping someone set a fitness goal, work towards, and achieve that goal. He loves working with people, and hearing his long term clients talk about how much better they feel in their day to day lives. As a trainer, CJ often implements SMART goals for his clients: they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Based, designed to help his clients achieve success in a timely and efficient manner.

CJ leads an active lifestyle outside of work, often snowboarding, going camping, running 5ks, playing flag football, and expanding his knowledge on exercise science.

Maresa Catenzaro

“I think what makes my care different is I try to talk to my patients and get to know them for more than just what their injury is.”

Maresa Catenzaro, PT, DPT, is physical therapist based in Hamden who works with all types of clients, including young athletes and older adults.

Maresa focuses on giving her clients a good education, which helps increase patient outcomes. By building a trusting relationship, her clients are more likely to be consistent with coming to their appointments, completing their home exercise programs, resulting in them getting better faster. This also helps to build a unique experience for each individual, so that Maresa is able to build the best program for the client that is tailored specifically to them.

As a former athlete, Maresa experienced multiple injuries in her past, which opened her up to the world of physical therapy. She started shadowing in inpatient and outpatient clinics to get a better idea of what work as a physical therapist is like, and ultimately decided to pursue the career. Maresa completed her final 10 week clinical rotation at our Westport location, solidifying her interest in orthopedics.

Maresa lives a very active lifestyle outside of work, weightlifting at the gym and going on hikes. She also enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, or going to the beach or lake during the summer.

Angela Leite

“I am always calm in my work and 100% focused on the work I am doing. I effectively listen to my clients’ input and adapt my care to their needs.”

Angela Leite, LMT, is a massage therapist based in Hamden with over two decades of experience as a massage therapist and physical therapist. She specializes in a variety of massage techniques, including pre-natal, Swedish, deep tissue, prenatal, cupping massage, and sports massage, among others. She is currently pursuing continuing education in a few different fields, including myofascial release therapy, stretching, and Pilates.

Angela’s previous experience includes working as a physical therapist, rehabilitation aid, caregiver, event chair massage therapist, and pain management massage therapist.

When she’s not working, Angela enjoys going to the gym, swimming, relaxing on the beach, and spending time with family and friends.

Renee Lascarides

“Educating clients is the most powerful tool we can provide to give them more confidence and control over their progress or rehabilitation.”

Renee Lascarides, PT, DPT, is the Hamden Site Lead, as well as an adjunct faculty member at Sacred Heart University. As a youth athlete, Renee was constantly active and played soccer and participated in cheerleading and gymnastics. Facing an injury, Renee underwent physical therapy and fell in love with the practice.

Now, as a physical therapist herself, Renee is excited to be a part of the world of orthopedic and sports physical therapy. She is particularly interested in working with athletes, having done research on injury risk assessment in dancers and gymnasts during her time at Quinnipiac University. She is currently pursuing further education on the relationship between Pilates and physical therapy, so that she could apply its principles in her care.

Michele Tenney

“I love being creative as a team and seeing things from different vantage points to best support the person we are working with.”

Michele Tenney, CPT, is a personal trainer based in Hamden who enjoys working with all populations. As a trainer, Michele takes care to talk about the importance of nutrition in achieving goals. She also believes that proper nutrition is medicine for the body, and that one’s food intake needs to adapt to support the person’s current goals, age and limitations.

Though she started off in the financial industry, she decided to try a new path when she saw the foreclosure boom coming in 2006. Seeking something that didn’t feel like “work,” Michele discovered a passion for health and wellness, and proceeded to receive certifications as a personal trainer and nutritionist.

She has coached youth squash at the New Haven Lawn Club for over 15 years, and has served as the Chair of the Healthy Lifestyle Committee for the elementary schools in the town of Orange for the past six years. Michele is also a columnist for The Milford-Orange Times, and is the author of her own book, “The Passion of My Heart.”

Koren Bradshaw

“I truly love teaching clients about nutrition and the impact food has on our wellness; I love empowering people to feel their best by making the best choices to fuel their bodies.”

Koren Bradshaw, MS, CDN, CLC, is a nutritionist who specializes in working with new/expecting mothers and women’s health, as well as in autoimmune and thyroid issues, food allergies and sensitivities, celiac disease and anti-aging. Her previous experience includes working as a nutritionist and lactation consultant, as well as starting her own practice.

A previous stint in the corporate office of a well-known quick-serve restaurant chain known for its treats, opened Koren’s eyes to hidden ingredients and just how damaging these commonly consumed treats really are. Around the same time, her oldest child was born with life-threatening food allergies, leading Koren to throw herself into research on how the food we eat impacts our bodies. These events, combined with a lifelong passion for wellness and healthy eating, motivated Koren to change the trajectory of her career path and become a nutritionist in order to help others on their own paths to wellness.

Koren believes everyone has the power to feel and look their best, and much of that power lies in the food we choose to put in our bodies as fuel and the activities we choose to use that fuel for. By educating her clients and simplifying concepts, Koren helps her clients understand which foods work best with their individual biochemistry and lifestyle, as well as how to make diet and lifestyle choices that will help them to feel their best, boost their energy and feel comfortable in their skin without restrictive eating or dieting.

Koren is a mom of two and lives in Fairfield with her husband, kids and pup. She loves to cook and stay active and heads to the beach as often as she can.

Francine Blinten

"I empower people by connecting with them, discovering their motivations, gaining their trust and listening to them."

Francine Blinten, MBA, MS, CCN, CNS, has worn many hats: she started out in the finance sector, and later transitioned into the world of nutrition after having children. She looked for a new project to focus her energy on and drew on her childhood upbringing that was full of healthy eating habits. Francine specializes in disease prevention, management of chronic disease, weight management, gastrointestinal disorders and bone support. She also has a subspecialty in oncology nutrition.

Francine is a firm believer of listening to what your body needs and creating a unique, comprehensive diet that meets those specific goals, steering away from a quick fix. She uses laboratory results, medical history and the client's background to customize an eating plan appropriate for the their age, gender and lifestyle.

Outside her role at Performance, Francine is a lecturer at the Yale School of Medicine and consults for the Connecticut Mental Health Center, a partnership between Yale University and State of Connecticut.

Publications:
Better Eating and Recovery: Addressing Food Insecurity at an Urban Community Mental Health Center, International Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation (2016).

Hunger is a Health Issue, Health Progress (2019).

Ashley Jerry

“I pride myself on providing motivation, support and accountability to clients. Because eating is so personal and often requires behavior change, I ensure my clients know that I am there for them every step of the way.”

Ashley Jerry, MS, is a nutritionist who specializes in a variety of fields, including food sensitivities, medical conditions, and sports nutrition. Her expertise includes gut health issues, weight loss, self-image and an overall understanding of nutrition, as well as treating a diverse range of medical conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood glucose levels, obesity, pregnancy, gastrointestinal function, anxiety, depression, and overall health. Ashley also specializes in sports-specific nutrition guidance, including for sports such as powerlifting, running, bodybuilding, crew, football, and more.

One of Ashley’s fortes is designing customized nutrition protocols to include meal plans, grocery lists, health tips, and supplement recommendations. Having the ability and knowledge to assess lab results helps Ashley to create a comprehensive eating guide to keep her clients on track and improve overall health.

Ashley is a strong advocate of having a strong knowledge of nutrition, which makes all the difference in a person’s mental and physical strength. Childhood obesity is something that she is also very passionate about, as educating children on how to take care of their bodies is the start to implementing preventative care long term.

Ashley provides telehealth services to clients based in Florida and New York, as well as telehealth and onsite services in Connecticut, with the exception of Greenwich. Outside of work, Ashley is very involved in the bodybuilding world, as competing and training is a huge part of her life. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as spending time with her French bulldog, Leo.

Arianna Martignetti

“I empower people to live better by helping them increase their self-awareness and recognize that they have the ability within themselves to create change in their life.”

Arianna Martignetti, Ed.D., is a mental performance consultant who works with individual athletes, weekend warriors and teams at all levels, including competitive youth, high school, and collegiate levels, as well as recreational athletes.

As a lifelong learner, Arianna is motivated by connecting with others and engaging in activities or conversations that fuel her natural curiosity. Having experienced injuries and mental barriers as an athlete herself, Arianna wants to be the mental performance consultant for her clients that she was not able to have when she needed one.

Combined with her passion for educating others, Arianna works with her clients to fine-tune their mental skills or increase their self-awareness to create the change that they want and achieve their goals— and more. Arianna takes a person-centered and collaborative approach with her clients and does her best to meet them where they are at in their journey.

Arianna was an undergraduate instructor at Manhattanville College for four years, as well as a faculty advisor and research coordinator. Arianna’s work has been published in the Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education and her research areas focus primarily on burnout and sport psychology professional quality of life.

She has also been a peer reviewer for several journals as well as a guest lecturer and presenter at universities and conferences. She is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, American Counseling Association, and the American Psychological Association.

On a personal note, Arianna enjoys spending time with her family, as well as hiking, camping, and spending as much time as possible in nature with her partner, Alexander.

Publication:
The Relationship Between Burnout and Depression in Intercollegiate Athletes: An Examination of Gender and Sport-Type, Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education (2020)

Adam Wright

“I am driven by a model of servant leadership. I aspire to share power, put the needs of others first, and help people develop and perform as highly as possible by leveraging their strengths and honoring what is unique about each individual.”

Adam Wright, M.Ed., Ph.D., is a mental performance consultant who has worked with athletes at all levels, business executives, and medical professionals, among others.

A published, peer-reviewed author, college instructor in sport psychology, and speaker on optimal human performance, Adam has made an impact not just in the classroom, but in the NFL, the European PGA, MLS, and Wall Street. He is also currently the director of mental performance for the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball Team.

Adam sees the field of applied sport and performance psychology as intellectually engaging and personally fulfilling, as it requires an intense curiosity for lifelong cross-disciplinary learning that is not limited to a research lab. Rather, it is an opportunity to engage with clients directly to creatively and artfully apply the science of performance to help them thrive in their life and craft.

As a lifelong learner, Adam continues his education in counseling and psychotherapy at St. Bonaventure University and the Academy of Clinical and Applied Psychoanalysis.

He currently resides with his wife, son, and Goldendoodle. After spending the last decade volunteering his time as a youth coach across multiple sports, Adam now spends his spare time obsessively digesting books and listening to podcasts related to optimal performance while running, lifting, obstacle course racing, golfing, mountain biking, skiing, and sometimes discussing philosophy, wine, microbrews, and 911s.

CJ Cofrancesco

Personal Trainer

CJ Cofrancesco

Hamden

“'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that is why it’s called the present' – Kung Fu Panda.”

Care From The Core

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Maresa Catenzaro

Physical Therapist

Maresa Catenzaro

Hamden

“I think what makes my care different is I try to talk to my patients and get to know them for more than just what their injury is.”

Care From The Core

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Angela Leite

Massage Therapist

Angela Leite

Hamden

“I am always calm in my work and 100% focused on the work I am doing. I effectively listen to my clients’ input and adapt my care to their needs.”

Care From The Core

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Renee Lascarides

Physical Therapist

Renee Lascarides

Hamden Site Lead

“Educating clients is the most powerful tool we can provide to give them more confidence and control over their progress or rehabilitation.”

Teachers and Scholars

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Michele Tenney

Personal Trainer, Pilates Instructor

Michele Tenney

Hamden

“I love being creative as a team and seeing things from different vantage points to best support the person we are working with.”

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Koren Bradshaw

Nutritionist

Koren Bradshaw

All Locations

“I truly love teaching clients about nutrition and the impact food has on our wellness; I love empowering people to feel their best by making the best choices to fuel their bodies.”

Teachers and Scholars

Have a question?

Francine Blinten

Nutritionist

Francine Blinten

All Locations

"I empower people by connecting with them, discovering their motivations, gaining their trust and listening to them."

Teachers and Scholars

Have a question?

Ashley Jerry

Nutritionist

Ashley Jerry

Most Locations

“I pride myself on providing motivation, support and accountability to clients. Because eating is so personal and often requires behavior change, I ensure my clients know that I am there for them every step of the way.”

Care From The Core

Have a question?

Arianna Martignetti

Mental Performance Consultant

Arianna Martignetti

All Locations

“I empower people to live better by helping them increase their self-awareness and recognize that they have the ability within themselves to create change in their life.”

Care From The Core

Have a question?

Adam Wright

Mental Performance Consultant

Adam Wright

Virtual — All Locations

“I am driven by a model of servant leadership. I aspire to share power, put the needs of others first, and help people develop and perform as highly as possible by leveraging their strengths and honoring what is unique about each individual.”

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