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Meet the Team

Our Practitioners

Dr. Charles Bissell

Chiropractor and Owner of Bissell Clinic

Dr. Charles Bissell’s path to chiropractic care began at a young age. At 13, he suffered a back injury during a hockey accident and experienced firsthand the healing benefits of chiropractic treatment. The results allowed him to return quickly to the sport he loved and sparked a lifelong passion for helping others overcome pain and restore movement.

While studying anatomy in college, Dr. Bissell became fascinated by how the body works and knew he wanted to pursue a career in healthcare focused on natural, hands on healing.

Dr. Bissell studied at Santa Barbara City College and West Coast University before earning his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer Chiropractic College, the world’s oldest chiropractic school. He later earned an MBA from Pepperdine University, with a focus on advanced medical sciences and integrative care.
Practicing in Santa Barbara since 1995, Dr. Bissell is nationally board certified and holds multiple state chiropractic licensures. He has served as president of the local California Chiropractic Association chapter and as a team doctor for organizations including Santa Barbara City College, the AVP, and USA Triathlon.

When not joyfully caring for his patients, you might find him sharing time with his family and friends, enjoying the healing qualities of the beach and mountains, or playing golf.

Hank Peterson

Physical Therapist

Introducing Hank Peterson, the newest member of the Bissell Clinic team! With over 24 years of experience as a physical therapist, Hank’s passion for sports medicine began early—he graduated from UCLA in 1989, played professional water polo in Italy, trained with the National Olympic Water Polo team, and later earned his master’s in physical therapy from USC in 1996.

Initially, he worked at Kaiser Sunset which is where he began mastering his skills in manual therapy with specialization in neuromuscular reeducation. Twenty years ago, Hank moved to Santa Barbara where he has been delivering Physical Therapy services to patients at Sansum Clinic. Currently, Hank is a part of the Bissell Clinic team, where he is working with all patients to address post-surgical conditions to preventative care.

Hank lives in Santa Barbara with his beautiful wife, Dr. Susie Ramos, with whom he has 4 lovely children. Beyond his professional commitments, Hank finds joy in a plethora of sports, with a special passion for surfing, paddling, water polo, and basketball.

Dr. Kimberly Courtney

Physical Therapist

Kimberly Courtney earned her B.S. in Combined Sciences from Santa Clara University, where she competed on the Division I volleyball team. Her passion for sports, along with her own orthopedic surgeries and recoveries, sparked her interest in physical therapy.
Motivated further by her father’s neurological diagnosis, she went on to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Mount St. Mary’s University and completed a residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center, specializing in orthopedic and neurologic disorders. Kimberly’s experiences have shown her firsthand the powerful impact physical therapy can have on improving quality of life.

When she is not helping her patients, Kimberly loves spending time hiking in the outdoors and taking her bernedoodle puppy Beau to the beach.

Dr. Gerry Perez

Physical Therapist

Gerry joins us as a graduate from University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences where he graduated as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Prior to PT school, Gerry received his BS in Kinesiology from Sonoma State University. While in PT school, Gerry has worked in several PT settings including an outpatient orthopedic facility, pain management group serving workers compensation patients dealing with chronic pain, and in-home physical therapy. Most recently, he gained experience working in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.

Outside the office, Gerry loves staying active with strength training, playing basketball, and playing new golf courses in and outside the California area.

Our Office Staff

Deanna Alonzo

Office Manager

Deanna came to Bissell Clinic with many years of management experience, making her an ideal fit for her current role as office manager. One of her earliest positions was with Dr. Bissell when the practice first opened. She looks forward to getting to know all of the patients and forming long-lasting patient relationships.
It has been exciting for her to see some of the longtime patients who came to be treated by Dr. Bissell when she worked here years ago. Deanna actually met her husband Matt at this office! They have three young adult children who are in their 20s.

When she’s not working, Deanna enjoys spending time with the family, traveling, hiking, reading, and days at the beach. With her two older sons out of the house and her daughter, Ava, away attending college, Deanna and Matt are finding time for new adventures.

Alyssa

Chiropractic Assistant

As a Chiropractic Assistant at Bissell Clinic, Alyssa specializes in assisting with various services offered within our office including Decompression, Electrical Muscle Stimulation, and Shockwave Therapy. With a genuine passion for ensuring every patient’s experience is nothing short of wonderful, Alyssa’s warm demeanor and attention to detail create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere from the moment patients are brought into the treatment room.
She recently graduated from UCLA with her B.S. in Biology and plans to further her education with aspirations to become a Physician Assistant. While obtaining her B.S., Alyssa’s deep passion and interest in pursuing a career in healthcare was strengthened through volunteering/shadowing at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and SJRMC.

Outside of seeing and caring for patients, Alyssa finds joy in spending time with her family and friends, working out, attending concerts, and volunteering at her local hospital.

Kayla Kershaw

Front and Back Patient Coordinator

Kayla keeps the practice running smoothly by managing patient calls, scheduling, and front-office tasks while also assisting with therapies such as e-stim, decompression, and shockwave treatments. EMT and CPR/BLS certified, she also brings clinical experience from her time as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
A junior at UCSB studying Biological Sciences, Kayla plans to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant. She finds the most rewarding part of her work is seeing patients leave feeling better and more confident than when they arrived.

Originally from Hermosa Beach, Kayla enjoys spending her downtime outdoors—whether running, swimming, or relaxing at the beach. She also loves traveling and being with family and friends.

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