Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jody Rappaport. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jody, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In spring 2025, after more than 25 years in outpatient physical therapy, I took a leap of faith and stepped away from a stable career to pursue something new. Prompted by a corporate takeover that no longer aligned with my values, I accepted a 13-week travel contract at a skilled nursing facility in Seattle—giving myself both a professional reset and a chance to explore the Pacific Northwest with my husband.
During that time, I reflected on what truly mattered: delivering high-quality, patient-centered care without corporate constraints. With additional certifications in functional wellness coaching and dry needling already in place, I embraced an opportunity to return home and work as an independent contractor providing providing home visit (outpatient) Medicare Part B services. This opened the door and gave me the confidence to further build my own business.
I’ve expanded into private physical therapy, wellness coaching, and dry needling—and the response was immediate. Thanks to the strong relationships I had built over decades, my schedule filled within 30 days. Though still early in the journey with natural ups and downs, i”m proud to have taken control of my future and created a path aligned with my values and vision.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Boston University Sargent College graduate (MSPT) and have been a practicing physical therapist since 1996. I began my career in hospital-based inpatient rehabilitation, specializing in neurological conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. After several years, I transitioned to outpatient care, where I developed a strong passion for orthopedics and general rehabilitation, spending over two decades as a clinician, clinic manager, and mentor to students and new therapists.
Throughout my career, I recognized the challenges patients face when applying therapy to their real-life environments—especially older adults aiming to age in place and orthopedic patients recovering at home. Now, by providing care directly in clients’ homes, I can create safer, more personalized treatment plans in the environments that matter most to them.
In addition to physical therapy, I incorporate wellness coaching and dry needling to help clients align their goals with daily habits, reduce pain, and improve overall well-being. I am able to provide quality care that aligns with the clients needs and wants and addresses the root causes of their physical limitations and emotional/mental wellbeing.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe the most important skill I bring—beyond clinical expertise—is relationship building. I prioritize meaningful connections with my patients, their care teams, and my professional peers, recognizing that trust is the foundation of effective care. By truly understanding each patient’s personal goals—whether it’s walking the dog, enjoying hobbies, or socializing—I’m able to deliver care that feels relevant and purposeful, which strengthens their confidence and engagement in the process.
These relationships have also been key to my professional success. The trust I’ve built with colleagues and past coworkers has extended beyond the workplace, leading to ongoing support, referrals, and a strong network that has helped grow my business.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

This is a challenging question: I think anyone could look back and wonder the woulda, coulda, shoulda. I believe my greatest strength is as a caregiver in the medical field. That being said, being in the medical field is very challenging these days. Everything has become corporate. All reimbursements have declined for most of the fields, but especially for allied health professionals. The only way to make more is see more patients which is why in our doctors offices and clinics schedules are overfilled and quality of care has declined because the therapist are stretched too thin. If you are going to succeed you need to find a niche and become an expert in that area to be able to stand out and be sought out for services.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rappaportpt-wellness.squarespace.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGn9JK-5HoDiGbqB-0xLWm5kWTJO7KpmvcUmYmCpF6YEk5AMvRouOIzc6LtczM_aem_OfoMXZA3bmjaEolG1FAB1A
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rappaportptandwellness/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582102972418
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ jodyrappaport

Image Credits

no photo credit to provide ( I took the pics myself)