We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelly Frank. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelly below.

Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the best advice you ever gave to a client? How did they benefit / what was the result? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

The best advice I’ve ever given to a patient is to stop and listen. Listen to their own bodies and slow down. It sounds so silly to say out loud, but all the time, for most of our lives we snooze or mute little alarms and warning signals our bodies are giving us on the daily. It could be a small twitch, a sore muscle, feelings of low energy, or rumblings in our tummies. Some alarms are easier to ignore but towards the end they catch up to one another and will stop us in our tracks with little to no regard for what we had set out to accomplish that day, week, or season. Our bodies are super smart offering rerouting opportunities within muscles, nerves, and tissue if something goes wrong, but once too many things pile up, our internal systems put a stern halt to all of that until we are forced to deal with the issue(s) at hand. It’s a melancholy piece of advice that I don’t like to give as I know I need to hear it myself. So when I do dose that out, I am forced to reflect on my own day, my own inner alarms, and make appropriate tweaks to decrease the risk and chance of a full stop in the near future.

Kelly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Dr. Kelly Frank, a pelvic health physical therapist who wants to Get Frank about Pelvic Health with my private mobile and in-office practice, Frankly Pelvic, in Orlando, FL. I got into physical therapy and specifically pelvic health to create a safe, effective, fun space to bring awareness, advocacy, and solutions to issues we tend not to talk about publicly because they are weird, scary, or taboo. Things like urinary leakage, pain with intimacy, abdominal separation, GI issues, constipation, return to full function after kids or cancer treatments, to name a few. Often times being the first healthcare professional or even person to fully listen to a patient tell their whole story, how their current issues have built up over time, or how they have been dismissed or disregarded in other healthcare environments is a responsibility I do not take lightly, Each patient story is at the same time unique yet hauntingly similar to others in that they were not taken seriously or given a diagnosis with little to no education or options for intervention. Being able to provide patient centered, individualized care for members of my community while at the same time stepping up to be an advocate for their physical, mental, and emotional well being is my privilege and honor as a clinician.
I am so proud of the company and brand I’ve created, Frankly Pelvic, over the last year and a half. As well as the reputation I’ve developed for myself the last decade as a physical therapist. I always want to grow personally and professionally to meet the needs of my patients. Whether that is learning new skills, techniques, and/or seeking out referrals to colleagues who can help in ways that are out of my scope of practice. I love having a community of professionals outside of physical therapy (physicians, chiropractors, nutritionists, massage therapists, personal trainers, mental health professionals, doulas, midwives) that I can count on to also provide exceptional care to patients I truly care about so they can be their best selves.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele is to stay true to who I am as a person and clinician. You’re going to get the same Kelly you see on your screen as you do through your front door. I don’t ever want my personality to come as a surprise, my enthusiasm or overuse of an exclamation point to be off-putting. In this world of choices, endless customization and options, we all have preferences for how and who we want our care through. I love making new connections with other clinicians, colleagues, and members of our community to help bridge gaps in our lifestyles. I enjoy creating new opportunities to educate and bring awareness to issues, subjects, and conversations that people don’t talk about often – like pelvic health & wellness..

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I think I would! I truly love what I do. I created a practice where I have time to grow myself, my family, my hobbies, while still providing care and educating patients and our community about pelvic health. Creating classes where I can utilize my skills as a home baker, crafter, mom, and pelvic health PT have my my heart the most happy. I am excited to see where that line of awareness and advocacy takes me and my business in the future!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.franklypelvic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/franklypelvic
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/FranklyPelvic

Image Credits
Image credits to Dave Lasher Photography & Tammy Bishop