We recently connected with Monica Smith, PT, DPT, ATC and have shared our conversation below.
Monica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
Yes, that defining moment was during COVID when I was furloughed from my job at the time. While prior to this incident, I had considered potentially going out on my own one day. I didn’t have any push to do so. I was working part-time. I had very good hours. I worked down the street from my house and my husband was the main bread winner in our household. While I would often get discouraged and was losing my passion for my job, the convenience just kept me complacent. Being furloughed was the spark I needed to embrace the opportunity to change some things, and that I did. Things that I had only thought about in the past quickly became my reality. I went back to school and earned my Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy. I opened up my own practice and I received certifications in a brain-based approach to treatment which all completely changed the trajectory of my career. I am now an entrepreneur (something I never foresaw) and I am helping people in a way that I could never help them before. All of it is challenging and a lot of work but I wouldn’t change it! I love my career again and I love the people I help. Cheers! :)
Monica, 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?
Hi! My name is Monica. I am a doctor of physical therapy, and while I do do physical therapy, my approach is very non-traditional. It’s part of what sets me apart from most other physical therapists. However, before I dive into those details, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up playing competitive soccer which handed me multiple injuries. Hence, I was exposed to the field of physical therapy at a young age. At the time, I didn’t know it was a career path I would take. Even when I entered college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was a collegiate athlete with an “Undeclared” major, but with another injury, I was introduced to the wonderful field of athletic training. My fascination with the human body, my love for sport and exercise, and my joy in helping others made me want to not just be the athlete needing rehab but the trainer doing the rehab. Although I ultimately completed my degree and my certification in Athletic Training, I knew I wanted a steadier schedule that would be more conducive to being a mom, so I decided to pursue physical therapy. During the process, I learned about all of the different areas physical therapists could work in, but I chose to stick to my roots and work in outpatient orthopedics. “Give me the muscles and the bones! Give me the athletes!” But then, fast forward to many years later when a colleague of mine introduced me to a technique called Primal Reflex Release Technique (PRRT). I did not take it seriously at first glance, but later decided to take the Level 1 & 2 courses. I began to implement the “weird” “chops and flicks” on my patients and was in awe at how effective these techniques were in eliminating or drastically decreasing their symptoms. I was like a kid in the candy store desiring more! So that’s what I did, I took all of the courses they had to offer, but I wasn’t done yet. My same colleague told me about another brain-based approach through a company called Z Health. When I finally decided to bite the bullet and take one of these courses, I realized, oh gosh, I have just opened up Pandora’s box! The techniques and results were mind blowing. Some may call it “weird” while others may call it “magic”, but it’s really just neurology. It’s how we’re wired. My young self who just wanted to work with the musculoskeletal system, came to realize that you cannot separate neurology (the nervous system) from the muscles and the bones. These courses (in addition to a few others not mentioned) have set the course for the rest of my career. Through them I am able to help bring the brain body connection into better balance. In doing so, people who have been in pain for a long time, have pain that keeps coming back or have difficulty moving, are able to get back to the active lifestyle they enjoy. It’s so awesome to help people who feel lost and sometimes hopeless after having tried traditional methods and traditional doctors find hope again! This is probably what I am most proud of… helping change the course of someone’s life in a positive direction. One last mention, this brain body connection is a part of my holistic approach to helping the body heal. Other important factors that are discussed are things like sleep, hydration, exercise, supplementation and natural healing modalities with referrals offered when needed or wanted. One of the main things that I want potential clients to know is that every body, every brain and every person’s life experiences are different. That’s why I take into account each individual’s detailed history and correlate it with their complaints to come up with a treatment plan specifically for them. I don’t claim to know it all, but you will get the best of me! I never stop learning and I would love to help you!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Haha, well, where do I begin? It’s been a true trying journey to get to where I am now. I’ll try to sum it up briefly, but I’ll start by taking you back to my senior year of undergraduate school. I had plans to apply to Physical Therapy School but found out I was pregnant and ended up having my first child just one month after graduation. I did not let this hinder my dream of going to PT school, so I took one year off and started my Master’s program with a 14-month old baby. Shortly into my career as a PT, I became pregnant with our second child. I carried this daughter to full term when tragedy struck and we lost her due to a still birth. While still processing the grief, my intentions to eventually go back to work took a detour when God called me to homeschool my first child. This was not what I had planned, but through His promise and my obedience, I homeschooled not only her, but the following two more kids as well. During this time, I was also coaching soccer, learning all about health, nutrition and natural remedies for healing and taking continuing education courses. This time also consisted of recovering from 4 c-sections, an ankle surgery and a spinal fusion to my low back. However, my desire to do physical therapy never faded. Years later, I had an opportunity to do some fill in work for another physical therapist. I was so nervous and concerned about getting back into the field after so long, but with constant study, many, many, many additional courses, and some volunteer/observational work, I gradually increased my time back in the clinic. Fast forward to 2020 when I was furloughed from the job I had been at for 7 years, I decided to get my Doctorate in Physical Therapy and open up my own clinic. I pursued these endeavors while working part time as a PT in a chiropractor’s office. In order to go all in with the business, I quit my job in May of 2021, opened my clinic November 2021 (still in the midst of the pandemic) and finished my doctoral degree February of 2022. I’ve been building my practice ever since amid other trials and tribulations. Being an entrepreneur is the current journey that I’m on and it definitely requires resilience. However, I look back at God’s promise to me from 25 years ago: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time” – I Peter 5:6 and I can just say “Wow, thank you!”…
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I think for continued success in this field, one needs to have a genuine care and concern for helping others. This deep-rooted desire propels you to continue to learn, continue to grow, and in some instances go out on your own and open your own practice so you can treat people how they deserve to be treated 😉.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foundationptw.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foundationptw_2021/
- Facebook: Foundation Physical Therapy and Wellness
Image Credits
my iphone :)