You are currently practicing as a physical therapist at the Hruska Clinic in Lincoln, NE. Tell us what led you to a career in physical therapy and ultimately to your first position at the Hruska Clinic?
I was very involved in athletics growing up, and during high school realized that I had the most talent in golf, so I focused all my attention on my golf game. My senior year of high school I suffered an injury which led me to multiple doctors, physical therapists, Mayo Clinic, and then finally the Hruska Clinic as a patient. Long story short, through this self-experience, I realized that I wanted to become a physical therapist. Playing nearly every sport growing up, I knew that I wanted to work with athletes and still be around sports, so I decided on a major in athletic training. I graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2006, and became certified as an athletic trainer that summer. While attending physical therapy school at Rockhurst University my first semester, I was approached about becoming a graduate assistant athletic trainer for their athletic teams. This was a tremendous experience, and if I did it over again, I would do the same thing! Being a former patient at the Hruska Clinic, I knew that the Postural Restoration approach was “different” than what I was learning, and I inquired about completing a clinical rotation for my final semester of physical therapy school. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity, and then receiving a job offer at the Hruska Clinic following graduation in 2009 was a dream come true.
In addition to seeing patients, you have been involved with our Institute by way of clinical development and support. How has your background prepared you for this role and why do you think this role has suited you so well?
I have really enjoyed the opportunity to be involved with the Postural Restoration Institute over the past year, providing clinical support to healthcare professionals around the country (and world). Having had 9 weeks of clinical internship with Lori Thomsen at the Hruska Clinic while in PT school was so helpful. I cannot even tell you how much I learned during that short time! It was then that I not only knew that I wanted to practice Postural Restoration, but that I wanted to become certified and help spread this approach to others. I went through Postural Restoration Certification in December 2011, and it was a wonderful learning experience as well. I know there are so many individuals who are on their way to becoming PRC and PRT, and I not only want to help them achieve this, but also help grow the Institute for years to come. As I have told others, providing support to healthcare professionals in PRI is “clinical care”, except you are assisting the clinician so that they can in turn assist their patients. I feel honored to be in the situation to spread the knowledge of PRI with others, so that they can help all of their patients and clients!
You and I will be working closely together as we plan for the future of PRI. Both Bobbie and I will be spending more time at home with our young and growing families. This would a great time to let everyone know about the transitions coming up and your new role with PRI.
In the next couple months, I will be transitioning into a full-time position at the Postural Restoration Institute. I am very excited about this opportunity and change in my career! During the transition, I will continue to see patients 1-2 days/week at the Hruska Clinic. Although it wasn’t an easy decision to decrease my time in patient care, I knew it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. Last year, I had the opportunity to fill in part-time at the Postural Restoration Institute while Bobbie was home on maternity leave, and during those couple months I was able to see what really goes on in PRI. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” work, and also a lot of clinical stimulation. By this I mean that I continued to be “challenged” clinically on a daily basis by peers with their clinical questions relating to the courses they have taken, as well as Ron Hruska and the rest of our faculty when preparing course materials. It was for this reason, that I feel the decision to move from patient care to the Postural Restoration Institute is a perfect fit for me! I loved hearing about how people “found” PRI, their first course attended, their trials and tribulations, as well as a lot of interest being shared in becoming recognized as a Postural Restoration Certified or Postural Restoration Trained professional. All of this excites me, as I see the Institute growing every single day!
Tell us about any projects you are currently working on or goals you have for the coming months.
The biggest project that I am currently working on are the new Non-Manual Techniques CD’s. We hope to have these three CD’s completed in the next couple months, and appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to work on them. I think people will be excited with the finished product! In addition, I will be meeting with Janie a lot over the next few months on establishing the course schedule for 2013. I am looking forward to assisting those interested in going through the PRC and PRT application process in the coming months!
