2021

Happy New Year year, 2021 has to be a better year! I look back at 2020 and say, ‘what the f*** was that? I have done some sole searching this best week and read the book “Best Self’ by Mike Bayer. The book has helped me look at the different aspects of my life and helped me focus my personal promises for this year. I made a few promises for 2021. I don’t like to call them goals because goals sounds like more hope than a true plan. The word promise is more definitive and reflects a true desire and plan to get things done. My number one professional promise for this year is to write a book. The book will assist me in putting my system and thoughts on paper with the hope that it will help clinicians. I have always loved mentoring and have been working for years to find ways to help others make a difference in their patients’ lives. I am looking forward to this journey.

In the mind of…

 

I started doing interviews with some of the people who have made a difference in my career. I have always been fascinated by how people think and what makes some people tick. These interviews are about 20 minutes in length allowing just enough time to get some insight and short enough not to lose the listeners interest. Please follow this link to Professional Seminars (www.professionalseminars.com) and listen. I have ten more planned in the next few weeks, I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed speaking with my guests.

 

It’s been a while

Hello everyone, it has been a long while since I have posted and a lot has happened.  I am now the director of education for Professional PT and have been spending my time developing a curiculum, teaching and in my spare time getting my doctorate.  I am really enjoying the academia world and do see patients here and there.  Although I miss patients seeing patients on a daily basis  I have been keeping my skills sharp by teaching and mentoring.

Keep an eye out for clinical gems and my thoughts to be coming your way in the next few weeks.

Don’t forget about the art of manual therapy

For the past 23 years I have spent hours upon hours trying to learn and grow as a manual therapist. Early in my physical therapy education I remember watching one of my professors perform soft tissue and joint mobilization techniques on one of my classmates and I thought “wow, how do I make my hands do that.” I went to my professor asked that very question and I remember her response to this day and share it with my students (or anyone else who will listen). She said when you first begin to perform any hands on technique your hands are like cement and as you make a conscious effort to improve the cement chips away and you develop knowing hands. I never forgotten that advice.

Today there is a big push for evidence based practice, although I do understand the importance, I hope we, as manual therapists, don’t forget about the importance of practicing our art and listen to what our hands tell us. Experts say it takes 10,000 hours of meaningful practice to become an expert in any discipline. Next time you palpate a structure or perform a technique make sure you are doing it with purpose and thought,your hands can give you amazing information with you listen to them..