Shortly after marriage, over 20 years ago, I began commuting 40 minutes one way to work at a holistic outpatient PT clinic. It was privately owned by an amazing PT that eventually became my mentor and friend over the next 8 years. She had a way of encouraging those around her to face their fears and rise up to their potential. Looking back I now realized that I aspired to be like her.
There was nothing like her clinic in Rockford, hence the commute. I always thought that I’d like to emulate something like it in Rockford, as this community sorely needs access to this type of one-on-one whole-body approach to healing from chronic and pain illness. A clinic dedicated to those people that are no longer accepted or helped by traditional PT clinics that specialize in acute care, such as a recent ankle or back injuries. ( I never in a million years thought I’d actually do it.)
But then babies and recession and, well, life- created chaos and change and my roles continually changed and shifted. I began working fulltime in Rockford in hospitals, nursing home, sub acute facilities. I was hired by a company to begin an outpatient clinic, from scratch. So between being mentored by an amazing outpatient therapist and then learning all the ins and outs of how to begin a clinic, it was a natural next step. All of theses experiences taught me two main things:
- I love working with the chronic pain and illness population and
- treatment of this unique type of patient can only done right in unique environments.
Hence, Motivate was born. I googled “words that mean hope and found “motivate.” The past 10 years have been the most challenging, and rewarding of my life. The phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is certainly true. My passion has always been to be a beacon for those who have lost hope of having any quality of life after illness or injury. Then I became that person in 2016 after being diagnosed with neurological Lyme disease. So now I know, firsthand, what it takes to thrive with chronic pain, fatigue and the fear of flare ups.
Ten years later, 6 years of living with Lyme, here we are. Thanks to our true teamwork approach the ship sailed on through the storms. My team and I are so proud to still be a beacon, and an example, of what it is to THRIVE. We are here to support, educate, and empower those who feel powerless. We look at the entire body as systems within a system, not one body part separated from others. We use protocols that adapt per every individual, no diagnosis is treated the same, because no two BODIES are alike. What you put in your body, from food, fluids, thoughts and habits, determines your quality of life every day.
We believe in the power to Embrace CHANGE. We are here as a reminder of the power of your daily commitment to CHANGE: Consistent Healthy Habits, based on Awareness of the Now so you can Grow forward and be Empowered. Change is scary, but you have WAY more control than you realize. We believe in the power of positivity.
You Got this. We are here to guide and support.