I had just dropped off my two-year-old son at daycare and was driving to work when I asked myself aloud, “Wouldn’t it be nice if a car hit me right now?” A newly minted mom, my postpartum depression lingered until my son neared his third birthday. This sinking feeling, coupled with the chronic back pain I had been experiencing, left me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. I met with several providers and expressed my struggles but was never met with anything more than a pamphlet or a dead-end mental health referral. Subsequently, I was living each day in survival mode and spending what little free time I had trying to control my back pain. The thought of lying in a hospital bed connected to an IV of pain meds sounded like a vacation to me. The irony of this is that I’ve spent my career as a fitness coach, helping people feel empowered in their choices to build a strong sense of self-efficacy. The juxtaposition of this was not lost on me: while dedicating myself to helping people remain positive on their wellness journey, I was silently suffering as my own well-being was deeply fractured. I was at a significant crossroads in my life: I could try to sustain the unsustainable or take it upon myself to get to the root of my mental and physical pain. Once I chose to take action, I fortuitously crossed paths with a PT that deeply impacted the trajectory of my own personal journey. During my recovery, I began researching information related to movement and the clear parallels to overcoming mental health struggles. I asked myself “How can I use this information to help other women and moms who are struggling?” Suddenly the vision for my future was coming into focus with clarity and vigor. As a physical therapist, I can usher women along the journey of motherhood with a compassionate approach in order to recover from the trauma of birth, feel less isolated, and more empowered in their physical and mental health. As someone who has seen the darkest side of depression, fueled by chronic pain, I want to offer a holistic approach to care for women throughout their healing journey. My experience as a personal trainer and yoga teacher has given me the tools to educate my clients around the mind-body connection, and I've also developed keen listening skills to understand my clients needs and offer support where they need it most. My approach has and will continue to include a robust referral network of community support that I’ve built through my years as a business owner. I want to arm each one of my clients with an arsenal of tools so they feel supported at any stage of their journey. My overall vision as a PT is to ensure that women can recover from the trauma of childbirth with the same mental and physical tenacity they entered the delivery room with. Motherhood is joyous and fulfilling, but it can also be isolating. As I move forward in my career as a PT, my mission is to bridge the gap between mental and physical health for mothers.. To me, this is not just about healing pain; it is about fostering a compassionate approach that redefines what it means to care for mothers and women.