Today we’d like to introduce you to TREVOR MACLAREN AND DAYNA BRUNETTE OF Believe Pediatric Physical Therapy LLC.
Trevor and Dayna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As pediatric physical therapists, we have always been invested in helping kids with disabilities make the most progress possible with their gross motor skills. We work with kids who have neuromotor disorders like cerebral palsy, and we help them learn to sit up, crawl, stand, walk, run, and do all the things kids want to be able to do. When we began working in an intensive therapy program we experienced the dramatic amount of progress kids can make in a short period of time. It changed our lives and became our passion. We opened a private clinic 20 years ago, and together we have built a program and environment that we love. Not only do we get to see kids make incredible progress in their physical abilities, we are also privileged to build lifelong relationships with both the kids and their families. Over the years we have recruited a small team of incredibly gifted therapists to work with us, and we all love to collaborate, learn, grow, and change lives together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Every small business has struggles and trials, and we certainly have experienced our fair share. There are hurdles in every aspect of building a successful business, cultivating our therapy team, and making decisions that consistently reflect our philosophy, ethics and morals. Insurance companies do not typically pay for intensive therapy sessions, and we are primarily a fee-for-service provider. Our small clinic was hit pretty hard during the Covid shut down and the previous recession. However, we have consistently prioritized the best interests of the kids we treat and their families when making decisions, and so we have created a therapy center that stays true to our values. We have survived the past 20 years in business because of the pure love that we have for the work we do. This philosophy continues to guide us and give us purpose for hopefully another 20 wonderful and successful years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Believe Pediatric Physical Therapy, LLC?
At Believe Pediatric Physical Therapy, we know that oftentimes parents are told that their children “will never walk, will never talk, will never do the things most kids do.” But we have seen many of these children do things they were never “supposed” to do, and we believe that every child deserves an opportunity to be challenged, supported, and believed in. Not every child will walk, or sit independently, or even roll without assistance, but every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their potential. And at Believe, we are committed to offering the tools to help them.
Most children who are born with or acquire a disability are offered physical therapy for 30 to 60 minutes once to three times per week, where goals would typically be set for a 6 month to 1 year time frame. With an intensive therapy program, consisting of 4 hours of therapy every day for 3 weeks, we are able to set goals within a 3 week time frame. During this time, we see significant improvements and make the same amount of progress in 3 weeks that a child would typically make during that 6 months to 1 year of therapy doing only 30-60 minutes. During our intensive therapy program, we utilize a variety of tools, techniques, and treatments that are customized to the needs of each child. They include the Therasuit, the Universal Exercise Unit (cage), Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT), Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI), myofascial release, pilates, yoga, unweighted treadmill training, adaptive tricycles, Spinal E-Stimulation, and so much more. But it is the skill, knowledge, and passion of our therapy team that truly sets us apart. We are privileged to develop wonderful relationships with our patients and their families over the course of our intensive sessions. We truly love, value, and respect our clients and are committed to offering the very best for them. We provide physical therapy in a fun, challenging, and family-friendly environment.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people would probably describe physical therapy as hard work, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. But in our pediatric center it is very different here. We make an effort to incorporate laughter, play, and imagination. Kids learn best when they are happy and having fun, so we do our best to make sure that they experience that joy while they are working hard. It’s a delicate balance sometimes, but our goal is always to challenge each child to reach their fullest potential and push their physical limits in a way that could change their way of life and their family’s life. Our intensive therapy program allows us to join all the families that are participating during that session to encourage each other, play together, and witness each other’s successes. We incorporate life skills into our sessions that are meaningful and impactful for each family. This balance takes empathy, creativity, and a lot of clinical experience. After 20 years in business together, we are proud to say that this kind of environment that we strive to foster is where we get to witness the miracles happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.believetherapy.com
- Instagram: @believetherapy
- Facebook: Believe Pediatric Physical Therapy LLC
