I am a physical therapist who believes passionately in providing alternatives to medications, testing, and surgery for those living with pain and dysfunction – me included. Since graduating from Saint Louis University in 1984 with a degree in physical therapy, I have worked within a medical model that depends too highly on these interventions. This is reflected in our high cost of health care and poor outcomes. Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139) and hold tremendous capacity for healing when approached appropriately and holistically. Our tendency in healthcare – physical therapy included – is to compartmentalize the body into specialties: orthopedics, neurology, gynecology/women’s health, urology/men’s health, pediatrics, internal medicine, ear/nose/throat, vestibular, and more. Each encompasses their own set of tests/measures, diagnoses, medications, and invasive procedures. But the body knows nothing about our artificial compartments: there is no real division between the neck and the ear, the knee and the intestines, the foot and the bladder. They are all connected – left to right, front to back, head to hand to foot – by a marvelous connective tissue network. Understanding this network and how to best influence it has been the first part of my life’s work, and reflected in the countless hours of post-graduate training I have pursued. The second part is in communicating this to anyone who will listen: patients, clients, and other providers of all disciplines. Such is the impetus for this website.
My vision is to transform health care. I’ve integrated alternative approaches into my practice for years with the patients/clients I have seen, one person at a time. It has been truly a joy and a privilege to witness healing, hope, and encouragement being restored to those suffering. While this remains my calling, I am painfully aware of the many people still struggling to navigate the slippery slope of our broken health care system. My hope with this website is to reach as many people as possible with education about their body and empower them with options. But another aspect of this is to reach clinicians who are willing to expand their paradigm and be open to additional/alternative ways of assessment and treatment.
I love this quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and author:
“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday, and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”
Wishing you health and joy!
Colleen
Dear collegue A am a Dutch fysiotherapist. Because of your webinar 14 weeks back I decided to study FM. I was lucky, last week 6 km of my home have Antonio level 1 the first 3 days. I had the last empty place.
I am so happy 😊 you stimulated me. Many thanks.
The very best regards, Anne Mijnen.
Op zo 25 apr. 2021 18:46 schreef Fearfully Wonderfully Made :
> Colleen Murphy Whiteford posted: ” My husband Bill and me after a bike > ride. It’s one good outcome we experienced from Covid 19: getting back on > our bikes together! I am a physical therapist who believes passionately in > providing alternatives to medications, testing, and surgery for ” >
That is great to hear, Anne! Thanks for watching the webinar and for sharing this with me! Best wishes to you in your studies!