Meet Kelsey: Physical Therapist

Meet OMC Vendor Kelsey of Therapydia Ballard! Kelsey practices pelvic floor PT and orthopedics in North Seattle. Outside of her work she enjoys running at Golden Gardens, hiking in the mountains, playing sports, and exploring all the new restaurants and breweries in town.

How long have you lived in the Seattle area? Where are you from/why did you move here? What do you do for a living? Have you always done this?

I was born and raised in the North Seattle Area just north of Lake Washington in Kenmore. I moved away for undergrad and graduate school for 7 years, but always knew I wanted to come back to the water and family. I did my last two residencies of my doctorate in Seattle back in 2012 and have been working in the area as a Physical Therapist ever since! Prior jobs during highschool and undergrad, besides many PT internships, include: Nanny, Target Cashier, Server & Barista  🙂

What does living a fulfilled and happy life mean to you?

I always live by the motto that I must take care of myself before I take care of my patients. I am very big on work life balance and want to make sure my patients are doing the same. I find my happiness is ever evolving and I try to take note of what my body and mind are craving to keep me feeling fulfilled.

What is your greatest personal skill/trait?

It sounds cliche, but I pride myself on being a good listener because I want to make sure I am getting the whole picture of the person in front of me when I do an assessment. I also pride myself on coordinating their care from start to finish, I am not afraid to add providers and create a holistic plan to make sure all angles of a problem are being tackled. I want you to feel like you are being taken care of before, during and after each session and each episode of care. 

What is your morning routine?

I love sleep, so I am usually only up 1 hour before my first patients! I grab some breakfast and then drink some coffee at work as I prepare for the day! Very simple.

What helps you feel calm & centered?

I am usually doing one of two things to center myself: paint watercolor pictures of my many houseplants or organizing! I love knowing where everything is using the KonMari Method, it keeps me feeling calm and less anxious about losing something as well as making sure I make the most out of my space!

When you get a quiet moment, what do you like to do the most?

If I’m not doing one of the items above, I’m usually drinking a glass of wine and watching the latest show on netflix.

How do you practice self-care?

I love to treat myself to a massage here and there, but generally, I like to make time for the simple things: face masks, paint my nails, any grooming task! I also love to make sure I eat well, drink enough water and have the right blend of supplements and vitamins to take care of my body. And lastly, exercise! Cardio, classes and weight lifting definitely affects my mood and how I’m feeling about myself so I try to make time for it whenever possible!

What does success mean to you?

In a career sense, success means having a bustling practice that is patient-centered, continuing to strive for higher and higher education goals and continuing to work on enhancing my leadership skills. In a general sense, I hope for good friends and family relationships, a support system to get through the good and the bad, the ability to care for myself and others for as long as possible. 

What does the world need more of?

The world needs to be more open and educated about how the body works! 

If you could have a super-power, what would it be?

It sounds very morbid, but I would like to have the ability to feel other people’s aches and pains. It would be used as a diagnostic tool as sometimes patients have a hard time describing what exactly is going on. Sometimes I wish I could just get inside their head and help them interpret what their body is telling them.

If you could tell your twenty-year-old self one thing, what would it be?

Even though it’s more time and money, eat better food, don’t worry about your high deductible and stretch!

What do you do for fun when you aren’t at work?

I am usually out hiking or snowboarding, hanging out with my friends or cooking with my boyfriend! He has too many hobbies, but I’ve joined him in making wine, shooting off rockets and hosting a monthly pizza night!

Why did you decide to pursue this career?

This could be a whole post in itself! I have always played sports and from that had a few serious injuries that landed me in Physical Therapy. I’ve always been good at math and science and loved being active so even at 13 yo it sounded like the ideal career and I just kept going from there. I’ve also struggled with things when I was younger like frequent yeast infections, UTI’s, etc and specializing in women’s health definitely makes me want to go back in time and educate my younger self on what I was doing wrong!

What is one dream you have for yourself, personally or professionally, in one year? In 3 years?

Personally, find an old janky Seattle house to buy! Professionally, be able to higher my first staff physical therapist or maybe even 2 that will get way to much mentorship and education about the pelvic floor!

What is your favorite place to go/explore, or favorite restaurant in Seattle or the surrounding areas?

I love going to Port Townsend, it is my home away from home. I’ve been going there my whole life as my Dad grew up there and it is the perfect place to unwind, walk the beach and grab some good food. Port Townsend Food: Waterfront Pizza, Coffee: Wooden Boat Center, Ice Cream: Elevated  

Where can readers find you?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapydiaballard/

Contact: kelsey@therapydiaballard.com