Inspiring Conversations with Kayleen Laurendi of ThePediatricPT_AZ

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayleen Laurendi

Hi Kayleen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since tenth grade my plan was to get my undergraduate degree in Athletic Training and then continue my education by receiving my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Fast forward, and 15 years later I have done just that! At that time, I had planned to focus mainly on sports performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation, specifically for athletes.

It wasn’t until 2020-2021 when I had a clinical rotation in a pediatric clinic where my mindset shifted, and I truly fell in love with helping children. Since that clinical rotation, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in Pediatric Physical Therapy. I went on to graduate and soon after accepted my first job here in Arizona. I am originally from Florida, so my mother and I (and my dog Waylon) packed up my car and made the cross-country drive to Arizona where I started my first job!!

Working in a clinic surrounded by other providers (Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapist, Behavioral Therapist, etc.) taught me so many wonderful things and brought me many of the friends I continue to hold dear to my heart today. But I wanted more for myself and my career. So, after 1.5 years working for someone else, I decided to take a leap of faith and create my own practice!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The transition from working for someone else to working for myself was NOT easy by any means. Being a small business/practice owner doesn’t just stop at those titles. You also become the receptionist, the administrator, the content creator, the accountant, and so many more!

I am now going into my third year growing my own practice and I continue to learn new things – but those learning curves are even more rewarding when they benefit something YOU have cultivated.

I constantly remind myself that the path to success is never linear, there will be hills and valleys you will endure along the way, but I think the secret to success is to never give up and to always continue learning.

As you know, we’re big fans of ThePediatricPT_AZ. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
ThePediatricPT_AZ provides both in clinic and in home physical therapy services for children from birth to 18 years of age. I primarily service the West Valley including Glendale, Peoria, and Surprise, but from times have ventured out of these areas! What sets me apart is that I am a mobile provider and can come to your home which has a multitude of benefits!

The mission for my practice is to provide the Physical Therapy care that each child and family deserve. I want to create an environment where I am treating each child as a whole and not just based on a diagnosis. I want parents/families to feel that they are being listened to. I wanted to be able to spend TIME with each child and family and not feel rushed throughout our sessions. Lastly, I want to be able to teach parents how to perform certain exercises to help them feel empowered to help their child!

I have further continued and invested in my education by taking multiple courses in Dynamic Movement Intervention. I personally have achieved Introductory Level C and offer Intensive Therapy throughout the Valley. Intensive Therapy is different than traditional physical therapy as the frequency and duration are more intense! I offer 1-3 weeklong intensives with 1-2 sessions per day, 5 days a week! I have seen tremendous improvements in such a short time by offering these services!

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I love to be creative…. I am not artistic by any means, but I LOVE creating on Canva and repurposing/painting furniture for fun!

Pricing:

• If interested in services, please reach out for specific pricing

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ThePediatricpt_az

Image Credits
All of these photos were taken by family members of my patients. They all provided me permission to use them.