We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Kelly Frank a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dr. Kelly, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
I was a pelvic health physical therapist before getting pregnant and having my first child. During my first pregnancy, I witnessed and experienced what being a pregnant woman in the American healthcare system was like, and it was eye opening. I remember that was the time that I developed a course about the 4th trimester, as no single provider I saw – midwife, OB, DO, mentioned much about what would be happeneing to my body during the end of pregnancy or after delivery. Most information was centered around not performing episiotomies and what to do if I ran a fever or had excessive bleeding. No information about proalpse, constipation, urinary or fecal incontinence, pubic symphsyis or sacroiliac joint pain, back pain, or pain with penetration was mentioned. I took pregnancy courses to learn about the bodies process during labor & delivery and what to expect when arriving to the hospital, but no one mentioned maybe bring a squatty potty to birth, performing perineal massage after 34 weeks gestation to prevent perineal tearing, or what to do about diastasis recti or urinary incontience postpartum. I knew that educating and advocating for new moms/new parents about what would actually (possibly) happen to their bodies was the right thing to do so they could go into parenthood and postpartum feeling empowered and confident about themselves vs unsure and scared.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My name is Dr. Kelly Frank, I am a pelvic health physical therapist. My husband and I have 2 great kids and live in Central Florida. This past year I developed and launched my own private concierge practice, Frankly Pelvic. I currently provide in-home (mobile), virtual, and soon (January 2024) in office pelvic health physical therapy services to clients in the Greater Orlando area. I chose to start my own practice when I realized that my efforts and goals did not align with the path I was on, both professionally and personally. My daughter started Kindergarten this past Fall and a part of me has always wanted to be active in her school to help support her teachers, the staff, and make that community special not only to her, but her friends as well. It feels incredibly cliche to say that my work:life balance was poorly/not at all balanced, but I was tired of writing down every Dec 31st a resolution that I would never be able to accomplish. Since starting my own practice, I not only have full autonomy on when I see my patients – allowing time for school fundraisers, family trips, and my own self care (working out, dentist visits, routine check ups, etc).; where I see my patients – in the comfort (currently) of their own homes where they feel safe, it makes childcare a non-issue, and allows them the ability to practice their homework and strategies in places they feel comfortable; as well as how I treat my patients. I see patients for 60 minutes plus most times without a productivity standard pushing for more visits in a week. I give my patients effective, practical routines, homework, and exercises so they can be incorporated into their everyday. Having my own practice allows me to also make more friends/colleagues in the birthing and local markets, including chiropractors, doulas, midwives, lactation support, personal trainers, acupuncturist, and nutritionists who all want similar outcomes for their patients. It’s been incredibly exciting and rewarding on a mental, physical, and social level to “practice what I preach” in a way!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Dependability, Creativity, & Optimism. Growing up I was always told I was very dependable. I have an appreciation for time, tend to be early to events (being on time or late is not an option), and enjoy being someone I know friends and family can count on. Do I sometimes go out of my way (like the airport) to get someone, sure. But I love that stuff. I might have to add more reminders to my google calendar, or add more post-it notes to my table, but being someone in the medical field- espeically the birthing world- that someone can count on when they’re in pain, nervous, or just not sure what will happen is incredible. Reassurance and having a glass half full approach help too. All my patients know I tell very real, usually funny after it happened anecdotes, stories, and experiences I’ve been through to help them get through a particularly difficult time or time of unknown (birth!). Working in clinics and now in patient homes you have to get creative, but I think that’s also just a metaphor for being a parent. Babies and toddlers are wild cards, so learning to adapt, be clever, and resourceful are clutch in physical thearpy in general.
Advice for folks early in their journies would be, to be open to new things. I’m sure there are lots of adages and sayings but if you show up, you try, and are able to keep an open mind about whatever it is you did/saw/experienced, it probably won’t be so bad and you might learn something that can be useful next time!
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents had me do things. Not like play all the sports, or try new foods. They had me make things. If my brother and I wanted a tree-house we had to help build it, if we wanted extra money to buy fun things we had to figure out ways to earn money through chores and little jobs here and there. It created a sense of purpose, ownership, and pride in a lot of what we had growing up. It made me want to help others learn how to do things for themselves. Which, looking at what I do now is super helpful in that I want my patients to learn and have strategies that will improve their everyday lives as well as teach my children how to do all the things that will help them as they grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.franklypelvic.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/franklypelvic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/FranklyPelvic
Image Credits
photography: David Lasher Photography
