We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emma Lengerich a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Emma, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Though my journey has shifted many times in my career, my purpose has always remained the same. I am driven by my desire to help people understand their bodies, not fear their bodies, in whatever season of life they may be in. I found this purpose through my own experience of injury as a collegiate athlete to the lack of support in pregnancy, and postpartum recovery. When I started my career, it was with the hope of working with athletes to help them recover fully to participate in the sports they love. I started to shift my focus as I witnessed a worrying lack of support for women’s health and wellness. When I became pregnant, it was all too evident the lack of support and more often than not, fear that surrounded my care. I took this to heart as I listened to more and more parents report fear of their body in pregnancy, delivery and postpartum recovery, and this catapulted me into the pelvic health & birth doula world. I love being able to educate and demystify the pelvic floor and various “taboo” topics associated with the pelvic floor. It’s a beautiful experience to help someone feel more comfortable with their body, empowered, and ready to go out and achieve their goals. I believe pelvic health is a missing link in overall health and wellness and I recognize this void on so many levels, it is my purpose and desire to fill this void in my community.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started my journey as an orthopedic physical therapist in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While there I worked a lot with the military. This really helped to shape my perspective on what direction I wanted to take my career because while treating many of the women in the military I found a worrying lack of support and awareness for pelvic floor dysfunction. I decided to shift my education into pelvic health as well as specialize in orthopedics as I wanted to look at the individual in front of me as an entire person. Through my own experience through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery, I was frustrated by the lack of support I received throughout the entirety of the experience. Most frustrating for me was the lack of autonomy I felt through labor and delivery. This is what inspired me to become a birth doula, but in order to follow this dream, I had to step out of the box of insurance based care and start my own private practice. I am now the owner of a small private practice, Foundations PelvicPhysio, LLC in Columbus, OH. I am working on becoming a certified birth doula with the long term goal of supporting families in pregnancy, labor & delivery, and postpartum recovery to improve the continuity of care and support. If you would like to learn more about pelvic health and perinatal care you are welcome to follow my instagram account @emma_pelvichealth. I also look forward to launching a pocketbook guide to postpartum recovery and care in the beginning of the new year! So be on the lookout!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Reflecting on my journey, the three qualities that were most impactful on my growth and success are: a continuous learning mindset, the ability to adapt and change, and good work ethic.
One thing about me, is that I LOVE quotes. I usually pick a quote of the week or month to reflect on and ground me. For those who are just starting their journey, one of my favorite quotes by Lao Tzu is “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” For me, it was and is still easy to get caught up in the mindset of not being good enough, not smart enough, not capable enough which leads to the mindset of … maybe I can’t or shouldn’t. Imposter syndrome can be a huge roadblock to your growth and success. This quote allows me to come back to a mindset of positive growth. Where I am now and the success that I have had, has come from slow, purposeful, at times difficult and reflective growth and where I will be will also come returning to my foundations: a continuous learning mindset, the ability to adapt and change, and good work ethic.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
My number one obstacle or challenge I am currently facing is myself. There are so many times I find myself making reasons that I shouldn’t, thinking I can’t, thinking it’s not the right time, and asking what if I fail. I always have to come back to my purpose and my support system. When I am struggling, I return to my why and my personal goals. I also reach out to my support system which includes the community of birth workers and pelvic floor therapists I have surrounded myself with and my husband.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foundationspelvicphysio.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/emma_pelvichealth
Image Credits
Sarah Cropper Photography
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