We were lucky to catch up with Jenny Archer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jenny, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose through a series of unfortunate events that changed my life and changed my future.
I had chosen to go to physical therapy school primarily thinking I’d become a pediatric PT and get to work with kids all day and was excited to avoid a desk job. But, just before PT school started, I found out I was pregnant. On the same day after getting an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy, I also found out it was an ectopic pregnancy and would need life saving immediate surgery. From that surgery I ended up developing almost debilitating pelvic pain that made getting through school difficult, especially sitting long hours for class and studying. Half way through PT school after I realized that working with kids wasn’t my passion I found a pelvic health specialty that treated pelvic pain. I was able to finally get treatment for my pelvic pain that had been going on for years by that point and I also found connection and purpose with my patients.
I loved treating pelvic pain and bladder issues as well as a host of other pelvic conditions. Then I became pregnant and found that skilled care for pregnancy related pain was hard to come by. Harder still was finding in-depth help for someone with a history of tightness and pain in my pelvic floor to have a successful delivery. It felt like there was nothing like what I was looking for in the pregnancy, birth and postpartum space. I never in a million years would have considered opening my own physical therapy practice but this felt like a need in Nashville that was begging to be met. It turns out I was right. My heart is full when I’m able to help someone navigate pelvic pain, bladder issues or even just to feel prepared for pregnancy and birth so no one has to feel like they walk alone in this journey.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I own Archer Physical Therapy which is a Pelvic Health PT practice specializing in all things bladder/bowel issues, back/hip/pelvic pain, musculoskeletal sexual dysfunction, pregnancy/labor/postpartum rehabilitation. We are unique in that we offer in-home physical therapy within the greater Nashville area as well as have 2 office locations in Goodlettesville and Franklin.
We treat a wide variety of pelvic issues across all ages and genders and specialize in pregnancy related care for both prevention of pain/leakage and rehabilitation. We offer sessions to teach patients how to open and lengthen their pelvic floor during labor to decrease labor time and decrease perineal tears.
Our goal is that no one will have to live with pelvic pain or bladder leakage in the Nashville area!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Never be too proud to ask for help or advice. I’ve lived most of my life by the phrase “a closed mouth don’t get fed”. Most people love to offer help if you are vulnerable enough to ask. Even if you think you have it figured out, asking for help and hearing other perspectives gives you options. You may not use their advice this time but it could come in handy in the future.
Collect mentors. Don’t be afraid to look for mentors in adjacent fields that can teach you how to do your job better. I’ve had mentors all the way from the obvious like Urology, Obstetrics, Gastroenterology and massage therapy to the not so obvious like accounting, life coaching and Pilates instructors. They’ve all played a roll in helping me be and offer my best for my patients which has helped my business grow.
The ideas that scare you are usually the best ideas. A little bit of fear can be productive to push you to reach your goals and take risks that you wouldn’t have normally taken. It was terrifying to step out and start my own practice but it was so rewarding in the end. I surrounded myself with positive people that encouraged me to keep going.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We love to collaborate with a variety of healthcare providers. If you work in the birth world or in pelvic health and would like to add pelvic health therapy to your resources email me at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://archerphysicaltherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archerphysicaltherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archerpelvicPT
Image Credits
Pam Monaghan with Wynd & Paisley Co. Harpeth Photography
