Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Court.
Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always loved movement and studied dance from a young age. I became a yoga teacher almost 20 years ago (yikes) and really enjoyed it, but I felt like I could do more for people who were dealing with injuries, chronic pain, etc. I went back to school in my late 30s/early 40s to become a physical therapist, which was a grueling six years process to get the doctorate degree, all the while keeping a foot in the yoga world teaching in training and leading continuing education programs all over the world. Now that I’m a PT, I work with patients who have a variety of musculoskeletal and neurologic concerns, everything from a hip replacement to multiple sclerosis. It’s an incredibly satisfying and rewarding job to help people get out of pain, get stronger, and get back to the things they want to do, whether it’s running a marathon or simply getting down to the floor to play with grandkids.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! Well, grad school is about three years of really intense work, with 93 exams all in all (we kept count!). You couldn’t advance to the next semester if you didn’t pass every class, so the level of pressure was pretty constant. It’s definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done, next to learning to ride a motorcycle!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a PT, I have a perspective that is slightly out of the traditional orthopedic approach, as I combine my yoga, Pilates, breathing and meditation background into my work. Everyone’s experience of pain is different and influenced by a number of factors, including their expectations, their social support, and the meaning that the pain has (for example, if you’re injured and can’t play beach volleyball, and that’s your main outlet for fun and stress relief, the loss has more meaning). I find that this approach is more successful than simply treating the physical injury and helps people reframe their pain and thereby decrease how intense and scary it can be.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
There’s a genuine friendliness that most people have here that goes against the stereotype of the vapid LA industry person! You may have to dig a bit, but there are a ton of really interesting and fun things to explore, learn and do.
My least favorite is probably everyone’s: traffic. Though you can learn how to minimize the time spent in it, and I always have an audiobook or a podcast going when I get stuck.
Pricing:
- Private PT sessions range from $130 to $160, depending if you come to my office or if I come to your home.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sarahcourtdpt.com
- Instagram: @sarahcourtdpt
Image Credits
Samantha Jacoby
