Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kelly Peterson PT, DPT. She shares her story with us below:
Dr. Kelly Peterson PT, DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy that specializes in pelvic, visceral, and orthopedic physical therapy (PT). She currently practices at an outpatient clinic in Huntington Beach, California with her mother and has her own business Belly Whisperer Physical Therapy Professional Corporation providing online consultations via Zoom and in-person appointments in Irvine CA 92618 as the “The Belly Whisperer” in Orange County, California. She created The Belly Whisperer® Method online program for abdominopelvic dysfunction and pain.
Her mission as a pelvic, visceral, and orthopedic physical therapist is to help educate people about their body (especially the intimate parts!) and provide a safe environment to discuss and treat abdominopelvic issues at all ages. She provides resources and educational to help people manage belly and pelvic pain for improved pregnancy, post-operative recovery, gut health, postpartum recovery, pelvic health, and sex life.
I provide an outlet for people to seek medical treatment and advise on issues that often go undiagnosed or may not be effectively treated with current, widely practiced management strategies. She is committed to helping people find online support and providing a network with
other health care professionals to create a multidisciplinary plan of care for your body. Everyone deserves to understand and develop control over their body through physical therapy.
I have followed in my mother’s footsteps as a physical therapist and strives every day to serve those in need of skilled medical treatment with compassion and understanding. All patients deserve to understand and develop control over their body through physical therapy. I currently work alongside my mother at my other job in Huntington Beach, California for four days a week. It’s been a blessing working with someone I love so deeply but respect so highly as a physical therapist. She has been one of the biggest role models in my life next to my father. In 2010, I began suffering from constant stomach pain, burning, and bloating, as well as weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, and fatigue; all of which started affecting my academic performance and ability to play college basketball. I was given an opioid (narcotic) pain reliever by the local MD, which resulted in a miserable hospital stay for severe constipation (1 week).
I was then subject to numerous invasive exams (one that involved a balloon being filled while inside my rectum, EEK!). I was told by a doctor (who was in and out of the room in 2 minutes) that I had Crohn’s Disease. Of course, I had no idea what that meant! I was scared and totally new to the world of chronic bodily pain and discomfort.
I was fortunate enough to be able to see an empathetic gastroenterologist (GI) when I returned home from school for break. Dr. Christopher Lee changed everything for me. He ran several tests including blood work, a colonoscopy, and an endoscopy. He told me that what I was actually suffering from were Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Ulcerative Colitis (UC), and possible Celiac Disease. Shocker, the 2 minute doc was wrong. Dr. Lee educated me on what was happening to my body and why. Thank goodness, finally an answer!
I was resigned to simply managing my symptoms through diet until I received my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. A whole new world of possibilities for not just managing my pain but THRIVING were opened to me. I hope that by sharing my story, others will be encouraged to seek out medical treatment and support from health practitioners and friends or family in their area.
I married a fellow doctor of physical therapy and the love of my life Dr. Bryan Luithly PT, DPT in January 2020 and shortly after started my own business called Belly Whisperer Physical Therapy Professional Corporation during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to provide my uniques services to people in need that were unable to access care near them due to the pandemic or their location. In 2021, I created The Belly Whisperer® Method to reach more people across the country and world suffering from unmanaged or undiagnosed abdominopelvic
pain and create an affordable program to optimize their health and find treatment in the comfort of their own home. I am limited as a health care professional in the amount of people I can treat in one day in a one-on-one setting, but this program allows me to reach more bellies and people that are unable to see me in-person. I wanted to create a community of support with information and resources regarding abdominopelvic health for people around the world. The Belly Whisperer® Method changed my own life and helped me heal my body and I use it everyday with my patients. My husband and I plan to open our own business together in Orange County, California within the next 1-2 years to help more people.
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?
I suffered from abdominopelvic health issues growing up and then developed an eating disorder for about four years during and after college when my physical and mental health was at an all time low due to stress. My eating disorder began in 2010 when I started suffering from constant stomach pain, burning, and bloating, as well as weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, and fatigue. I noticed that my body and stomach felt best when I had nothing in my stomach so I would skip meals and then binge each which developed in bulimia. Unfortunately, it’s extremely common to develop an eating disorder or disordered eating
when you suffer from a digestive disorder or as I like to say an “invisible illness” meaning a medical condition that does not outwardly show symptoms so people including doctors will say “I think its all in your head” or “everything is normal” when in reality you feel miserable. After seeing a therapist that changed my life and reading books, I have been bulimia free for over eight years now. This experience has helped me better understand and treat my patients suffering from abdominopelvic pain and disordered eating. As a physical therapist that specializes in pelvic floor and visceral therapy, I constantly have to educate people about what I do and why it’s important because most people find what I do to be “weird” or “inappropriate”. Everyone deserves pelvic floor therapy and it’s a struggle to get primary doctors, OB/GYNs, gynecologists, urologists, etc to send people to pelvic floor physical therapy for issues that can be fixed so easily with the right treatment. I can’t tell you how many people don’t get pelvic floor physical therapy postpartum. I believe everyone should be given one free pelvic floor physical therapy session postpartum. This is why I am constantly posting information on my social media to help educate other medical professionals and people on the importance of pelvic floor therapy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Belly Whisperer® Method: It took me two years to create and develop this method into an online program that people could access and follow along at home.
The Belly Whisperer® Method is an online program designed to treat your belly and body from the comfort of your home! The Belly Whisperer® Method is a 5 step program that we will embark on together over the next 4-8 weeks! The 5 B’s of The Belly Whisperer Method are uniquely structured to progress you toward functioning at the most optimal level using foundational exercises. This program includes 20 videos, 16 home exercise programs, five educational handouts, five weekly planners, five daily home program examples, and 2 BONUS videos! Each “B” of the method is a critical step and progression toward healing your body by relieving pain, enhancing diaphragmatic breathing, improving posture, enhancing soft tissue flexibility, improving abdominal strength and cultivating a support system in your community. Learn how to take back control of your body, manage your symptoms, and function more optimally! Learn how to listen to your body and enhance your body awareness to better care for yourself and get back to all the activities you love to do. Learn how to self-assess and use tools to help take care of your belly and body throughout the day. I am excited to show you how this method has changed my life and how it can help change yours from the comfort of your home. I offer two different payment options for The Belly Whisperer® Method:
There are two payment options! There is a one-time payment that provides complete access to The Belly Whisperer® Method online program! You will have access
to all the material at once! The monthly payment plan will allow partial access to The Belly Whisperer® Method which will be sequentially released each month (preferred method). Each month, the next step of the online program will be added for access online. Once all payments have been completed, you will have complete access to The Belly Whisperer® Method! It’s $399 or 4 payments of $89. My websites: https://the-belly-whisperer.teachable.com This is where you can purchase The Belly Whisperer® Method, access free guides/resources for constipation, painful penetration/sex, perineal massage, and pelvic floor exercises. You can purchase recorded webinars and videos for improved pregnancy, constipation, post-operative recovery, gut health, postpartum recovery, pelvic health, and sex life.
https://bellywhispereroc.com
This is where you can learn about all the services I offer and schedule online or in-person appointments. I offer virtual workshops and webinars that with a variety of topics related to abdominopelvic such as diastasis recti assessment and treatment. I have a blog with prevalent abdominopelvic health topics and links to my social media for free resources and information.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think risk taking is necessary to grow in life. I think life is all about taking risks and not being afraid to put yourself out there. Risk taking is all about doing something that makes you feel uncomfortable, makes you think outside the
box, and pushes you past your boundaries. I understand that all my failures are stepping stones leading to my success. I think one of the hardest ways to take risks is to be vulnerable. It’s difficult to put yourself out there physically, emotionally, mentally especially professionally for me. Starting my own business and creating The Belly Whisperer® Method online program required a lot of risk taking especially on a professional level. I discuss very intimate topics and issues about our bodies that a lot of other physical therapists don’t do so I was nervous about other colleagues and medical professional not taking me serious with this business and method. How I treat patients as a physical therapy is extremely different then the average physical therapist.
I deal with a lot of pushback even from other medical professionals that don’t believe in physical therapy and only want to prescribe medications or perform invasive treatments such as surgery. It’s frustrating when you know how to easily help someone and treat their issue but doctors won’t prescribe physical therapy or are skeptical of visceral or pelvic floor physical therapy. I believe the healthcare system needs to provide more access to visceral and pelvic floor physical therapy especially for postpartum individuals! Every mom deserves to have at least one visit for pelvic floor physical therapy postpartum. My dream would be a healthcare system that provides one free pelvic floor physical therapy visit postpartum for moms.
My business has developed quickly and beyond my wildest dreams during a very difficult time in the world because I took risks and discuss those topics that may be awkward or uncomfortable for people to discuss. My journey as The Belly Whisperer, creating The Belly Whisperer® Method, and starting my business has been a series of trials and errors but I am so grateful for having parents that always encouraged me to work hard, take risks, and pursue my dreams. It’s difficult at times to take risks, talk about taboo topics, and create your own path but seeing my patients overcome their issues makes it all worth it.
Pricing:
- The Belly Whisperer® Method: I offer two different payment options for The Belly Whisperer® Method: There are 2 payment options! There is a one-time payment that provides complete access to The Belly Whisperer® Method online program! You will have access to all the material at once! The monthly payment plan will allow partial access to The Belly Whisperer® Method which will be sequentially released each month (preferred method). Each month, the next step of the online program will be added for access online. Once all payments have been completed, you will have complete access to The Belly Whisperer® Method! It’s $399 or 4 payments of $89.
- 30 Minute Online Consultation: $55 dollar
- 1 Hour In-Person Evaluation & Treatment: $195 dollars
- 1 Hour In-Person Follow-Up & Treatment: $165 dollars
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: The Belly Whisperer® Method: https://the-belly-whisperer.teachable.com;
Online & In-Person Appointments: https://www.bellywhispereroc.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.belly.whisperer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebellywhisperer
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bellywhisperer0
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvDUH6INzlJWFkgloc9PmgA
- Yelp: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.belly.whisperer?lang=en
- Other: LINK TREE: https://linktr.ee/TheBellyWhisperer
Image Credits:
The Belly Whisperer Dr. Kelly Peterson PT, PDT
