Meet Mallorie Hopkins & Allea Francis of Tonic & Phasic Holistic Pelvic Health

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mallorie Hopkins & Allea Francis.

Hi Mallorie & Allea, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Dr. Allea Francis and Dr. Mallorie Hopkins are Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists and co-founders of Tonic & Phasic Holistic Pelvic Health.

Our story started through shared interests in movement, fitness, pelvic health, and wellness. As our friendship grew, so did our conversations around the gaps we consistently saw in pelvic healthcare and the type of care we believed patients deserved.

A fun full-circle moment is that many of those conversations happened after runs around the Back Bay and brunch at Coffee Dose inside Irvine Ranch Market, which later became the same location where we opened our clinic.
What connected us even more was that we had both personally experienced pelvic pain and chronic symptoms from a young age. Dr. Allea was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, while Dr. Mallorie struggled with painful periods and IBS. We both understood what it felt like to go through appointments and testing while still feeling like something was being overlooked.

Those experiences ultimately pushed us deeper into pelvic health and shaped the way we approach patient care today. The more we learned, the more we realized we wanted to build a clinic that looked beyond symptoms alone and considered the broader picture of a patient’s health, lifestyle, nervous system, movement patterns, and overall well-being.

That vision became Tonic & Phasic Holistic Pelvic Health, which we opened in May 2024. We specialize in complex and unexplained pelvic pain and take a holistic, individualized approach to pelvic floor therapy.

Since opening, we have developed several specialty programs that reflect that philosophy, including our signature birth preparation program, which combines both physical and mind-body preparation for labor and postpartum recovery.

Dr. Allea specializes in chronic pelvic pain with an emphasis on pudendal neuralgia, pelvic organ prolapse, PGAD (Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder), and interstitial cystitis. Her approach combines orthopedic, pelvic floor, and lifestyle-based care to help patients better understand and manage complex symptoms.

Dr. Mallorie specializes in unexplained pelvic pain, endometriosis, infertility, dyspareunia, and dysmenorrhea. Her work integrates pelvic floor therapy with approaches such as Pain Reprocessing Therapy, visceral mobilization, herbalism, and functional nutrition to better understand the connection between physical symptoms, hormones, stress, and overall health.

Over the past two years, we’ve continued to grow our team and expand the ways we support our community through patient care, workshops, events, and education. What started as conversations between friends has grown into a clinic that reflects the kind of care we both wished existed when we were younger.

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?
We don’t think building a business is ever a completely smooth road, especially as first-time business owners. There are always growing pains, challenges, and moments where you have to adapt quickly. But honestly, we’ve come to see that as an important part of the process.

A lot of our perspective comes from our backgrounds in movement and fitness. We often compare business ownership to strength training, growth only happens when there’s some level of challenge, strain, and rebuilding. In many ways, owning a business has pushed us mentally, emotionally, and professionally in the same way training pushes you physically. It constantly challenges us to think differently, problem solve, communicate better, and evolve.

Truly, business is a beautiful push and pull, and we feel it has made us not only better business owners, but better humans and healthcare providers as well.

One of the biggest challenges has been learning to wear so many different hats at once. As clinicians, we were highly trained in patient care, but suddenly we were also navigating operations, legal and compliance, marketing, finances, hiring, leadership, and team development. There’s definitely been a learning curve in stepping into roles we were never formally taught.

At the same time, that process has also been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. We genuinely love learning, challenging ourselves, and continuing to grow, so while the road hasn’t always been easy, it has been incredibly fulfilling.

As you know, we’re big fans of Tonic & Phasic Holistic Pelvic Health. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in pelvic health through an integrative, whole-body approach. Our team includes both Doctors of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Occupational Therapists (MSOT), which allows us to approach pelvic health from multiple clinical perspectives and create more individualized and comprehensive care plans.

We’re especially known for working with chronic, complex, and often unexplained pelvic pain, cases where patients may have spent years searching for answers or felt overlooked within the traditional medical system. A large part of our practice focuses on helping people better understand the “why” behind their symptoms while creating a treatment approach that feels realistic, collaborative, and personalized to them.

Each provider within our clinic also brings unique specialties and interests into their care. In recent years, Dr. Allea has focused heavily on pelvic organ prolapse, chronic pelvic pain, and advanced therapeutic interventions, while Dr. Mallorie has integrated fertility support, nutrition, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, and herbalism into her work. Having different backgrounds and clinical lenses within the practice allows us to support patients in a more well-rounded and individualized way.

What sets us apart most is our holistic philosophy. While many patients initially come to us for physical symptoms such as pain, pressure, bowel or bladder dysfunction, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or fertility support, we look at the broader picture as well. Our care often incorporates nervous system regulation, movement, lifestyle modifications, education, stress management, nutrition, and mind-body approaches alongside traditional pelvic floor therapy.

In 2024, we also developed our signature Birth Preparation and Postpartum Programs to provide more comprehensive support during pregnancy, labor preparation, and recovery. These programs were created to bridge the gap between education, physical preparation, and nervous system support in a way that feels both practical and personalized.
As a team, we place a strong emphasis on continued learning and growth. We are constantly pursuing advanced coursework, refining our treatment approaches, collaborating with other healthcare providers, and staying current with emerging research so we can continue offering the highest quality care possible.

Brand-wise, we’re probably most proud of the environment and community we’ve created. We wanted Tonic & Phasic to feel different from a traditional medical setting, calming, welcoming, collaborative, and approachable. Our goal has always been to create a space where people feel comfortable asking questions, feel genuinely listened to, and feel more connected to their bodies and health.

Ultimately, we want readers to know that pelvic health is so much more than just treating symptoms. Our goal is to help people better understand their bodies, feel supported through their experiences, and experience care that truly sees the whole person.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Dr. Allea Francis, PT, DPT
I grew up in a small town in Missouri in a very close-knit, family-oriented environment. I was always active and energetic, and sports were a huge part of my life growing up. I played soccer for most of my childhood and also ran track and cross country, so a lot of my early years were spent being part of a team and constantly on the move. Personality-wise, I’ve always been very extroverted and social. I loved being around people, building relationships, and feeling connected to my community.

At the same time, my own experiences with pelvic health challenges at a young age shaped me in a much deeper way. Navigating pelvic pain without clear answers gave me early insight into how complex and often overlooked this area of healthcare can be. It also developed a strong sense of empathy and curiosity in me. I wanted to better understand the body and help people feel heard and supported in ways I didn’t always experience myself at the time.

When I attended the University of Missouri, that interest really evolved into a passion. Through coursework, mentorship, and service experiences, I found my path in pelvic and women’s health. Looking back, I think I was always someone who was driven, people-oriented, and energized by connection, but those personal experiences ultimately gave that energy a clear direction and purpose.

Dr. Mallorie Hopkins, PT, DPT
I grew up in East Los Angeles with my mom and two siblings. From a young age, a lot of my life revolved around GI symptoms and pelvic pain. I struggled with painful periods starting early on and missed a lot of school because of it. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what was happening in my body, but those experiences definitely shaped the way I approach healthcare and patient care today.

One thing that always grounded me growing up was sports. I started playing competitive volleyball at age eight and continued through college at Mercy University as a Division II athlete. Later, while attending physical therapy school, I became an assistant volleyball coach there for three seasons. Coaching has had a huge impact on the way I communicate and teach as a clinician. I learned as a volleyball coach how to adapt the way I explained things depending on who I was working with, whether that was a five-year-old learning the basics of volleyball or a collegiate athlete performing at a high level. I carry that same mindset into pelvic health, especially when helping patients understand complex pain and symptoms in a way that feels approachable and individualized.

Personality-wise, I’ve always been more to myself and naturally curious. I love being outdoors, camping and hiking with my husband, spending quiet nights cooking, learning about herbalism, or simply diving into topics that interest me. I’ve always been someone who likes to ask questions and explore deeper layers of understanding, which is honestly one of the reasons pelvic health became such a strong passion for me. There are still so many areas within this field that are evolving, and that curiosity continues to drive the way I learn, treat, and grow as a clinician.

Pricing:

• Evaluation $266
• Follow-Up $228
• 10-Pack $2,000 ($200/session)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tonicandphasic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonicandphasic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568085097042
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TonicandPhasic
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tonic-and-phasic-holistic-pelvic-health-costa-mesa?osq=Tonic+%26+Phasic+Holistic+Pelvic+Health

Image Credits
Renee Rogers Yeh Photos # 1, 2,3, 6 & 7 https://www.reneerogersyehphoto.com/
Jessica Aguiar Photos # 4,5, 8, & 9 https://www.instagram.com/twilightsembracephotography/ https://twilightsembracephotography.zenfolio.com/