Lisa Cassagne is celebrating her nine year anniversary with West Park Rehab and reflected on her career in physical therapy:

What do you do at West Park Rehab?
I am a physical therapist assistant with a focus on the spine, though I treat patients with a variety of diagnoses. I have pursued continuing education on the neuroscience of pain and importance of breath work and mindfulness, and have completed a Spine Orthopedic Excellence certificate program. I’m a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association (PPTA). I am often working cooperatively with all the clinicians, including my spine team partner Jessica Collins, to achieve our goal of providing excellent patient care.

What brought you to the physical therapy profession?
I was interested in the PT profession because I liked the idea of helping people achieve health goals. I planned to work with pediatric patients as I loved working with children. My life plan at the time was more centered on family. Twenty-three years later, I returned to college and completed the Physical Therapist Assistant program at the University of Pittsburgh at Titusville.

What do you enjoy most about working in physical therapy?
I like working one-on-one with individuals to educate and guide them to meet their goals of improved function and quality of life. I enjoy problem-solving and applying clinical reasoning to help patients discover their path to wellness. I respect the experience, professionalism, knowledge, and skills of my co-workers and find it a pleasure to work cooperatively with them in the best interest of the patients.

What future professional plans or goals do you have?
I am a certified Kripalu yoga instructor and find the knowledge obtained in the training I received augments the therapies I provide. My professional goal is to continue working as a PTA and incorporate more of the benefits of yoga, breath work, and mindfulness to help patients in a more holistic fashion.  

Thanks for sharing, Lisa, and congrats on your anniversary! .