Today we’d like to introduce you to Gail Cerruti.
Hi Gail, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi, my name is Gail Cerruti. I am a licensed physical therapist and the proud owner of Gentle Physical Therapy, LLC, in Katy, TX.
I have always loved science and the medical field, but even in high school, I knew I wanted more than 15 minutes with a patient. Physical therapy was perfect; it allowed plenty of time (at least in the beginning, years ago) to learn what was happening in the patients’ bodies and to help them fix it. However, I discovered that healing an injury would take more than the tools I had learned in school.
My investigation into how to treat successfully led me to work with more than the musculoskeletal system. The human body needs a balanced nervous system and energy body to function well. Eastern medicine and alternative modalities intrigued me so much that I trained to be a Reiki Master and Upledger CranioSacral therapist, Yoga teacher, and certified GYROTONIC® instructor. Gradually, the patients evolved into clients, and a holistic physical therapy model evolved.
As insurance reimbursements worsened and time spent with clients became even more critical, I opened Gentle Physical Therapy, LLC, where I now work one-on-one with clients for a full hour to incorporate multiple healing modalities, including microstimulation, dry needling, scalar energy, cupping, CranioSacral therapy, and movement therapy. This holistic approach helps clients take control of their health and return to the activities that bring them joy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most significant struggle has been shifting the community’s perception that the only way to receive the benefit of physical therapy is to utilize their insurance plan. Unfortunately, clinics that exist in the currently antiquated medical model have had to resort to seeing 2-3 patients per hour to make ends meet, and this leaves a great deal of loosely supervised care despite excellent therapists and techs doing their best to juggle and multitask.
Seeking an alternative model and taking control of your health is the wave of the future. With deductibles rising (some high deductible plans are 10K+) and copays of $40+ per visit, the 15-30 minutes of direct care per visit received can take twice as long to help patients heal. Fewer private pay 1-1 extended sessions with a licensed Physical Therapist cost less in the long run and have a better outcome more quickly. I believe in personalized care and integrative modalities to treat the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.
We’ve been impressed with Gentle Physical Therapy, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My second business, Gentle Physical Therapy, opened in 2022 to bring a more personalized, holistic approach to therapy. We are unique for many reasons, beginning with our assessment, which includes balancing the client’s nervous system first and foremost. If someone is stuck in a fight/flight/freeze/fawn state, they are much less likely to heal from any musculoskeletal injury that might have them seeking physical therapy. This is addressed with craniosacral therapy, Reiki, and vagus nerve stimulation, which balance the autonomic nervous system and prepare the client for treatment.
Then, we progress to manual therapy and various fascial release techniques to release restrictions within the muscles and soft tissue throughout the body, not just in the area of injury. Shoulder pain, for instance, can come from tensions in the opposite hip.
Clients begin their movement journey with GYROTONIC® Method of exercise. This method requires advanced training to become a certified instructor, and it enables us to help clients incorporate fluid movements through their full range of motion while teaching them to decompress the joints actively. This method uses specialized equipment to support the body as it moves, and the movements contain hints of Tai Chi, swimming, yoga, and dance for the return to full functional movement patterns.
Our HIPAA-compliant app allows users to schedule 24/7 and view their video and/or written exercises. Access the full menu of offerings on our website, www.gentlephysicaltherapy.com, and click book now to start your wellness journey.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The Tapping Solution (the Ortner Family) app has emotional freedom technique (EFT) guided tapping meditations that help release stuck patterns of negative thought and tension in your body’s tissues. It works with the meridian system, and this app is a wonderful tool for releasing stress, anxiety, and even reprogramming sleep.
I am a big proponent of Susan Hitzmann’s work, and you can check out the specialized soft foam roller and the instruction video on how to hydrate your fascia and release stuck stress in the muscles using this link: https://tinyurl.com/Gentle-PT
My favorite life lessons come from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the poet Rumi.
The ANATOMY app is my go-to when I want to educate clients on all the body’s bones, nerves, ligaments, and muscles because each layer, deeper or shallower, can be shown with a tap of the finger.
Pricing:
- $155 New Patient Initial PT Evaluation
- $125 Follow up PT
- $105 CranioSacral Therapy/Reiki
- $95 GYROTONIC® Method
- Discount packages availble
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gentlephysicaltherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gentlephysicaltherapyllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGentlePT
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gail-cerruti-47b95971/
- Twitter: https://x.com/gentletherapyus/status/1895683114594447445
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq_jF8djFrelLNN5Hp08csw
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gentle-physical-therapy-katy-3
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/gentlephysicaltherapy/?actingBusinessId=934145285117193001
