About Dr. Leslie
Who I AM
I am a healthcare practitioner with my Doctorate of Physical Therapy who has a passion for longevity, holistic health, and helping my clients find true clarity about their issue(s) and creating a treatment plan that leads to maintenance of a pain-free lifestyle! When I'm not treating patients, you will find me hitting up a CrossFit class, spending time with my Golden Retriever, Finley, outside, or in the kitchen making sourdough or some other homemade recipe!
my experience
I completed my undergraduate degree in Health & Human Performance at Montana State University- Billings in Billings, MT, before completing my doctorate in Physical Therapy at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. During my doctorate program, I had the opportunity to intern at a Level 1 Trauma hospital as well as with hippotherapy (using a horse as the therapy tool - look it up!), travel to Ecuador on a medical mission trip to treat leprosy patients, and operate as the clinic manager for the Kansas City free health clinic.
Upon graduation, I moved back to Montana and practiced for 10 years at the largest healthcare organization in the state. During this time, I practiced in various settings - skilled nursing, inpatient, and outpatient. Throughout my experience I saw a variety of patients ranging from general population, chronic pain, athletes, aquatic therapy, pediatric, and orthopedics.
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I obtained my Certified Spine Manual Therapy certification from the International Spine and Pain Institute, which has provided increased skill in treating acute and chronic spine pain. I acquired certification in Dry Needling Levels 1 & 2 from Evidence in Motion and this modality has quickly become one of my favorite additions to treatment sessions to immediately relieve pain and improve function.
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My passion for holistic healthcare - treating not just the physical body, but also nutritional, mental, emotional and spiritual health - started with my OWN experience treating patients with chronic pain, alongside my OWN weight loss journey. In the physical healthcare realm I experienced a lack of looking at the whole person and just treating one issue. It has been through my own journey that has led to Valor Physical Therapy and the focus on treating the WHOLE person and equipping others to live life well! , countless hours of research and extreme passion that I was able to find healing and now am able to provide that to so many others.
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As a holistic practitioner, my goal is to identify a root cause, addressing the whole person by emphasizing functional movement, prioritizing nutrition, mental/emotional/spiritual wellbeing, and creating a maintainable plan to equip YOU to live life well!
Why "Valor"?
The word "valor" has rich historical meaning.
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In Hebrew, valor means strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness, and personal bravery.
This embodies the mission of Valor Physical Therapy.
The mission of Valor Physical Therapy is empowering YOU both with physical and mental/emotional strength during our time together in order to equip YOU to live life well once you go back into the world, whatever you might face!