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Practitioner Spotlight: Valerie Grant

Entered on November 13, 2017 by FINY

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Where are you from originally?
I am a native New Yorker. Grew up in Brooklyn, lived most of my adult life in Manhattan, and now live in the Lower Hudson Valley.

How did you find out about the Feldenkrais Method®?
Growing up I was always involved in activities that involved movement, whether it be gymnastics, dance, skating, skiing, hiking, running, biking, and the list goes on…physical therapists were involved in rehabilitating people to get back to their “full potential” after an injury or surgery, which I thought would be a great career. Life happens, and my career veered off into a totally different direction. I finally pursued physical therapy as a second career and during that training, I was introduced to the Feldenkrais Method by one of my professors.

The phrase “full potential” changed when I became a Feldenkrais practitioner. It was no longer enough to rehabilitate people to get back to a level of function where they were unaware of how they moved before the injury. Through my training in the Feldenkrais Method, I learned that people have much more potential than they think and can keep learning easier ways to move.

What do you hope to see in the future in the field of physical therapy and/or Feldenkrais?
I hope in the future that the Feldenkrais approach can be included in neurology section of the PT curriculum. I feel that wearing both “hats”, PT and Feldenkrais practitioner, can be beneficial to most clients.

What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, learning continues. I enjoy doing ATMs, taking music lessons and recently added singing into the mix. I love to run, hike, travel, and attend live music events. Life is good!