Meet Jessica Reale | Physical Therapist & Pelvic Floor Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Reale and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Like many other businesses, I started mine to fill a need I saw within our community. I had been practicing as a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor disorders for around 10 years and practicing in the Atlanta area for nearly 5 years before making the decision to open Southern Pelvic Health. When I first moved to Atlanta, I was only the second board-certified specialist in the area. Now, many years later, there are many more therapists working with people with pelvic floor complaints; however, the reality is that the people suffering with problems like urinary leakage, constipation, pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction and so many more conditions are still so underserved in our community. When my second daughter was born in 2019, I felt inspired to create a center completely specialized in pelvic health problems. I wanted people to feel welcomed, listened to, and supported in an atmosphere that promoted healing. Most importantly, I wanted to build a place that provided excellent care by amazing and skilled physical therapists based on the most current research available– a place that would become the standard for what pelvic floor physical therapy should be.

What should our readers know about your business?
When I first opened Southern Pelvic Health in October 2019, I was thrilled and terrified. I was fairly established in my field as a pelvic floor physical therapist, and had built a strong reputation in the Atlanta community. I was (and am) also a faculty member with the Herman & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute, and had taught hundreds of physical therapists and other health care professionals how to care for people with problems like bladder and bowel dysfunction, pelvic pain, painful sex, and much more. But, this felt like a much bigger step. Some nights, I would lie awake thinking, “what if this fails?” and other nights, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything that Southern Pelvic Health could become.

I forgot to mention that my second daughter, Mary, was born in June 2019. So, my few months prior to opening my practice were also spent trying to settle into life as a family of 4. In many ways, it seemed fitting to embark on this journey while I was in my own postpartum stage, since many of the people I serve are dealing with their own challenges postpartum. We had no idea what to expect when we launched our website and announced on my blog that we were opening a private practice, but amazingly, people started reaching out. By my first week, my schedule was full, and within a few weeks, I had a wait list. I had not initially intended on growing quickly, but the momentum felt natural and confirmed what I knew in my heart– that we were reaching a population that really needed us to be there.

A few months later, I connected with a colleague, who was a fantastic clinician also specialized in pelvic health. After chatting over coffee, it turned out that she was interested in joining me part-time, so she started with the practice in early 2020. None of us could have anticipated what would happen next, just a few months later, as our world became rocked with the COVID-19 pandemic and we had to temporarily close our doors. In those first few weeks, I saw so many of my patients and friends struggling with getting the knowledge and the care that they needed while still trying to follow guidelines and stay safe. This was especially true for those who were pregnant or had recent births. I connected with a friend and colleague in New Orleans during that time, and we decided to launch online mini courses to bring this knowledge into people’s homes, and help more people. Our first class was on “Pelvic Floor Preparation for Birth” and had more than 120 attendees! Since then, we have expanded to offer classes on birth recovery, constipation, diastasis rectus abdominis, and so much more, and it has been amazing to be able to help others in this way!

Along with starting these mini classes, my husband Andrew and I were able to use that “quarantine” time to really focus on what Southern Pelvic Health could be. We expanded our vision to create the optimal clinic space that would welcome people dealing with such sensitive problems and prioritize high quality care. It was during this time that my husband realized his own passion to join me in this mission full-time. When we re-opened our doors in June 2020, we were shocked to have our busiest month yet. In October that year, we moved into a new space that we designed to meet the needs of our growing staff and our patients. Since then, our team has grown to include six doctors of physical therapy, all specialized in pelvic health, and a patient care coordinator to care for the administrative needs of our practice.

At Southern Pelvic Health, our mission is simple- to become THE standard for excellence in pelvic floor physical therapy in metro Atlanta. We have an amazing team of experienced, specialized clinicians, and are devoted to staying on top of current research to provide the highest quality care possible. The reality is that nearly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men experience urinary leakage. Almost 1 in 5 have pain during sex. Constipation is the #1 GI complaint in the country. Honestly, I could go on and on with statistics like this, but the message is consistent– these problems are so common, and people need help. My hope, my mission is that Southern Pelvic Health can fill this need!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ooh, this is a fun question! I have grown to love my community in East Cobb, and the Atlanta area as a whole! I love spending time outside, especially with my family, and there are so many amazing outdoor gems around! My daughters both love to spend the morning hiking at Sope Creek, and this one is a favorite to bring our visitors (especially if they have young children!). There are options for short and long hikes, and it’s easy to end up at the Creek and enjoy a swim! We also love hiking Kennesaw Mountain and enjoying the view of the city from the top. Food is a tough one, as there are so many delicious options! My 4-year-old would insist that any visitor enjoy breakfast at Egg Harbor Cafe (her personal favorite!). For lunch (or dinner!), we love Moxie Burger, but also love packing a picnic to take to the local parks. East Cobb Park and Chastain Park are two of our favorites and would definitely make the itinerary! In the summer, we also like to bring our picnic to the Atlanta Zoo and enjoy seeing all of the animals, eating ice cream, and cooling off in the splash pad. For places to explore, we love walking around downtown Roswell and Marietta Square, trying some of the various local restaurants, and enjoying the green areas where our children can run and play. Marietta Square also has a great farmer’s market, and the Marietta Square Market has so many fun options for food (and more ice cream, which is enough to add it to my children’s list!).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so fortunate to have an amazing team at Southern Pelvic Health~ Kate, Kellie, Brooke, Stephanie, Claire and Amy. They share our passion and embody the qualities we strive for as a practice. I am so grateful to the many people who have supported me in my journey through life and in business, especially my parents, siblings and in-laws, who have supported me in more ways than they know. I am thankful to my sweet daughters, Emma (4) and Mary (2), who have been more flexible in the past few years than many children could be! And, most importantly, I am grateful to have my husband, Andrew- who not only is my partner in life, but has faithfully supported me in my practice as a clinician, growing to care for the pelvic health population with my same passion! This developed passion led him to leave a 12 year career in the nonprofit sector to join me in leading Southern Pelvic Health, and help us reach more people in the Atlanta area.

Website: www.southernpelvichealth.com

Instagram: @southernpelvichealth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-pelvic-health

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernpelvichealth/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/southern-pelvic-health-marietta

Other: Online Mini Classes: www.pelvicflooruniversity.com