We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa Jean, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Professionally, I started partnering people with horses in 2005. At that time, it as a very new area and had only been around in the states for less than a decade. Starting my own practice wasn’t something I necessarily dreamed about from a young age. It was actually something I was quite scared of. However, it became clear that if I wanted to continue my work I would need to jump into entrepreneurship. in 2011, I launched my first business, Happy Trotters. Since then I have opened my second practice, Melissa Jean, PT in 2021. My practices have evolved from only partnering special needs children with equine movement to now partnering horses with those struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD and more. I will forever be grateful for the decision I made in 2011, it has not only changed my life, but the lives of so many others.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Happy Trotters, LLC started in 2011 as a pediatric physical therapy clinic, specializing in hippotherapy. At that time, I was the only person in the area providing services of this kind. The mission of the practice has always been to put the families and children that I treat at the forefront of every decision I make. I firmly believe this is why I have had a waitlist since the day the doors have opened. As simple as this mission sounds, it is not always easy to do this when you have overhead that includes caring and vetting livestock! This is what lead me to discovering the second lesson in business, building a solid team of professionals that believe in your mission as much as you do. This will be the driving force to ensure that the mission is always followed. Having a dedicated staff, that was willing to put in the hours, is what has allowed me to continue focusing on direct patient care while the staff can focus on the horses care and wellbeing. After the pandemic, It became increasing clear that the families with the special needs children were struggling more than others. So in 2021, Melissa Jean, PT was started. Having heard the families speak about how calming and peaceful their time at the farm is, I knew it was the right time to branch out and start offering a service to help the parents of the children. However, this time the business was very personal. I had been the victim of childhood sexual trauma. This is something that I have been healing from my entire life. Using all the tools, and research, that I had collected over the years, I meshed my passion for horses and physical therapy with healing for humans. Finding Peace in the Paddock™ is a course specifically designed to help individuals suffering from trauma and chronic stress reconnect with themselves. Research has shown how a horses heart rate, which is lower than a persons, can directly have a calming impact on a human within 4 feet of distance. Knowing this, all of the activities used are centered around first ground the individual and then setting them up with the horses to help allow their nervous system a chance to settle. For many people, it has been a time where they feel like they can breathe.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would of course hit up the amazing Lummus park beach. This is such a fun and wonderful spot. However, since neither me or any of my friends can sit still too long ( side effect of being a physical therapist), we could only do that for so long! The other must see items on the list would be; touring the everglades on the airboats, taking some sailing lessons on the Biscanye bay, and ofcourse spending lots of time a the Miami Island Ultimate adventure.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everything I have accomplished is due to my mentors Susie Rehr and Laurie Landy, as well as the herd of horses at Special Strides. I started with them in 2005, totally green on horses and slowly over the years, they shaped me into the therapist I am today. Without their kindness and patience, I would never have continued learning and growing.

Website: www.melissajeanpt.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissajeanpt/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-jarzynski-mspt-hpcs-857b5028/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissajeanpt764

Image Credits
Krisen Vallejo Photography

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