Meet Brita DeStefano of Progress Through Play in Mobile – Denver Metro Area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brita DeStefano.

Brita, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m originally from Texas but grew up coming to Colorado multiple times a year since both of my parents are from Denver and met when they were at East High together. Growing up I was a pre-professional ballet dancer and through some injuries and a great PT mentor, I discovered an interest in physical therapy. I went on to get my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Tulane University and then my doctorate in Physical Therapy from Emory. My husband and I moved to Denver in 2013 and now have two children (5 and 3). We live in the University/Wellshire neighborhood and absolutely love the community of South Denver.

As a board-certified Pediatric Specialist, I have worked in many settings of pediatric PT and throughout my ten years as a therapist have developed a passion for my youngest clients – the birth to five age group. After my three year old was born, I made the tough decision to stay home with her full time which allowed me to spend a lot of time with my children but also with other mothers. I found that so many of my friends wished they had known all of the great PT tips and tricks that I would normally have taught my therapy clients, but since their children were never delayed or referred for services, they didn’t have access to this knowledge. From there I began scheming how I could start a practice that eliminated all of the barriers for parents to access my services. My goal for Progress Through Play is to give parents peace of mind about their child’s development while eliminating the hassle of traditional therapy clinics.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been difficult making the transition back into the working world after being a stay at home mom for three years. Balancing family life, volunteering at my kid’s schools, multiple drops offs and pickups and after school activities have been challenging. But as my amazing business coach has taught me – I put my family life first and schedule work around that.

Please tell us about Progress Through Play.
Progress Through Play provides pediatric physical therapy and infant wellness sessions in the client’s home so that I can treat the child (and their caregivers) in their natural environment. The parents don’t have to worry about lugging multiple kids across town for appointments, no entertaining siblings in a waiting room, and my website makes scheduling a breeze! I’m most excited about being able to offer wellness services so that all parents can benefit from the knowledge of child development that I bring to my sessions.

My approach is to educate families and give them the tools to help their child be healthy, successful and meet their milestones. The goal is to use play as a way to help parents connect with their child and keep their development on track. PTP is different from other therapy companies in the sense that there is a strong focus on prevention and wellness. I even offer a Baby’s First Year Program in which parents get sessions with me every three months for the first year of their child’s life with unlimited access to me via phone and email.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Traveling with my family. My parents prioritized experiences over material things and it really helped broaden my horizons by exposing me to many different cultures. We would take at least one overseas trip per year starting when I was around seven. My favorite of all the trips was probably our safari in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ptpdenver.com
• Phone: 720-549-0661
• Email: brita@ptpdenver.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/progressthroughplay
• Facebook: facebook.com/progressthroughplay

Image Credit:
Amber Braun Photography

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