Inspiring Conversations with Danielle Stoller

Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Stoller.

Hi Danielle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I started my physical therapy career working in central Illinois in an outpatient orthopedic clinic. After three years I decided to transition from orthopedics to neurology and moved to Nashville. For 16 years, I worked in primarily outpatient neuro clinics that were affiliated with hospital systems. Over time, I found my passion and became more and more specialized in the area of stroke rehabilitation. In 2019, I transitioned from the hospital setting to my own private cash-based practice (Danielle Stoller PT, LLC) treating exclusively people who have suffered from a stroke or brain injury.

What I love most about working in my own cash-based practice is that I have the autonomy to design treatment plans that are dictated by what a patient needs and not what an insurance company deems medically necessary.

Additionally, it provides me the opportunity to develop stronger and more authentic connections with my patients and tailor their treatments to meet their unique needs to give them the best chance at recovery. Over the years I also developed a strong interest in the way mindset influences performance and began assimilating researched based concepts of the benefits of positive expectation into my practice.

This truly expanded my practice into a richer and more fulfilling experience that I now enjoy sharing with others through Expanded Practice, a company I co-founded with a mother of a stroke survivor. We teach therapists the power of beliefs and emotions in the rehab process so both therapists and patients can thrive and achieve their highest potential.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Navigating the healthcare environment can be challenging. I chose a career in physical therapy because I wanted to help people transform and improve their lives. But when working in a hospital setting, there’s much about the job that has very little to do with patient care. Demands for productivity, documentation, insurance, and medical necessity abound. You’re pushed to produce results fast with oftentimes little support. Not to mention, you not only deal directly with patients’ physical disabilities but also their social and emotional issues; the trauma caused by their health events on their family life, their careers, and their identity can many times be the biggest obstacle you have in the hour they are with you. After years of that, I felt an unexpected emotional toll, exhaustion, and burnout.

But what I realized is it doesn’t have to be this way. I discovered that research shows that emotional and mental elements affect how patients learn, how they perform, and how their brain heals. A patient who feels better heals better. The same applied to me. A therapist who feels better treats better. So I stopped focusing on external elements I couldn’t control and shifted to the internal elements I could affect. I began to intentionally influence patients’ emotional states to their advantage.

I started communicating with my patients not just with my words, but with my actions, intentions, and way of being to prime their mindset and brain to be as receptive as possible. When I combined this strategy with my clinical skill, my patients responded like never before. My job, which was once a source of frustration and angst, transformed into a rich and rewarding experience. My confidence grew. The demand for my services increased. I was able to leave my hospital job and now have a thriving cash-based private practice.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been a physical therapist for over 20 years specializing in the treatment of adults with stroke and brain injury since 2007. I have undergone hundreds of hours of specialized training and acquired specialty certifications in stroke rehab. In 2019, I began a fee-for-service private practice in which I treat stroke survivors exclusively.

I believe in the power of neuroplasticity (how the brain rewires) and positive expectations. When I work with clients, I teach them how to move their bodies and use their mindset to help them get the results they want. I design treatments to meet each client’s unique needs so they can access the best chance of recovery. Because repetition and guided practice are vital, treatments will always be one on one at a frequency and duration tailored to meet their specific needs. Additionally, the environment matters when the brain is trying to heal, so I treat clients where it’s most effective for them including their home, a clinic setting, or via teletherapy.

I also have a passion for helping therapists improve their quality of care and work experience. In addition to starting my private practice in 2019, I collaborated with a mother of a stroke survivor to form Expanded Practice. We teach therapists how combining physical treatments with much-needed hope and positivity can transform results.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was a very active child with lots of spunk and personality. I was raised in a small farming town where everyone literally knew your name. As a result, I had strong friendships with my neighbors and classmates. I was involved in almost anything that was offered including sports, band, and chorus.

Contact Info:

• Website: daniellestollerpt.com
• Instagram: @expandedpractice
• Other: expanded-practice.com