Welcome to FAM Rehabilitation!
Welcome to FAM Rehabilitation (FAM)! My name is Olivia Wattles, and I am the Founder, Owner, and Lead Clinician (Doctor of Physical Therapy) at FAM. FAM is a therapy clinic specializing in neurologic physical therapy, and eventually occupational therapy. My business partner, officer manager, and jack of all trades is Cameron Wattles. He also happens to be my wonderful husband. So far, we are making an excellent team.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be writing this post to introduce you all to my own business. I always have said that I did not want my own clinic, I was perfectly happy just going to work each day and ‘leaving work at work’. But sometimes the world works in mysterious ways, and life decisions occur out of necessity. My dear friend Beth, who is also a fabulous Occupational Therapist (she also specializes in treating neuro patients), once told me that being a therapist is a calling: like some that are called to the religious life (priests, nuns, etc.), as therapists we are called to a life of working hard to make others’ lives better. I have always loved that idea, and I carry it with me daily. Fast forward to this past year, my beautiful family moved from Syracuse, NY to New Jersey so that I could work at Bacharach Institute of Rehabilitation to continue in my pursuit of treating neurological patients in the outpatient setting. (I am born and raised a Jersey girl, and we wanted to return to be closer to family while we raised our family.) Little did I know that Bacharach would be closing in the Spring of 2023. When this news came out, it was a shock to the community. All of Atlantic, Ocean, and Cape May Counties came to Bacharach for their outpatient neurological therapy: now where would all those patients go? And where the heck would I work? The closest outpatient neurological clinic was about an hour away in Cherry Hill. This was too far to commute (with two young kiddos at home) and way too far for people in Southeastern, NJ to travel to. Outpatient orthopedic clinics may say they will see neurological patients, but patients often don’t get one on one treatment, and would not receive the specialty care they need. I have 8+ years’ experience in treating neurologically impaired patients, and recently received my Neurological Clinical Specialist (NCS) certification. (Thank you to my awesome PT friends Kelly, Christine, and Nicole for getting me through that! We all passed by the way!)
Anyway, options were slim: I did not want to work in inpatient rehab, didn’t want to do home care, and all local outpatient clinics are ortho which is not my specialty. As a family, Cam and I decided that we would open our own clinic! This was out of a necessity for me to continue to work and pursue my passion, but also as a resource for those in our community. Remember that calling I talked about earlier? Well here I am, responding to my calling in my new home, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Neurological Physical Therapy is what I know, and what the community needs. FAM Rehabilitation is here, South Jersey! Come and give us a shot for all your neurological therapy needs! (Occupational Therapy coming soon.)