What to Expect
Evaluation
Follow up Sessions
Follow up Sessions
- I’ll arrive at your home at the scheduled time with the appropriate tools needed for a comprehensive 90 minute evaluation. No need to tidy up your house! This evaluation is to see how you or your child interact with your environment.
- My evaluations are a chance to tell your story: I believe your story and your WHY is almost just as important as the physical exam. With more one on one time and in the comfort of your own home, this is your opportunity to feel seen and heard.
- Next, I’ll complete a full posture and movement analysis. This may include walking, holding your baby, bending/lifting, etc. For babies, this may just be lying on the floor or attempting to cruise along the furniture.
- Assessment of muscle tension, flexibility, and strength For adult females, this may or may not include an internal pelvic exam.
- Make a plan and provide initial treatment. Based on my findings, this may include but not limited to: manual therapy, specific exercises, pelvic floor training, posture changes, biofeedback, mindfulness meditation, and/or techniques/strategies to improve the way you move. Depending on the diagnosis/severity/complexity, some treatments can be completed in a few sessions but others may take several months to a year.
Follow up Sessions
Follow up Sessions
Follow up Sessions
- Follow up sessions will always be an hour. I never use any assistants or aides and give 100% of my focus to you and your family.
- These sessions can be done anywhere that supports you or your child's goals. This may be inside the home, out on your first run after baby, or even on a playground for your little one.
- You will receive notes or any "homework" in virtual form to enhance your recovery
- Virtual sessions are offered for those who are unable to have visitors in their home or who live outside my driving radius (must be located in California)
my treatment philosophy
Movement
As a former competitive dancer, a yoga instructor, and a certified Pilates instructor, I have always known the importance of movement. With the invention of comfy chairs, strollers, baby swings, cars - sometimes it's hard to know whether we are moving enough or even moving the right way. I want my patients to know their bodies well enough to feel if a certain position or activity is helping their body efficiently and safely.
Manual Therapy
Sometimes things hurt, sometimes things get a little tight. It’s not always beneficial to try and stretch or move a certain way when there’s a significant restriction. Patients might need a little help through joint manipulation, myofascial release, contract-relax isometrics, etc. Whether it’s for a baby who was a little cramped in mommy’s tummy, a parent whose back is tight from carrying their child, or even scar tissue build up from a C-section, I can help address these restrictions and release what is holding your body back.
Mind-Body Connection
Pain research has come a long way in the past 10 years. Did you know that there is so much more to pain than just “fixing” the physical problem? Past experiences, cultural beliefs, negative though processes, poorly worded language on your recent MRI findings, hyper vigilance, doomsday thinking, anxiety, fear, what we eat, how we sleep—all these elements can affect how the brain perceives pain in the body. Sometimes in addition to addressing the physical impairments, we need to retrain the brain and downtrain the nervous system through mindfulness, education, and body awareness activities.
About ThriveWell Physical Therapy with Dr. Lillie
Dr. Lillie Francis Donner
Hi! My name is Dr. Lillian Francis Donner, Dr. Lillie for short. I am a licensed physical therapist with a passion for treating new parents and babies. I have almost a decade of experience in treating all walks of life: from 2 weeks to 102 years old.
As a mom of two young toddlers and a wife to a firefighter, I know how tough it can be to get out of the house. After years working in a busy clinic with short appointment times, I decided to start my own concierge mobile practice in order to give my patients the time and treatment they deserve. My background in yoga and pilates instruction along with extensive training and experience in pediatric, orthopedic, and pelvic health physical therapy offers the bridge between western medicine and personalized hands on care that I believe this community deserves.
When I'm not working, you can find me at a local yoga or dance class, running through the vineyards, or at the beach. I enjoying moving my body, spending time with my family, and living life to the fullest.