Why I Left A Physical Therapy Clinic

As a company as a whole they do only the minimum but not as well as you would expect from a multi state, nationwide clinic. TLDR; low wage, high work requirements, lack of training.

As the pilates instructor you are expected to know physical therapy medical references, medical terminology and medical injuries and surgeries without the medical school training. If you are rusty on anatomy this will force you to learn.

I would not work here unless you love the idea of physical therapy and you take the time and commitment to learn everything at a glance. The physical therapists don’t give you any background unless you specifically ask for it.  Sometimes they won’t get back to you in time. Many of them are new grads and probably don’t consider this in mind when referring patients to you. I suggest using a minimum of one hour a day to learn about your patients and their medical needs. This will just make it easier for when you start teaching duos or even trios as you will not have time or any breaks to do much else in between.

Cleaning/Front Desk Work

You will need to arrive early to clean the equipment, the floors and frequently restocking the bathrooms as patients do not care if you are not front desk they will ask you questions and complain when no one is at the desk (in person) to tend to their needs. ALL WHILE ON UNPAID HOURS. Since you aren’t salaried like the physical therapists do your best to stay away from the clinic when you are not seeing a patient. 

Doubles or Trios

Duos are probably the worst experience when you are new and also when mostly seeing new to pilates patients. Each person gets their own program and has their own modifications and needs. There’s a lot of back and forth, non stop talking and you will likely yell a lot when there’s 3 front desk on the phone and checking in the 30 patients per hour that the clinics has. I would keep some tea on hand for this before it gets bad as I know other teachers who have had to get surgery from straining their vocal cords over the years.

Equipment Issues

The equipment they have are all old and unserviced equipment. They have little care in the world for it. There has never been a day I worry a patient will break it to pieces or that it will just crack and not be able to be used ever again. They will not buy up to date equipment as they consider it too expensive and unreasonable. I have tried many many many times in my year here. I know now that THAT is a reason to not be here. Your livelihood is warranted you have usable equipment to use and you just never know.

Your schedule.

Expect to be contacting patients on your own to schedule, waitlist, and to book ahead in advance the front desk has a high turn over rate that there will be too many tasks for them to get to that they literally forget you are there. Again ALL ON UNPAID HOURS. If your livelihood is based on people in your time slots the least they can do is pay you an administrative hourly rate each week. I have had many hours used on just keeping myself afloat and filing my schedule. Ask to be paid late cancellations that is the bare minimum to make your ends meet. You will be exhausted from all of the above and this. 

No Room for Upgrades

On private pay people if you have not interviewed at any W2 or 1099 studio in Los Angeles I highly suggest you do so. The rates are based on your skill level and I know many who are at $65 per hour privately and others only at $35 and that is unfathomable. Even franchise pilates pays better than some clinics. So, even if you build up a large private pay schedule, after maybe a year, you are likely to still not get the equipment you need. So don’t if at all do this, especially if you are underpaid. 

Maybe they don’t notice but we do just as much as a physical therapist does and sometimes more in educating patients, while still making it fun. I did not hate it at the company but there was no mentoring, education or help provided to me. I was burnt out. And I did not make enough to stay afloat. 

In 10 months my average check for the month was $1,614.60