After Years of Hard Work and Perseverance, Joe Soojian returns back home to the Upper Valley… Plus 1!
Joe Soojian first joined Cioffredi & Associates back in 2014 as a Rehab Aide and Certified Personal Trainer with the dream of becoming a Physical Therapist. “At first it was just a job. Truthfully! But I quickly fell in love with the people. Very knowledgeable, very friendly, and always supporting and promoting each other’s success. It wasn’t just “Oh, you want to go to PT school, great, just like everyone else that comes through here.” It was “Hey, let me help. Here’s some of my contacts.” Kate [Kate Leiser, PT, Clinic Director] was actually how I found out about the PT program I ended up going to because, as it turns out, she taught one of the people who taught in the program. I came to Cioffredi & Associates in order to build life experience, but it exploded into a community.”
In 2017, Joe moved to Texas to pursue his dream. He achieved his Physical Therapy doctorate and internship through South College and proceeded to complete an Orthopedic Hosted Residency and earn board certification as an Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS). The OCS is awarded by the American Board of Physical Therapist Specialists to post-doctorate PTs to formally recognize advanced clinical knowledge, experience, and skills in Orthopedics. Due to the extensive level of training, study, and expense required to become an OCS, less than 5% of American PTs have acquired this advanced certification.
“Down in Texas, I worked for the most successful PT company in the state. We were known for taking on chronic pain cases that just didn’t make sense to the local physicians. When I first started, I thought PT was more focused around getting bigger, faster, and stronger physically. But I’ve learned that is only one component. Getting bigger, faster, and stronger mentally is just, if not more, important. One of my favorite quotes is ‘the placebo effect is the single greatest reason we need to start healing with the brain.’ Understanding that the brain changes our body is one of the things that fascinates me in the rehab process. Why I can’t do this is bigger than how I can’t do this. As a result, I’ve immersed myself in social/emotional intelligence and neuroscience education, and utilize that knowledge on top of movement science in my approach to treatment.”
Joe always intended to return to the Upper Valley where his wife’s family lives. “I fell in love with area when I first experienced it. I love being outdoors: hiking, swimming, biking, offroading, skiing… all these things outside that the area provides. I love the sense of community. And now that I’m back, I’m excited to grow! My wife and I have a three month old and we’re excited to build our little family. I also want to continue my growth as a clinician, taking the things I learned in texas and taking them to the next level here with the support of my colleagues. But I really want to grow in the community. And, as a small Upper Valley business, that’s what Cioffredi & Associates is all about. I am really excited to be back!”
