Opening a Pediatric Physiotherapy Practice
Opening a healthcare practice often starts with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. In this conversation, pediatric physiotherapist Deidra McDermid shares what it has been like to open The Little Physio, her own pediatric physiotherapy clinic.
Deidra has worked in pediatric physiotherapy for eight years. Her career began in a children’s treatment center before transitioning to private practice, where she was able to specialize more deeply in pediatric care and pelvic floor physiotherapy.
Pediatrics appealed to her because it combines two areas she loves:
• Working with children and families
• Neurological rehabilitation
As she explains, pediatrics offers a unique opportunity to support children with neurological conditions while working closely with families in a collaborative, family-centered care model.
Eventually, the opportunity to open her own clinic appeared and she decided to take the leap.
Designing a Clinic Experience Around Parents
One of the defining aspects of Deidra’s clinic is that the patient experience was intentionally designed with parents and their children in mind.
Instead of creating a strictly clinical environment, she looked at the experience through the lens of a parent.
Some of the simple touches she built into her practice include:
• A snack bar for families and siblings
• A sibling play area so older children can stay occupied
• 15-minute buffers between appointments to accommodate feeding, diaper changes, or delays
These small decisions create a more relaxed and empathetic experience for families navigating early childhood care.
The Biggest Challenge in the First Year
For many clinicians, the biggest shift when opening a practice is balancing clinical work with the realities of running a business.
For Deidra, time management quickly became the biggest challenge.
“You feel like your schedule should be open solely for appointments… but the admin side of things really builds up.”
Deidra McDermid
Running a clinic requires time for:
• Charting and documentation
• Billing and financial administration
• Marketing and community outreach
• Managing systems and technology
Finding the balance between being a clinician and being a business owner is an ongoing process.
Using AI Tools to Reduce Administrative Work
To help manage the growing administrative workload, Deidra has started incorporating AI tools into her admin workflow.
For example:
• She writes quick bullet points in her chart notes
• AI then converts them into family-friendly exercise instructions or follow-up emails
This approach allows her to maintain a personal touch while reducing the time spent formatting communications. She is also exploring tools like Heidi Health, which can transcribe sessions and automatically generate SOAP notes.
The key takeaway? AI does not replace clinical care but supports the administrative side of being a practice owner.
What Surprised Her About Opening a Business
While opening a clinic involved plenty of work, Deidra was surprised by how enjoyable the process actually was.
Each step felt like a small milestone:
• Opening a business bank account
• Setting up booking software
• launching a website
• preparing the clinic space
Even while balancing family life with three young children, she found the process energizing. However, one part of the process was more complicated than expected.
Legal and Banking Setup
The legal and financial setup required more time than anticipated, especially because Deidra chose to incorporate her business.
Delays with banking and legal documentation even impacted the timing of signing the lease and beginning renovations.
Her advice?
Start the legal and banking process earlier than you think you need to.
Building Connections to Grow a Practice
One of the most rewarding aspects of opening her clinic has been the connections formed within the local healthcare community. Deidra regularly speaks at:
• Mom and baby groups
• Parent fitness classes
• Community parenting programs
These short educational talks introduce parents to pediatric physiotherapy and help raise awareness about services that many families don’t realize exist.
“Half the time people don’t even know pediatric physio exists.”
Deidra McDermid
These events also create opportunities to collaborate with other professionals, including:
• Occupational therapists
• Speech pathologists
• Lactation consultants
• Chiropractors
Over time, these relationships evolve into referral networks and collaborative partnerships.
How She Found Her First Clients
Like many new practices, the first clients came through a mix of sources. Some families followed Deidra from the clinic where she previously worked. But two other strategies quickly became important:
1. Google Ads
Although Google Ads can be expensive, they have proven to be one of the most effective marketing tools for her practice. By targeting search terms parents commonly use, her clinic appears when families search for pediatric physiotherapy online.
2. Local Parent Groups
Participating in community parenting groups helped build trust and awareness. Short presentations about child development and physiotherapy gave parents the chance to learn and ask questions.
A Mindset Shift: Continuing Care for Current Patients
Another important lesson from private practice is the importance of ongoing care plans.
In public healthcare settings, clinicians often discharge patients quickly. In private practice, it is important to guide families through a treatment plan and recommend follow-up visits when beneficial.
“Each time we see a client, we are helping them.”
By confidently recommending continued care when appropriate, clinicians can provide better outcomes for patients while also maintaining a sustainable practice.
Advice for Clinicians Opening Their First Practice
One of the most interesting choices Deidra made early on was not accepting every potential client. If she believes another practitioner could better serve a child’s needs, she refers the family elsewhere.
“My work becomes stressful when I don’t feel like I’m helping a family as much as they need.”
Deidra McDermid
This approach benefits everyone:
• Families receive the right care
• The practitioner works within their strengths
• Professional trust grows within the community
The Power of a Supportive Community
Looking ahead, Deidra hopes to deepen her involvement in the local community.
Opportunities include:
• Participating in local farmers markets
• Joining community events
• collaborating with other healthcare providersWhether you serve a small community or a specific neighbourhood in a larger center, these connections build both professional support networks and long-term relationships.