A Waterford physical therapist is bringing the clinic to your home after turning a difficult year, into a new business.

Working from home is a blessing for dogs like Bruno. He now gets to spend his days alongside his owner, Lisa Yacovoni. And while working from home has been a major change for Yacovoni, it was a blessing for her as well.

“I like it because I can have the flexibility; I can come home; I can be with him. I can get a lot of stuff done as well,” she explains.

She now spends most of her days running her new business, Dynamo Physical Therapy, from her kitchen table.

“Somedays it is really challenging, and it is a struggle to keep yourself accountable,” Yacovoni said.

Lisa was laid off from her job as a physical therapist when the pandemic first hit. She was working at a large scale physical therapy clinic in the Capital Region at the time and said she was quickly realizing how unhappy she was.

“I was having to see multiple people at a time, and that’s pretty typical, because it has to run that way to keep the doors open, more often than not,” she said. “At times it felt cookie cutter to me, because I wasn’t giving people the one-on-one time that I wanted to give and I thought they deserved.”

But she wasn’t letting the layoff stop her from reigniting her passion.

“When I look back at 2020, I actually see it in a positive light,” Yacovoni said. “I just knew. I thought ‘this is my defining moment. I have the opportunity and the means to make this change.’ And most importantly, I had the time.”

And so, Dynamo Physical Therapy was started in September. It’s a mobile service that takes therapy out of the clinics. She says while the styles of mobile doctor services are new to the Capital Region, it is very popular and successful in southern parts of the country.

And while Lisa’s business is new, she’s not the only mobile service in the area. She says there are other therapists that offer similar services who may focus on a more niche style of therapy.

But now, Lisa’s days look different than they did when she was in the clinics. She packs up all her equipment and hits the road, heading right to her patients’ doorsteps.

“Especially with what the past year has taught us, we can’t rely on gym access. I don’t want you to have to rely on equipment in a clinic,” Yacovoni said. “I’ve had a lot of people say they just feel more comfortable right now, being able to stay at home.”

On Wednesday, she visits the home of wrestling coach Shaun Miller. The coach is looking to get back on the mat after a bicep surgery.

“It was a sudden thing, so we’re just working to get back into it,” said Miller.

Setting her patients up for success, she gives them the tools to work on her rehabilitation, even when she’s not around. The patients have access to an app on their phones that shows them their workouts and movements build the lifestyle they want and optimize quality of life.

“A lot of times with PT, it’s not about a temporary change of habit or fix, it’s not a quick fix; It’s about creating consistency and habits that you’re going to maintain in order to get where you want to be,” Yacovoni said.

Lisa’s business is a cash-based service, which she says may cause patients to be hesitant when signing up.

“Finances come into play when discussing services,” says Miller. ”I was really engaged on trying to get back my strength and I didn’t want this process to take too long, which is why I hired the best.”

But Yacovoni adds that, with cash, there are no hurdles from the insurance companies: “A lot of other hoops and documentation that takes away from patient time,” she said.

While her business is only about 6 months old, it’s given her drive and passion back. She was able to turn a difficult year into a new inspiration.

“When it came down to it, I wasn’t really happy with the direction my career was going and now, I am. I am really excited for the future,” Yacovoni said.