Local wellness center offers healing
By Jillian Chandler
Photo Courtesy of Kiersten Patterson Photography
An innovative clinic offering a variety of therapy services, at Kauai Therapy & Wellness in Ponderay, you will find a team working to serve all of their patients in the most beneficial way, providing an individualized plan of care for each.
“Each patient is unique, and each injury is unique,” says Mindy Murray, owner and occupational therapist. “It is our passion to help our patients return to doing what they love.”
A Sandpoint native, Mindy opened the doors to Kauai Therapy & Wellness on Kauai, Hawaii, in 2012. Providing her clients revolutionary physical, occupational, massage, yoga and martial arts therapy, and witnessing the positive results her clients were experiencing, she decided the time had come to return home to Sandpoint to share her healing therapy services with the North Idaho community. She opened her second location in Ponderay in April of 2018.
“I had a strong desire to return to my roots and give what I know I can to my community, which is great healing services,” she says.
Mindy and her family left Sandpoint for the Hawaiian Islands when she was 12. More than 30 years later, she would finally return “home” with her own family. “I brought my hubby (who traded his surfboard for a snowboard), three kids and two dogs back home here,” says Mindy. “We have a home in Sandpoint built on property that has been in my family since the ‘70s.” Her father owned Ricardo’s Pizza for years, while her mother was an occupational therapist for Panhandle Home Health.
“We are so happy to have a clinic home here in Idaho to serve our community in such a beautiful place!” she smiles.
The team at Kauai includes an occupational therapist, doctors of physical therapy, licensed athletic trainer, personal trainer, licensed massage therapist, and their billing and clinical coordinators.
Kauai Therapy & Wellness is also licensed to offer dry needling, a manual therapy that uses very thin needles inserted in your muscle tissue. It is used to stimulate neural, muscular and connective tissues for the management of musculoskeletal conditions, pain and movement-related impairments. Cold laser is another modality offered on-site. The low-intensity laser therapy stimulates healing while using low levels of light.
Functional movement screening is also available. This screening tool is not intended to diagnose but instead aims to identify imbalances in mobility and stability during functional movements.
“I love connecting with people and seeing them get better. I love seeing patients return to their prior level of function with a smile!” affirms Mindy.
In most cases, there is no referral required from an MD, and they have programs for those who would prefer not to use insurance in case of high deductibles, out-of-state benefits or those who don’t have insurance. In addition, they offer a financial hardship program. (Additional information regarding insurance and pricing can be found on Kauai Therapy & Wellness’ website at Kit-Therapy.com.)
In addition to their therapy services, Mindy and her team give back in other ways as well. When Sandpoint endured that devastating fire last year, she and her staff offered free therapy sessions to firefighters who helped to extinguish the fire, as well as donated to the event in the employees’ honor for the businesses that burned in the fire. The Kauai team participates in Jacey’s Race; Kauai Therapy’s DPT (doctor of physical therapy) volunteers for the Fly Fishing Program for youth at North 40; and Mindy is devoted to teaching Sunday School.
Mindy and her team find it important to give back to the community they call home; the community that has shown them support since first opening their doors to Kauai Therapy & Wellness. And at the end of each day, Mindy finds fulfillment in the work they are able to accomplish and attributes the success of her business to God. “His hand is in all of this.”
Kauai Therapy & Wellness
30544 Hwy 200
Ponderay, Idaho 83852
208.205.9559