What to Expect: Your First Visit at iAM
One-on-one physical therapy with Dr. Jessica Wiley, DPT, delivered in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Welcome, I'm so glad you're here! This guide explains how getting started works, what happens at each stage of your care, and what you can expect along the way. Because I come to you, the process is simple, and each visit fits easily into the rhythm of your day.
The Philosophy Behind Your Care
Where you feel pain is often not where it begins. A sore knee may trace back to how your hip is working, and a stiff neck may reflect years of the same posture at a desk. Your body adapts to every injury, habit, and demand placed on it, and those adaptations add up. I look at the whole picture so that treatment resolves the cause, not just the symptom, and your relief holds.
That depth of care takes expertise and time. I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist, and I've spent more than 18 years in clinical practice. Every session is with me alone. There is no handoff to an assistant, no second patient in the next room, and no clock set by an insurance schedule. Our time together is spent entirely on you.
The "+" in Physical Therapy + represents both halves of what I offer: a whole-body clinical approach and a private, personal level of service that meets you at home and works around your schedule.
A Practice for Physical Longevity
Physical longevity is the ability to keep doing what you value, with ease and confidence, for decades. It doesn't come from a single treatment. It comes from understanding your body and working with it consistently over time.
iAM is the practice that guides that work. Over time, it also becomes your practice: the knowledge, strength, and habits you develop stay with you long after your pain is gone.
Your plan of care moves through three connected goals:
Move Well. My first priority is calming your pain and restoring the mobility you've lost. Everyday movements such as reaching, bending, turning, and walking begin to feel natural again, rather than something you have to plan around.
Feel Well. As your pain settles, we shift our focus to strength, stability, and control. You'll notice the difference in how you carry yourself, how steady you feel on your feet, and how much energy you have left at the end of the day.
Age Well. The final stage looks ahead. Together, we strengthen the qualities that protect you over the long term, including balance, power, and resilience, so the activities you care about remain available to you for years to come.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Step 1: A Conversation with Me
Getting started begins with a free 15-minute phone call. You'll tell me what you're experiencing, and I'll share how I would approach it. By the end of our call, we'll both have a clear sense of whether iAM is the right next step for you. There's no commitment involved.
Before we talk, consider when the problem started, what tends to aggravate or ease it, and what it has kept you from doing. Most importantly, think about what you want to be able to do again. Your answer shapes everything that follows.
Step 2: Before Your First Visit
I bring a treatment table and any equipment your session requires, so there is nothing for you to purchase or set up. A few details help our first visit go smoothly:
Intake forms.You'll receive a secure intake form via email. It covers your current symptoms and goals, your health and injury history, any surgeries and medications, and my practice policies, including consent to treatment and my cancellation policy. Completing it ahead of time allows us to spend our visit entirely on assessment and treatment.
A comfortable space. Any room with a clear area works well, whether that's your living room, spare room, or home gym.
Comfortable clothing. Wear something that lets you move freely and gives me easy access to the area of concern, such as shorts for the hip, knee, or ankle, or a tank top for the shoulder or neck.
Relevant records. If you have imaging, surgical reports, or notes from your physician, keep them nearby so we can review them together.
Step 3: Your First Visit
I'll arrive at your scheduled time, set up, and spend the full 60 minute visit working one-on-one with you.
Understanding your history. We'll begin with an in-depth conversation about your symptoms, past injuries, activity level, and goals. A diagnosis offers useful information, but your history and your goals tell me what your body actually needs.
A whole-body assessment. Next, I'll assess how your whole body works together, not just the area that hurts. I'll check your joint movement, posture, balance, and strength in the everyday movements you rely on. Pain often starts somewhere other than where you feel it and 18 years in expertise has taught me how to find the source.
A clear explanation. I'll explain, in plain terms, what is causing your symptoms and why. Many of my clients tell me that this understanding is a relief in itself, because it replaces uncertainty with a clear path forward.
Treatment from day one. Your first visit includes hands-on treatment and targeted exercises, so your progress begins immediately rather than after the evaluation is complete.
Step 4: Your Personalized Plan
Before I leave, I'll walk you through your plan of care, including my treatment approach, how often I recommend we meet, and a realistic timeline for your goals. You'll understand the purpose of each part of your plan and how it connects to what you want to achieve.
Your home program will be short and specific. A small number of well-chosen exercises, performed with good technique, produces more change than a long routine that's hard to sustain. I'll make sure you know exactly how and when to do each one.
At every visit that follows, I'll reassess your progress, adjust your treatment, and advance your exercises. Your plan evolves as you do, progressing from pain relief to strength to a complete return to your activities.
Step 5: Your Results, and What Comes Next
Success means being able to say yes to the moments that matter without hesitation. It means traveling comfortably, lifting your luggage into the overhead bin with ease, and picking up your kids or grandkids without a second thought. Most of all, it means trusting your body to support the life you've built.
Many of my clients find that once their pain is resolved, they want to keep the momentum they've built. I offer ongoing care through a monthly membership for regular check-ins and continued progress or through AgeWell, my physical longevity program, for a more comprehensive long-term approach.
GOOD TO KNOW
Investment. Individual visits are $250 for a 50-minute session. The monthly membership is $200 per month and includes one visit each month, with additional visits at $225 and a three-month minimum.
Insurance. iAM operates outside of insurance networks, so the length, frequency, and content of your care are determined by your needs alone. If you'd like to seek reimbursement, I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurer. Medicare is not accepted for physical therapy services.
Cancellation Policy. Because each visit is time I reserve exclusively for you, I ask for at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule. You can reach me by email, text, or phone. Cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice are charged the full session fee.
Questions?
If anything comes up before or after your visit, please reach out. I'm always glad to help.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm 858-255-4280 | info@iamphysicaltherapy.com
I look forward to working with you.
Dr. Jess
