Meet Candace Harding | Doctor of Physical Therapy & Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Candace Harding and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Candace, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I think about work life balance as making sure that I have the capacity to produce. Without the “life” portion of “work life” balance, people end up burnt out because all they do is work. No matter how much you enjoy your work, if you don’t ever do anything for yourself, eventually, your body or mind will begin to operate less effectively. I used to think of “life” as making sure I had enough physical activity throughout the week and ate mostly nutritious meals with minimal added sugars, processed foods, and plenty of vegetables. Now I realize that I had been neglecting my own personal growth, not to be confused with professional development. I have the ability to structure my days to fit in the activities that allow me show up as my best self when working with clients/patients. For me, that means I added reading something positive, listening to an educational podcast, and affirming myself daily to my previous habits of physical activity and eating well. My fiancé and I also have a dedicated night every week just for one another. Without people to share your life with, for what are we working?

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business, Thrive with Dr. C LLC, provides physical therapy and preventative care. In regards to other DPTs, what sets me apart is that I assess and address how lifestyle choices may be impacting the body’s ability to heal. While there aren’t a lot of integrative-orthopedic physical therapists, I believe that what sets me apart from others with similar credentials is that I truly seek to understand the people with whom I work. Whether people are consciously aware of it or not, our desire to participate in yoga classes, play golf or tennis, to run, the list goes on, are often deeper than the idea of “it’s just something I like to do.” When I work with someone, I want to know WHY that matters to them emotionally, mentally, and socially. As people, when we’re able to tie our goals back to an emotion, we’re much more likely to follow-through and achieve them. For this reason, I believe that I have strong relationships with those that I work and they’re more likely to have the result they desire. What I’m most excited about is working with people to get back to activities they enjoy. Insurance pays for care that’s considered medically necessary for the performance of activities of daily living. My first goal is always to get people back to being able to walk, get dressed, sit, drive, sleep, work, etc. without pain, but I am able to work with people through their return to whatever ultimate goal they have. For example, I have a patient right now that’s able to commute to/from work and work without shoulder pain at this point, but now we get to work on her ability to “bind” in a yoga posture. She’s really excited and that makes me really excited! My ability to treat yoga practitioners with detailed understanding of the practice is another area that makes me unique. My practice is located inside of a black-owned yoga studio called, “Sukha Center.” Honestly, I got where I am today with my business by taking opportunities when they presented themselves. There’s no such thing as luck, but what people perceive as luck is actually when preparation meets opportunity. My biggest challenge was being pushed into FULL TIME entrepreneurship prior to the timeline that I had planned. I overcame it by looking at the situation for what it was, another opportunity. I took a few days to gather myself and some resources. Then I asked for help. There’s no point in taking your time to figure out HOW to do something by yourself when someone else has already done what you want to do- they already have the answers. The biggest lessons that I’ve learned to date are to ask questions and to be proactive. I want the world to know that I will do the best I can to help them achieve their goals, even if that means I’m not the best person to help with their specific condition or interests.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If the first night of the trip were kind of low key, I’d take my friend to Jazz in the Sculpture Garden in DC. We’d take some cheese and crackers and buy Sangria there; it’s an early evening event. After that I’d likely be tired from being in the sun and fresh air, so we’d go back into Arlington, VA for El Pollo Rico. It’s a cafeteria style restaurant that specializes in Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken. I have no idea how they get so much flavor into that chicken! We’d take the food home to eat, watch a movie. The next day, we’d go take a yoga class at the Sukha Center, and go to light brunch down the street at a new restaurant that just opened called the Uncommon Luncheonette. We’d likely be ready for a nap at that point, so yea. I’m actually not huge into “going out,” so we’d probably wake from naps and spend time scouring google and asking other people where we should go that night. I do like latin dancing, so we might go somewhere like El Centro, Cafe Citron, or Cuba Libre if all else fails. Sunday we’d go to the All You Can Eat Brunch at Sequioa at the Georgetown Waterfront. The brunch is so good and vast with offerings, that would probably be the only thing we do that day. Long story short, I like food, music, and moving.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are soooo many people that I could include here and for that I am extremely blessed. First, I’d like to recognize my family, they never sewed or allowed me to sew seeds of doubt into my life. They’ve always empowered me to be the best version of myself and to believe that I am capable of anything as long as I put my mind to it, action behind it, and trust God. I’d also be remiss not to mention my fiancé, because he quite literally created the opportunity for me to open my own brick-and-mortar physical therapy practice. He is a constant source of positivity, support, and reassurance that I sometimes require. I’m also grateful to close friends that have been instilling me with the principles of an abundance mindset and evidence that people with integrity succeed in the long run, even if in the short-term it seems like nothing is happening. The only way to fail is to quit. Lastly, I have longtime friends that have shown so much support and love during my transition to entrepreneurship that my heart is overflowing.

Website: https://www.thrivewithdrc.com/

Instagram: instagram.com/thrivewithdrc or instagram.com/apaigeofcandace

Facebook: facebook.com/thrivewithdrc

Other: email: info@thrivewithdrc.com

Image Credits
Suzanne Tylander and Shaughn Cooper