Provider Spotlight: Natalia K. Pierwola-Gawin, DPT, MA, TPS

At Kelly Pediatric Therapy, we proudly spotlight the dedicated clinicians who bring expertise, compassion, and creativity to children across our schools.

Sharing stories like Natalia's—a seasoned physical therapist who transitioned from managing multiple adult care clinics to thriving in school-based pediatrics—serves to inspire others seeking a more balanced, rewarding career.

We celebrate Natalia’s journey, not only for her clinical talents but also for the confidence, flexibility, and renewed joy she’s found, both at work and at home.

You've had a successful clinical career journey. What led you to school-based pediatric therapy?

I trained and worked in pretty much all of the settings throughout my career. I started working as an acute physical therapist in a hospital ICU. I moved to a skilled nursing facility, working in a rehab hospital, and eventually ended up being a multi-clinic manager for memory care patients.

And while you would think this is the dream career path, I realized that my life suffered because of the career. I felt like I was missing out on spending time with my son and traveling to visit my family in Poland, and that's when I discovered pediatric physical therapy.

What do you love most about working in a school-based setting?

I enjoy the flexibility of making my own schedule that corresponds to a school year. This summer, I was able to travel for more than a month, which I would not be able to do if I was working in an outpatient clinic.

Also, the satisfaction you get when you work with children is amazing. It's just such a happy, playful population. My patients always bring a smile to my face. Helping them thrive in a school environment and seeing them grow up, seeing them moving towards new schools, navigating stairs, being able to play with other kids on the playground—all that physical therapy is able to make available for students of different abilities is what really brings happiness into what I do.

What fears did you have when transitioning from adult to pediatric care? How did you overcome them?

Before I started working for Kelly Pediatric Therapy, I was a little bit nervous because I had always worked with the adult population.

I was fearful of the communication aspect with children. Grown-ups are a little bit easier to persuade into doing certain things. Children don't think about a long-term aspect—they want to play. So instead of saying, ‘Let's do 10 squats,’ I bring a big fitness ball. I grab their hands and just bounce on the ball. It's the same task, but in a playful way.

If I encounter someone who has the same fear as I had, I say that children have this wonderful ability to cross all the barriers that grown-ups put for themselves. They're willing to play, and you'll find a connection.

How has Kelly Pediatric Therapy helped you gain confidence and succeed in this transition?

Kelly Pediatric Therapy does offer multiple CEU courses online. They also record webinars that you can watch whenever you want to expand your knowledge. I definitely use the online tools, especially in the beginning, to see what kind of exercises are safe in certain diagnoses.

Kelly Pediatric Therapy offers mentorships, which is helpful. My mentor was always available via phone, text, and email. Whenever I didn't know how to do some sort of documentation, or I had trouble with a patient, she would send me samples, ideas, and links. It was such an immense help to talk to a fellow clinician who has more experience, so you feel more comfortable in this new role.

Also, supervisors at Kelly Pediatric Therapy are very helpful. It's not a supervisor-employee relationship. It's more like a partnership that later evolves into friendship. I felt like I was not alone, for sure.

How did Kelly support you with documentation in IEPs?

In the beginning, documentation was a bit of a challenge. In a school setting, you work on students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEP). That documentation is quite different than anything else I experienced, and I definitely felt lost.

But that's when my mentor stepped in. She gave me the tools on how to develop SMART goals, what to expect, how to bill for documentation, and meetings. Kelly Pediatric Therapy gave me the tools to gain confidence in the documentation piece.

How did you innovate your therapy approach with children in the school setting?

I have a whole toolbox filled with toys, and I grew up watching MacGyver—so I know how to make do with what I have. Sometimes it just clicks. Kids love colors; they love to play. Having an eight-year-old son and trying to incorporate play into what we do every day helps with brainstorming: how can we get kids to do what we want to with minimal struggle and maximal playtime?

One of my patients was able to go down the stairs independently in a month just by incorporating the toys I had in my trunk. I’m still very proud of that achievement.

How does this work impact your life outside of your career?

Working for Kelly Pediatric Therapy was the best decision I've ever made because I can work on my son's schedule. Being a mom, whenever there was a snow day or spring break or summer, I caught myself missing all those valuable times. Now I can spend this whole time with him. You only have 18 summers with your children before they grow up, and it's so important to make that time valuable.

Being able to travel during the summer and spring break, being with your family, exploring other cultures, and having that flexibility without suffering financially. I make as much as I did when I was a multi-clinic manager. It's a wonderful, wonderful place to be in. I even play oboe for a symphonic orchestra in my free time now—something I never could have done before.

What would you say to a clinician considering making this switch?

If you're on the fence about working for Kelly Pediatric Therapy, I would say I haven't worked for a company that would give me so many tools, so much support, to build my confidence, and build my knowledge through mentorship and webinars.

The work-life balance is incomparable with any other setting I have worked for, and I worked in many.

You work to live, you don't live to work and having that wonderful work-life balance is what really matters. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Grow your career with Kelly Pediatric Therapy.

At Kelly Pediatric Therapy, our mission is to support dedicated therapists like you, so you can make a difference for children and families in our schools, clinics, and communities. We offer resources, mentorship, and real opportunities for career growth—plus a true work-life balance. Learn more about all the ways we support our therapists.

Connect with our recruiters today to learn how you can advance your career—and make every hour you spend at work more meaningful.

Explore our PT, OT, SLP, and behavioral health opportunities in schools across the country.

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