I didn’t set out to do this work…
I needed it first.
This is the work I do because it’s the work that changed how I live. It taught me to be honest with myself, intentional in my choices, and connected to what I actually need instead of pretending or pushing through everything.
That’s why I do what I do. And that’s who I do it for.
If there’s a guiding force in my life, it’s the truth I come back to again and again.
I believe strength is freedom, connection heals, and every person deserves to feel seen, supported, and capable in their own skin.
Whether I’m coaching a client, mentoring a trainer, speaking to a room full of executives, or encouraging a friend, my mission is the same: to help people become the strongest, most authentic version of themselves…
and have some fun along the way.
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The moment everything shifted
My self-health story.
For a long time, my life looked solid from the outside. I was capable, responsible, and dependable. I knew how to push through, take care of people, and do what needed to be done. And I did. For years.
I didn’t realize I was disconnected…
until I paid attention.
Not disconnected in a dramatic way. Not in a way that anyone else could see. Just a quiet, persistent sense that I was moving through life without really checking in with what I needed, what mattered to me, or how I actually felt. I was doing everything “right,” and it still felt off.
That disconnect was the beginning.
Paying attention changed everything.
I didn’t need another plan or more discipline. I didn’t need to be fixed. What I needed was to slow down long enough to pay attention. To listen to myself again. To take an honest look at my habits, my relationships, my values, and the way I was treating my own body and mind.
That process wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t quick. But it was real.
And it worked.
As I began reconnecting with myself, things started to shift. Not all at once. Not perfectly. But in ways that were sustainable and grounded. Life felt less like something I was managing and more like something I was actually living.
This work is shaped by experience, not theory.
My background as a Physical Therapist Assistant and strength training personal trainer deeply informs how I approach this work.
I’ve spent years helping people understand their bodies, rebuild trust with themselves, and make changes that are realistic, not extreme.
That experience taught me something important: lasting change doesn’t come from pushing harder. It comes from awareness, patience, and listening more closely to what your body and mind are telling you.
That same principle applies far beyond physical health. It’s what ultimately led me to this work.
Why I do this work now.
Today, I work as a Self-Health Coach, public speaker, and educator because I see how many people are quietly living disconnected from themselves. People who are capable. People who care deeply. People who have spent years showing up for everyone else.
This work isn’t about motivation or transformation. It’s about reconnecting.
This is about helping people slow down, take an honest look at where they are, and begin making changes that feel aligned with their real lives.
Whether I’m speaking to a room full of people, leading a workshop, or working one-on-one, the focus is the same: awareness, clarity, and self-trust.
Patty
SELF-HEALTH
Years of Hands-On Experience
Why this work is grounded.
This approach is shaped by hands-on experience, not theory.
Years in physical therapy and strength training taught me what actually works: practical, realistic changes that respect real lives and real limits.
That’s how I approach this work – carefully, honestly, and without extremes.
The work beneath the work
Self-Health + Mental Fitness (PQ)
For years, I helped people build physical strength safely and sustainably. And over time, I started noticing something just as important: the people who were the most capable, disciplined, and successful were often quietly exhausted by their own minds.
This work exists to help people understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and learn how to respond to life with more clarity, self-trust, and connection.
What is Self-Health?
Self-Health is your ability to understand yourself — how you think, react, cope, and make decisions under pressure. It’s not about fixing what’s broken. It’s about paying attention to what’s actually happening inside you and learning how to lead your life from awareness instead of habit.
When Self-Health is strong, people feel more grounded, more aligned, and more present — even when life is demanding.
What is Positive Intelligence (PQ)?
Positive Intelligence is a practical framework for understanding how your mind works, especially under stress. It helps identify the automatic mental patterns that create self-doubt, burnout, and disconnection — even in high-performing, highly capable people.
I use PQ as a tool, not a label. It gives language and structure to patterns many people already recognize but haven’t been able to name or interrupt.
What are Saboteurs?
Saboteurs are automatic mental habits that developed early in life to help you stay safe, accepted, or successful. They aren’t flaws — they’re protective strategies that once worked.
The problem is that over time, these patterns often show up as overachievement, people-pleasing, self-criticism, control, or constant pressure. Learning to recognize them creates space for choice — and that’s where real change begins.
How Does This Show Up in My Work?
This work is woven into everything I do — speaking, workshops, and one-on-one coaching. Sometimes it starts with awareness. Sometimes it goes deeper. Always, it’s practical and grounded.
The goal isn’t to think more positively or try harder. It’s to strengthen your ability to respond to life with clarity instead of reaction — and to stay connected to yourself while navigating real responsibilities, success, and change.
Where this work began
The experience that shaped my approach.
For more than 30 years, I have been focused on one central question: How do we help real people stay strong, independent, and joyful for life?
That question first led me into physical therapy, then into strength training, and eventually to founding Rock Solid Fitness in Dunedin, Florida in 2011. Each step built on the last, shaped by what I was seeing firsthand with real people and real bodies.
Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant
Certified Medical Exercise Specialist
Certified Functional Aging Specialist
Certified Conditioning Specialist
High Intensity SAFE Strength Training™ (HIST)
Creator of the HIST Certification Program
High Intensity SAFE Strength Training™ (HIST) blends physical therapy principles with science-backed resistance training so people can build strength, protect their joints, and enjoy the process.
Industry Involvement
I serve on advisory boards for health and exercise science programs and speak nationally to business leaders, healthcare providers, and fitness professionals about strength, self-health, and sustainable success.
I also contribute my experience as a Self‑Health Coach to initiatives that influence how the next generation of health and fitness professionals understand strength, safety, and long‑term well‑being.
A little more about me
Some fun stuff.
If we were sitting together over coffee and you asked me who I am, I would probably smile and say something like this…
I am part science nerd, part straight-talking coach, and part fiercely loyal friend who just happens to believe, with my whole heart, that you are capable of far more than you’ve been told.
Outside the studio and the stage, I am happiest in deep conversation over a meal, laughing with family and friends, walking in nature, or with my nose in a book about self-improvement, leadership, business, or the human body.
At home, I will gladly admit that my cat, PeeWee, runs the show and keeps me on a very tight schedule.
I am endlessly curious and always learning, not because I have to, but because I truly love understanding how people work and how to help them heal, grow, and thrive.