Skip to main content

Conflict arises when the past colors the present.

Physical therapists (PTs) must regard each patient with equal respect. Personal biases can make that difficult, however—with potential consequences for the patient, the PT, and the PT's employer. Consider the following scenario.

A Matter of Wrong And Rights

Terri is a PT who loves working with children. Accordingly, her career focus has been pediatric physical therapy—full-time before her own children were born, at a school for kids with special needs, then part-time for many years at Rosewood Physical Therapy, where she still works.

Log in or create a free account to keep reading.


Join APTA to get unlimited access to content.


You Might Also Like...

Feature

Clarity, Courage, Commitment: Reframing Equity Work

Oct 1, 2025

During the 2025 Lynda D. Woodruff Lecture, Didi Matthews, PT, DPT, urged PTs and PTAs to reframe their equity work.

Article

Matthews Urges Resilience and Reframing During 2025 Woodruff Lecture

Aug 12, 2025

Didi Matthews, PT, DPT, delivered the sixth annual Lynda D. Woodruff Lecture in June. Her speech, titled "Reframing DEI: Clarity, Courage, and Commitment

Column

APTA President’s Note | Meeting Patients Where They Are

Jul 1, 2025

APTA President Kyle Covington says “meeting patients where they are” is a movement—PTs are making real impact, one connection at a time.