A new clinic in Castle Rock is working to fill gaps in care for both adults and children in need of physical, speech and occupational therapy.

The FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center opened earlier this year by Taylor and Hannah Pfeifer. The Pfeifers, with Taylor specializing in physical therapy, and Hannah in occupational therapy, come to Castle Rock from Colorado Springs.

FYZICAL is a national franchise made up of hundreds of private practice owners. In the metro area, there are FYZICAL practices in Centennial and Westminster. The newest Castle Rock clinic is located at 2 Oakwood Park Plaza, suite 200.

Hannah said the couple started looking around for an area that had gaps in physical therapy and occupational therapy services, which led them to Castle Rock and Parker. They chose Castle Rock for the clinic’s location, with plans to treat patients throughout all of Douglas County.

“There are not a lot of outpatient service clinics in Parker or Castle Rock,” Hannah said. “We fell in love with Castle Rock right away. It really has that small-town vibe for a place with more than 75,000 people.”

Hannah said when it comes to occupational therapy, FYZICAL is going to be an asset to the community because of the wide range of services the specialty provides. With mental health issues impacting all ages, Hannah said there is a shortage of therapists, and waitlists for residents to get the services they need.

While not the same as a therapist, Hannah said occupational therapy will help in treating residents suffering from mental illness until they can get a new therapist, or as an alternative to traditional therapy.

“We want to be a resource and support kids with no other resources available at the moment,” Hannah said. “There is a huge gap right now in adolescent services. We are here to provide the mental, social and emotional assistance they need.”

Hannah said in treating both adults and young people struggling with mental health, occupational therapy means teaching strategies and mindfulness. An example is teaching patients to use tools such as journaling as an outlet, she said.

“It is not traditional therapy, but instead a form of strategy building,” Hannah said.

Treating young patients with ADHD is also a specialty at the FYZICAL clinic. Hannah said there is not always good treatment options for kids with ADHD. At FYZICAL, through one-on-one time, Hannah said she can help kids learn focusing techniques and work on ways to phase out the distractions preventing them from learning.

FYZICAL is also providing speech therapy for both adults and youth. For youths, Hannah said she usually disagrees with a school’s “wait and see approach,” stressing that early intervention is the key to overcoming the disability.

For adults, speech therapy services at FYZICAL helps those who have suffered from a stroke, or a brain injury, or suffer from dementia.

With Taylor specializing in physical therapy, FYZICAL is currently treating children and adults. For adults, Taylor is a specialist in working with patients after surgery.

Therapy treatment also helps people who have vertigo, or neuro disorders.

As the patient list continues to grow since opening, FYZICAL has employed four specialists with a plan to hire a fifth later this year.

To learn about FYZICAL, visit the website at fyzical.com/castle-rock-co.