For many therapists, career growth has long followed a traditional path focused on clinic-based care, patient referrals, and insurance-driven models. But what if the best opportunities lie outside of clinic walls? At the upcoming APTA Private Practice Section (PPS) Conference in Orlando, November 12–15, you can explore new possibilities, including an exciting and growing area of practice: Industrial Therapy with Employers.

Why Industrial Therapy?

Industrial Therapy connects Therapists directly with Employers to help prevent workplace injuries, improve employee performance, and create healthier work environments. 

It’s a model that benefits everyone. Employers gain safer, more productive teams, and Therapists gain a consistent, reliable source of revenue that expands beyond the limitations of insurance reimbursement.

Start simple with Prior-to-Hire Job Readiness Testing, which has been shown to reduce workplace injuries by over 50 percent in the first year. This service alone provides measurable results for Employers and opens the door to more advanced partnerships, such as Early Intervention Programs, Employee Education Labs, and Injury Prevention Workshops.

Direct-Pay Opportunities That Deliver

Industrial Therapy offers a range of direct-pay opportunities, meaning you get paid directly by Employers rather than relying on insurance. Some of the most effective options include:

• On-Site Capability Testing > Job Conditioning 
• Management strategy labs
• Employee skill labs
• Walkarounds to assess posture and equipment setup
• HR and safety consultations

On-Site Recreational Athlete Skill Labs

These “after-hours athlete” programs focus on employees who enjoy sports such as hiking, tennis, golf, or pickleball. Using real data, you will create sport-specific training and prevention programs. For example, as PT, DPT, PhD BJ Lehecka shared at the California PT Conference, pickleball requires rapid sprints, lunges, and explosive changes in direction, placing significant stress on the hamstrings, knees, and Achilles. Repeat labs throughout the year can help Employees build strength, reduce injury risk, and live their best lives both on and off the job.

The Big Picture

With a large enough Employee base, your programs will target common disorders such as low back pain or carpal tunnel, focus on surgery-prone joints like hips and knees, or address injury-prone areas such as the rotator cuff and spine.

The result? You become THE trusted partner in prevention, THE go-to expert for rehabilitation, and THE respected provider of cash-based, stackable services.

Bottom Line

Industrial Therapy gets you out of the box and into the worksite, where your skills help Employers, Employees, and their families while strengthening your bottom line.

Explore your Industrial Therapy opportunities with Glenda Key at PPS 2025 in Orlando, November 12–15, Booth 508. Or call us at 760-685-7116 to learn more. Identifying opportunities is the first step. The result is transforming your practice and your future with Industrial Therapy.