Kristin Liebl, PT, DPT, NCS
From a life-changing adventure helping a woman with quadriplegia on a 32-ft sailboat in 2002, I learned that my passion is helping people overcome incredible obstacles to reach their mobility goals. From that point on, I dedicated my energy to making that happen.
I earned my doctorate in physical therapy from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in 2005. After 15 years of clinical experience as a physical therapist, clinical manager, and research therapist at leading institutions in the Chicagoland area, I was inspired by all of the incredible people along the way to create Kristin Liebl Physical Therapy.
In addition to clinical work, I have been an adjunct faculty member both at Northwestern University in the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science and at The University of Illinois at Chicago. I have also had the opportunity to serve as a guest lecturer at Morton Community College. To contribute to knowledge and growth in therapy science and literature, I work in both stroke and geriatric research through Northwestern University and Council for Jewish Elderly. As an American Physical Therapy Association board-certified clinical specialist in Neurology (NCS), I focus on helping people understand the connection between their nervous systems and their bodies in order to maximize functional outcomes and performance.
My love for prosthetic training took me to Guatemala and Ecuador on numerous trips as a volunteer with the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) where I worked exclusively with patients with limb loss. Currently I serve as a ROMP ambassador to support innovative ways to provide prosthetic care for the underserved both here and abroad.
Even though I personally haven’t lost my mobility with the exception of a few awful experiences with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), I have experienced the other side of healthcare watching my oldest brother, Chad Liebl, quickly decline, lose his mobility and eventually his life to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This personal experience is a part of who I am as a person and clinician. My brother’s memory and the mobility challenges he faced gave me further inspiration to create Kristin Liebl Physical Therapy; I want to provide education, intervention and hope for those facing mobility challenges and for their loved ones as they provide additional support.
Whatever my clients’ adventures are, I am honored to be a part of them and help make their wishes and desires a reality.