Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Ari Gonzalez.
Hi Dr. Ari, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My path to founding Forma Physiotherapy wasn’t a direct one. I began my career working primarily in orthopedics and sports rehabilitation, helping patients recover from injuries, return to exercise, and get back to the activities they loved. As I built closer relationships with my patients, many of the women began opening up about symptoms they had never mentioned to other healthcare providers (or had mentioned but didn’t receive much guidance)—leaking with exercise, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, postpartum issues, and other pelvic floor concerns.
At the time, I knew enough to recognize that these symptoms were not something women simply had to live with and that they would benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. What frustrated me was that I didn’t yet have the specialized training to fully help them myself.
Around that same time, my sister-in-law, who I am very close with, became pregnant with my first niece. Watching her navigate pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery gave me an even deeper appreciation for the incredible physical demands placed on women’s bodies and the lack of support many women receive during those transitions.
Those experiences inspired me to pursue advanced training through the Hermann & Wallace Pelvic Rehabilitation Institute and specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy. As my expertise grew, I had the opportunity to develop and open the pelvic floor department within the clinic where I was working. The response from patients was overwhelming and further confirmed the need for this type of care in our community.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to create a space where I could provide truly individualized, one-on-one care without the limitations often found in traditional healthcare settings. That vision led to the creation of Forma Physiotherapy.
Today, Forma Physiotherapy is dedicated to helping women feel strong, confident, and connected to their bodies through every stage of life—from pregnancy and postpartum recovery to athletic performance and beyond. My mission is to combine evidence-based care, education, and personalized treatment to help women move better, feel better, and know that they don’t have to accept pain, leaking, or dysfunction as their normal.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think entrepreneurship is ever a completely smooth road, and owning a small business is definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes a tremendous amount of work, passion, and genuine love for what you do. That being said, I wouldn’t change it for a minute.
One of the biggest challenges was simply taking the initial leap of faith. Leaving the security of a traditional job to start my own practice was exciting, but also incredibly nerve-wracking. There were plenty of moments where I wondered if it would work out, especially in the early days when every new patient felt like a major milestone.
Even now, there are slower seasons that can make you question everything. Running a business comes with its fair share of uncertainty, and there are definitely stressful and scary moments. As a business owner, you’re wearing many hats—not just treating patients, but also managing marketing, operations, finances, and everything in between.
What has made the journey so rewarding is seeing the impact Forma Physiotherapy has had on the women I serve. I’m especially proud that approximately 95% of my referrals come from word of mouth. To me, that’s the greatest compliment because it means patients trust me enough to share their experience with their friends, family members, and healthcare providers. It speaks to the level of care, attention, and support they receive.
While the journey hasn’t always been easy, I am incredibly grateful for where I am today and for the community that has helped Forma grow. Looking back, every challenge has reinforced why I started this practice in the first place, and I’m very proud of what I’ve built.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Forma Physiotherapy is a women’s health and pelvic floor physical therapy practice dedicated to helping women feel strong, confident, and empowered in their bodies. I specialize in pregnancy and postpartum care, pelvic floor dysfunction, core rehabilitation, return to exercise and return to running programs, pelvic pain, urinary leakage, and orthopedic conditions that commonly affect women throughout different stages of life.
What sets Forma apart is the highly personalized, one on one approach I provide. Every session is spent directly with me, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, allowing me to take the time to truly listen, understand the whole person, and create individualized treatment plans that address the root cause of symptoms rather than simply managing them. I believe education is just as important as treatment, and my goal is for every patient to leave feeling more informed, confident, and in control of their health.
One thing that makes Forma unique is my background in both orthopedics and pelvic health. Many of the women I work with are not dealing with just one issue. They may be navigating pelvic floor symptoms while also experiencing back pain, hip pain, pregnancy related discomfort, postpartum recovery challenges, or trying to return to exercise. By looking at the body as a whole, I am able to provide comprehensive care that supports long term results.
What I am most proud of is the trust that has been built within the community. From the beginning, my goal was to create a space where women felt comfortable talking about topics that are often overlooked or considered taboo. Whether someone is dealing with leakage during exercise, pelvic pain, postpartum recovery, or simply wants to move and feel better, I want them to feel heard, supported, and know that effective treatment options exist.
I am also incredibly proud that the vast majority of my patients come through word of mouth referrals. As a solo practice owner, there is no greater compliment than having former patients trust me enough to recommend Forma to their friends, family members, and healthcare providers.
Above all, I want readers to know that many symptoms women are often told are “normal,” such as leaking, pelvic pressure, pain, or feeling disconnected from their core after having a baby, may be common, but they are not something you simply have to accept. My mission at Forma Physiotherapy is to help women move better, feel stronger, and return to the activities they love with confidence.
How do you think about luck?
I consider myself incredibly lucky and blessed in many ways throughout this journey. While building a business certainly requires hard work, consistency, and perseverance, I also recognize that I would not be where I am today without the amazing patients who have trusted me with their care.
From the very beginning, I have been fortunate to work with women who believed in me, trusted my expertise, and allowed me to be part of some very important chapters in their lives. They are truly the reason Forma has grown as quickly as it has. When someone chooses to refer a friend, family member, coworker, or healthcare provider to your practice, that level of trust is something you never take for granted.
I think luck often shows up in the form of people. I’ve been fortunate to have supportive mentors, healthcare providers who believed in my vision, and patients who became some of my biggest advocates. Those relationships have opened doors and created opportunities that I could never have planned for on my own.
Of course, there have been challenges and moments of uncertainty along the way, but when I look back, I feel incredibly grateful for the community that has formed around Forma Physiotherapy. The support I’ve received has been a constant reminder that when you genuinely care about the people you serve, that care has a way of coming back to you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.formaphysiotherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/formaphysiotherapy
