Meet Caeley Brennan

Written by: Caeley Brennan, Care Coordinator

October21,2020

The Determined Graduate Chassé-ing From
Care Coordinator to Care Provider

For those of you who haven’t met me, or have but don’t know much about me, I want to take the time to introduce myself.

Hi there,

My name is Caeley Brennan. I am the voice you hear on the phone when you call the clinic, and the first face you see when you walk in the door! I have aspirations of becoming a pelvic health PT like Dr. Jess one day, so that is what initially sparked my interest in the role I’m currently in. Before this job, I worked as a PT aide in a more traditional outpatient clinic. This has allowed me to really appreciate Dr. Jess’s approach to therapy and healing in general. I love seeing her patients over time becoming happier and more independent. Seeing how patients come in for their first visit, versus their tenth visit, is the best part of this role.

Outside of Arancia, I teach dance at Soles Dance Academy in South Kingstown. Teaching dance is a passion of mine. I have been a dancer since the age of 3 all the way through college. Dance is not just a physical activity for me, but an emotional outlet that I have relied on throughout my life. Dancing through my adolescence made me a more grounded yet confident individual and I couldn’t be more grateful to still be pursuing dance for myself as well as to instill that same love in my students.

Not only do I have a passion for dancing, but I love teaching just as much. I have been teaching and choreographing since I was 10 years old. I would teach my little sister and her friends’ choreography.

College was where I was really able to hone in on this passion.

I was president of my dance team in my junior year and this role allowed me to experiment in a leadership role. I was running practices, choreographing for our big performances, and also worked collaboratively with other members of my executive board. This has helped me so much in my new position as a teacher to students from ages 3-65! 

I am a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University where I majored in Health Science on the physical therapy track and minored in Women’s and Gender Studies. When I first started at Quinnipiac, I planned on minoring in business in case I wanted to start my own practice someday. However, after taking Women’s Studies 101, I quickly changed course. My eyes were opened wide to so many things and I was able to discover my passion for women’s sexual health.

It was shortly after that I discovered there was something called a pelvic floor physical therapist. This seemed like the perfect fit for me, a way to combine my two interests in health and in women’s studies. I love the intersection where sociology meets science. I found it fascinating and upsetting that so many women’s sexual health dysfunctions go untreated due to women feeling ashamed or embarrassed, or because the medical field has continued to let down women in more ways than I can count. 

A social dilemma that directly impacts people’s health is the fact that women have a lot of internal shame around sexual pleasure, fertility, their bodies, etc. This deeply rooted shame can be the reason why many women will suffer from vaginismus, incontinence, etc. for longer than is necessary. I have decided that in the future I want to help women overcome these patriarchal barriers that have left them feeling like they are less deserving of care.

Why are so many women okay to suffer in silence?

Why have they accepted that they must wear diapers or experience painful sex? These questions have many different answers but my biggest goal would be to help women through these mental obstacles and make a difference in their confidence and in their lives. I also think it’s important to note that I define a woman as anyone who identifies as a woman. Intersectionality is the most important lens to view social experiences. I am interested in learning more about how gender identity, sexual orientation, race, and socioeconomic status all impact the obstacles we face in achieving healthy sex lives, pregnancies, deliveries, etc. 

Caeley Brennan

In summation, I am hopeful that my passion for social justice and my love for helping others will combine and blossom into a career in pelvic health. I am so excited to be working for someone like Dr. Jess who shares these passions with me and is someone I can learn so much from. I am also so excited to get to know more of you and watch you through your chronic pain transformations. 

– Caeley Brennan

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