After growing up on a farm outside of Wichita, Kansas, Matt Mitchell graduated from Oklahoma Christian University and went on to receive his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California.

Matt was drawn to physical therapy as a way to promote freedom of movement to help clients independently explore their environment and reach their motor goals. He first worked as an educational assistant in a special needs high school classroom providing one-on-one assistance to a student with cerebral palsy.

This experience led him to seek to specialize in using equine movement in his treatments, as this treatment tool works especially well for those with cerebral palsy. Matt comments, “I enjoy working with children, as it is exciting to be able to enhance motor development as children grow and learn. I have a passion for working with children with cerebral palsy and other motor cortex involvement. This passion stems in-part from watching my uncle who has cerebral palsy thrive throughout his life with movement adaptations guided by physical therapy.

Complimented often on his ability to communicate and connect with his clients and their families, Matt is fervent about setting goals for his clients to help them become more independent and self-motivated to achieve more. He is also research-focused and is passionate about applying new research in his treatments.

Matt is an active volunteer on the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) research and conference committees. He has written several research-related magazine articles featured in the AHA magazine and the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship Intl. (PATH Intl.) Strides magazine.

On a personal level, Matt feels his greatest accomplishment was completing his first marathon the day before graduating with his doctorate. This achievement connected all of his educational hard work with a great celebration of personal endurance.

When not hard at work, Matt enjoys many hobbies. Those include hiking; traveling; running endurance races; cooking; painting miniatures; singing; skiing; playing fetch with his dog, Nova; playing board games; home brewing; and trivia with friends.