A truly remarkable Monmouth County mom, Dr. Jolene Miller lives in Marlboro, NJ with her husband and two little girls. Jolene is owner of Garden State Physical Therapy Group in Freehold and Garden State Physical Therapy and Chiropractic in Colonia, NJ. When she’s not busy managing her businesses and patients, Jolene loves spending time with her girls singing Disney songs and making breakfast at home (adorable!). Learn more below about this incredibly accomplished mom’s life here in Monmouth County, including how she opened her own practice and had an infant at the same time (AMAZING!)!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
Originally from Long Island, NY and have lived in Monmouth County for the last 10 years.
Children and Ages?
Two beautiful little girls; Maison (3 years old) and Olivia (turning 1 in October).
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I hold a certification in something called pelvic floor physical therapy, which is an uncommon type of treatment that enables me to treat issues related to bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction disorders. A large portion of my patients are women who pre and post natal! Oftentimes, pelvic floor physical therapy can be a more effective and conservative treatment for people who rely on very invasive methods to achieve results, like surgery or long term medication use. My certification allows me to help a very vulnerable group of people who often don’t seek help for fear of pain or judgement, and I enable them to return to a comfortable and confident lifestyle.
People are also surprised to learn that I have a background in professional dance, and am an alumni of the Penn State dance team.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
The first person that comes to mind is my own mom, Laura. She taught me everything I know about being a parent, and instilled a deep appreciation for life, family, and letting kids be kids. She suffered a brain aneurysm several years ago that has left her largely incapable of caring for herself or communicating with others, and it’s taken a huge toll on our family, but I can still clearly see how her eyes light up when she’s with her kids and especially her grandkids. She’s a constant reminder to make the most of the time I have with my loved ones, to not get caught up with unimportant issues, and to appreciate every second I have with my girls.
Favorite things to do with your kids?
I love just being around them, period! Every morning, I like to make breakfast with Maison while Olivia watches from her highchair. I’ll pull a little step stool over so that Maison is counter height, and she’ll help me scramble eggs for us and for her dad before he leaves for work. We follow that with dance parties in the kitchen while blasting Disney music!
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
Yes! I am an owner of Garden State Physical Therapy Group in Freehold and Garden State Physical Therapy and Chiropractic, a rehabilitative practice based in Colonia, NJ. I am the lead Doctor of Physical Therapy at the clinic in Colonia, which also offers chiropractic and acupuncture services. I’d spent years working as a physical therapist for others, and after having my first daughter, I decided it was time to be my own boss so that I could guarantee myself the freedom I needed to be with my family, but also have the independence and freedom to provide the level of care and dedication to patients that I aspired to when earning my degree and medical license.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
To say I would not be in the position I’m in today without my community would be a total understatement. In the lead up to the opening of my practice, I had to rely on the suggestions and support of my neighbors and community members to know where to open up the office, who to hire to fix it up, where to go to get marketing materials; the list is truly endless. And as luck would have it, between a delayed pregnancy and repeatedly postponed opening dates, the birth of my second daughter completely coincided with our office being open for business, which meant I was fully reliant on the support I received from my community in both tending to my kids but also ensuring a swift and successful opening. Opening a business, especially when having a child, can be a big risk, but it was so worth the while knowing I could lean on the community I had been a part of for the last decade.
What is your favorite restaurant in Monmouth County?
Peking Pavilion in Manalapan!
What is your favorite activity to do with your children in Monmouth County?
When quarantine isn’t a thing, I love taking Maison to Magic Sky Play, the indoor play place in Marlboro. It has a huge variety of activities, and it’s so fun getting to watch her imagination run wild whenever she’s there.
What are your Mom Goals?
A lot of the time, my mom goals are just to have a day go by without any accidents or our daycare calling me telling me I have to rush and pick up my toddler! In actuality, my ultimate goal is to foster an environment and a relationship with my kids where they feel they can be their most beautiful and authentic selves, and to encourage them to seek happiness and success while maintaining their authenticity. I would never want my daughters to limit themselves, their aspirations or their creativity, and I try to be as mindful as possible about the language I use and how I behave around them so that the behaviors they model further them in that goal.
Sponsored by: Garden State Physical Therapy Group