7 Elements brings physical therapy and upcoming spa to Birch Bay

A new physical therapy clinic in the Birch Bay Family Medicine building is helping clients find the healthiest version of themselves, while the company has plans to open a wellness spa later this month.

Operating on its slogan, “active life, healthy body, peaceful mind,” 7 Elements Physical Therapy, which opened in June, provides orthopedic treatment for people experiencing skeletal discomfort.

“We want to empower people. We want them to know that just because you’ve hit a certain age doesn’t mean that you can’t do these things anymore,” said Natalie Johnson, the clinic’s owner and sole physical therapist. “The more we can keep you active and moving, the healthier and stress-free you’ll be.”

Johnson aims to help people have healthy bodies without medication or surgery, according to the clinic’s website. The seven elements the clinic focuses on are physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, occupational and environmental needs. Physical therapy helps everyone from student athletes to people who want to pick up their grandchildren without pain, she said.

Johnson, a Birch Bay resident, had been working at Bellingham Physical Therapy when the owner of COAST Physical Therapy, where Johnson’s clinic is now, retired and asked her if she was interested in taking over the space. Johnson has worked as a physical therapist since 2004 and holds a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Queensland in Australia and biomechanics from the University of Otago in New Zealand. 

The clinic offers a free, 15-minute over-the-phone consultation, as well as a free 30-minute body diagnostic for a physical therapist to locate areas causing discomfort. 

The clinic is an out-of-network provider so it does not accept any insurance, but the clinic will provide an invoice on the physical therapy services provided to clients’ insurances if they have out-of-network coverage. Johnson offers 60-90 minute sessions at $220 per session without copay or deductible fees added on.

Because the clinic is an out-of-network provider, patients don’t need to wait for a doctor’s referral or insurance authorization. Johnson also spends the entire session with her patients, which she said helps her get to the crux of what’s causing the pain.

“The healthcare system in the U.S. feels a bit broken. It’s not really patient-focused and patient-centric,” Johnson said. “It’s about how many patients you can see in a day and more and more paperwork required by insurance companies is taking time away from seeing patients. That’s just not a good way to go.”

Johnson is also bringing a wellness spa to Birch Bay, slated to open Friday, December 17 in the Grand Bay Resort, 7714 Birch Bay Drive. 7 Elements Wellness Spa will offer clientele water therapy, massages, nail, esthetician and acupuncture services. The spa will also have retail space with a skincare line by Handmade La Conner as well as local soaps and candles. 

The spa will be the only place north of Seattle to offer Watsu therapy, where clients float in 97-degree water while going through a range of motions to increase relaxation, similar to Tai Chi, Johnson said.

To celebrate its opening, the spa is hosting an open house from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, December 17 through Sunday, December 19. The open house will include spa tours, light refreshments and staff will be available to answer questions.

The physical therapy clinic is located at 8097 Harborview Road, Ste. B, in the Birch Bay Family Medicine building. Those interested in 7 Elements Physical Therapy Service may call 360/371-3888 or visit 7elements.life.

“It all came out of a holistic approach to wellness,” she said. “What can we do to take better care of ourselves so we can achieve the seven elements of wellness?”