About Us
Meet Lisa Tellup, PT
Lisa graduated from Duke University’s physical therapy program in 1989. She has been specializing in pediatrics since 1991 and has experience in early intervention (birth to three years) and outpatient pediatrics up to age 21.
Lisa has been volunteering her time in therapeutic riding centers for over 30 years. She has advanced training in many areas of pediatrics including coursework from the American Hippotherapy Association and TMR Tots and Teens. She is recognized by the Maryland State Department of Education as a Qualified Early Intervention Provider.
Lisa is passionate about helping kids with motor challenges achieve their fullest potential. She believes in coaching parents to include therapeutic activities into the child’s daily routines.
The latest research shows that child-initiated activities promote the best motor learning and that more learning occurs when children are happy.
"In my 30 years of providing physical therapy for infants and children, I have learned that children make the most progress when they are fully engaged in the activity and having fun."
Jennifer Merkel, Horse Handler
Jen Merkel has been a horse lover for as long as she can remember. She was involved in 4H with horses from the age of 9 until 18, where she learned horsemanship skills in addition to riding. After high school, Jen was able to keep horses on the family farm and this enabled her to purchase and rehabilitate horses that had either had little training or had become difficult for various reasons. She raised and trained two youngsters, and finished a couple of green horses. She also rode for other people who needed their horses tuned up or conditioned.
Jen received training from several local instructors and was blessed to be able to take lessons and ride with a very special teacher from England, who was an instructor with the British Horse Society. She rides English and Western, and has participated in the disciplines of dressage, backcountry horsemanship, eventing, and competitive trail riding.
After taking some time off from riding while she homeschooled her five children through high school and ran a successful professional organizing business, Jen once again has time to pursue her passion. She has passed on her love of horses to her granddaughter and now with a horse in the family again, she is happy to be riding once more! In recent years, Jen has enjoyed volunteering in the therapeutic riding community, and now as a horse handler for the New Freedom Physical Therapy team, she is excited to be using her skills to manipulate the horse’s movements during PT sessions.
“It is so amazing to see the way that these wonderful creatures can assist people in both the physical and emotional areas of their lives!”