Dr. Natalia Blackman, PT, DPT, PCS
Dr. Natalia Blackman, PT, DPT, PCS is a visionary holistic practitioner and pediatric clinical specialist with nearly 13 years of experience across diverse healthcare and educational settings. Her expertise spans early intervention, hospital-based outpatient clinics, NICU neurodevelopment programs, rehabilitation medicine, and specialized clinics for conditions such as spina bifida and Down syndrome. She has also served as a global development specialist, administering the Bayley-4 assessment in NICU settings, and has contributed extensively to programs like First 5 Children’s Care Connection and Head Start/Early Head Start, developing inclusive early childhood education programs that integrate neurodevelopment, sensorimotor learning, and holistic family wellness.
As a consultant, educator, and public speaker, Natalia is committed to empowering caregivers, educators, and healthcare professionals through evidence-based strategies that honor the complexity of human development. Her work emphasizes the interplay between neurobiology, sensory systems, parenting, attachment, and societal influences on child wellbeing. A strong advocate for addressing digital stress and technology’s impact on childhood and mental health, she provides practical, neuroscience-informed guidance to support children, families, and communities in navigating today’s challenges with compassion, joy, and resilience.
Beyond her professional achievements, Natalia is a devoted wife and mother of three, drawing inspiration from her family in both her personal and professional pursuits. She is a recognized thought leader, honored by Marquis Who’s Who in America for her contributions to pediatric physical therapy, public speaking, and human development consulting, and serves as a certified brain development instructor with Zero to Three. Passionate about holistic care and societal transformation, Natalia continues to innovate programs and curricula that put humanity at the center of healthcare, education, and early childhood development.
• University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences - DPT
• The Growing Brain Trainer of Trainers
• Parent Coach
• Provider Behavioral & Mental Health certification
• Pediatric Clinical Specialist
• Children’s Yoga Teacher certification
• IAIM Infant Massage part 1 certification
• Global Mentorship Alliance
• Marquis Who's Who in America Honored Listee
• Jornada
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my story I am living to a continuous learning, continuous rethinking, humility, and truly seeking to understand and love people right where they are for exactly who they are. I attribute success to reflecting on your own life and taking ownership to heal your own wounds, even if you did not inflict your wounds on yourself, only we can choose to heal them so we do not pass our pain from generation to generation. To knowing we are all doing our best with what we have in this moment, to knowing that we all have beautiful and limitless potential and only we can unlock it, I love empowering others to find and seek the life they could have. It is never too late.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"Always give hope"
" Stay Curious"
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The best way to create the change you long to see is to think it, say it, and live it out authentically with your words and actions, even when no one is looking. The only thing we can truly change is ourselves. The magic is when we live with honor, integrity, grace, love, honesty and humility it creates ripple effects. One drop of water can move the whole pond.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges and opportunities for growth within the care-based systems such as healthcare and education are the reality of humanity and its compatibility or incompatibility with lines drawn in the sand for metrics, productivity, lack of funding for appropriate employee support and the need to reimagine systems and structures that create and perpetuate burnout in healthcare providers, educators and parents. Reimagining and re-creating long standing structures and pillars can feel impossible especially when they are tied up in metrics, numbers, and funding sources driving the systems. When professionals are leaving the professions needed to serve other humans because of the intolerable work expectations we run into problems. These industries are also particularly vulnerable to burnout and high turnover, toxic stress because the needs of serving others never stops. There is no "busy season" for healthcare providers. Every day, all day people need support and it leaves the ones doing the supporting out of breath and brains and bodies bathing in cortisol. We must find a way to build in breathers, supports, nervous system supports, ongoing education and daily practices built into our systems and structures for those within its walls if we want to change our trajectory. We can do it, but it will take all of us to do it.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value quiet time, quality time with family, reading, writing, singing, dancing, rest, having fun, trying new things, open schedules, and movement. Those are the things that fill my cup so that I can keep pouring into others.
Locations
MGA Homecare
Aurora, CO 80016