Meet your recovery care TEAM.

Focused on Individualized Care

Our Philosophy

Recovery Is Not a Checklist

Recovery is not a fixed timeline. It is a dynamic process that requires clinical understanding, clear communication, and respect for the person healing in front of us.

Our approach is grounded in surgical awareness rather than trends or one-size-fits-all protocols. Manual lymphatic drainage and scar tissue management are used as part of a broader recovery strategy — guided by surgical technique, tissue behavior, and what the body is demonstrating at each stage.

Care is paced deliberately. Adjusted as needed. Delivered with attention to both immediate function and long-term outcomes.

We also recognize that recovery is physical and emotional. Surgery can alter mobility, sensation, confidence, and identity. We create space for questions, setbacks, and honest conversations. No rushing. No dismissal. No navigating alone.

Our goal is straightforward:
Protect surgical results. Restore tissue function. Support recovery in a way that feels coordinated, informed, and complete — for patients and for the physicians who care for them.

Our Team

Meet Shelby and Rosa

Shelby

Founder, CMT, LDT,

Recovery & Rehabilitation Specialist

Shelby founded Post-Op Therapy in 1998 with a focused mission: to treat recovery as an essential phase of surgical care — not an afterthought.

For nearly three decades, she has worked exclusively in post-operative and complex recovery settings, building trusted relationships with surgeons and guiding patients through procedures ranging from plastic and reconstructive surgery to orthopedic and trauma-related interventions.

Shelby regularly observes surgical procedures to deepen her understanding of anatomy, tissue handling, and procedural decision-making. This direct exposure allows her to deliver recovery care informed by real surgical context — not theoretical knowledge alone.

clinical work addresses:

Her interdisciplinary approach integrates surgical insight, functional movement, lymphatic science, and trauma-informed communication to ensure recovery aligns with both medical goals and patient experience.

Revised training structure:

Teaching & Professional Education

Shelby has taught and trained clinicians internationally, including programs in Mexico and Namibia, and continues advanced study in surgical anatomy, clinical decision-making, and post-operative rehabilitation.

ongoing education includes:

Surgical & Medical Education

Orthopedic & Manual Therapy Foundations

Coaching & Trauma-Informed Communication

Emergency & Field Preparedness

Rosa

Post-Operative Recovery Specialist | Plastic Surgery Focus

Rosa specializes in guiding patients through plastic surgery recovery with precision, attentiveness, and calm presence.

Her path into post-operative care is both professional and personal. Following her own surgical experience, Rosa recognized firsthand how impactful informed recovery support can be. That insight led her to pursue advanced training in manual therapy and post-operative care, bringing both technical skill and lived understanding to her work.

Rosa works closely with patients recovering from procedures such as liposuction, abdominoplasty, breast surgery, and facial procedures. She is especially attentive to early post-operative needs, scar mobility progression, lymphatic support, and patient education.

Patients often describe her approach as steady, reassuring, and deeply respectful. She prioritizes comfort, clarity, and consent-centered care, ensuring individuals feel informed and supported throughout recovery.

Under Shelby’s mentorship and within the Post-Op Therapy model, Rosa continues to expand her expertise while delivering thoughtful, coordinated care aligned with surgical goals.

Expert Post-Operative Care

Start Your Recovery Journey Today

Text Us Today: (408) 888-1236