Trusted Physical Therapy in Orange County | Focus On Health

At Focus On Health, decades of physical therapy experience and specialized training allow us to provide personalized care designed around each patient’s unique needs. We are proud to provide trusted, highly regarded physical therapy in Orange County and are committed to helping you move better, feel better, and achieve your personal goals.

Kim Lawler-Coyle,
PT, DPT, GCFP
License #10755

Clinic Owner

Kim Lawler-Coyle, PT, DPT, GCFP, owner of Focus On Health, has dedicated more than 44 years to helping patients move better, reduce pain, restore function, and improve their quality of life through individualized physical therapy. Throughout her career, Kim has built a practice centered on thoughtful, integrative, and specialized physical therapy that combines extensive clinical knowledge with advanced training and experience.

Kim believes every patient is unique. She takes the time to listen, understand your concerns, and look beyond your symptoms to help identify the factors contributing to your movement limitations, impairments, and functional challenges. Her extensive experience, clinical reasoning, and compassionate approach allow her to develop individualized treatment strategies designed around each patient’s specific needs.

At Focus On Health, Kim’s goal is to help patients move better, function better, and improve their overall quality of life through personalized care that considers the whole person—not just the condition or symptoms.

Kim Lawler-Coyle, PT, DPT – More Than 44 Years of Clinical Experience

For more than 44 years, Kim Lawler-Coyle, PT, DPT, has helped patients throughout Orange County improve movement, restore function, and achieve their rehabilitation goals. Since becoming a licensed physical therapist in 1982, she has dedicated her career to advanced manual therapy, lifelong learning, and individualized patient care.

Throughout her career, Kim has developed an integrative approach that combines specialized manual therapy techniques with comprehensive physical therapy. Rather than relying on a single treatment philosophy, she integrates multiple evidence-informed approaches to meet each patient’s unique needs. As a result, every plan of care is tailored to the individual’s goals, functional abilities, and response to treatment.

Clinical Experience

Kim has practiced as a licensed physical therapist since January 1982. Over the past four decades, she has continued to expand her clinical knowledge through advanced education, teaching, and hands-on patient care.

Her areas of advanced clinical practice include:

• Integrative Manual Therapy
• Myofascial Release
• CranioSacral Therapy
• TMJ Therapy
• Visceral Manipulation
• Neural and Vascular Manipulation
• Brain Specific Soft Tissue Treatment
• New Manual Articular Approach
• Lymphatic Drainage Therapy
• Therapeutic Exercise
• Movement Methods
• Complex Musculoskeletal and Neuromuscular Conditions

In addition, Kim has specialized in TMJ Therapy since 1984. She continues to incorporate advanced manual therapy techniques into individualized physical therapy programs when clinically appropriate.

Education and Professional Credentials

Kim earned her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Loma Linda University in 1981. She later completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2013. These accomplishments reflect her lifelong commitment to professional growth and evidence-informed practice.

She has also remained an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association since 1981.

Teaching and Faculty Experience

Teaching and professional education have remained central to Kim’s career.

She previously served as:

• Faculty Member, USC Dental School TMJ Department under the direction of Terry Tanaka, DDS (1991–1996)
• Instructor, Soft Tissue Techniques, Loma Linda University Physical Therapy Master’s Program (1993–1997)

In addition, Kim has presented continuing education lectures for:

• USC
• Loma Linda University
• California State University, Long Beach
• Chapman University
• The Upledger Institute
• Western Institute of Neuromuscular Therapy

Advanced Manual Therapy Education

Kim has pursued advanced education with many internationally recognized leaders in manual therapy. Her commitment to continuing education has remained a defining part of her professional career.

Her advanced study includes decades of education with:

• John F. Barnes, PT – Myofascial Release
• John E. Upledger, DO – CranioSacral Therapy
• Jean-Pierre Barral, DO, PT – Visceral Manipulation, Neural Manipulation, Vascular Manipulation, Brain Specific Soft Tissue Treatment, and the New Manual Articular Approach
• Bruno Chikly, MD, DO – Lymphatic Drainage Therapy

In addition, Kim has completed numerous continuing education programs in specialized manual therapy techniques. She has also served as a teaching assistant and instructor for the International Alliance of Healthcare Educators, supporting educational programs developed by Drs. Upledger, Barral, and Chikly.

Commitment to Lifelong Learning

Continuing education remains a central part of Kim’s practice philosophy. She continues to study advanced manual therapy, participate in professional education, and incorporate current clinical knowledge into patient care.

In addition, Kim mentors healthcare professionals and shares her knowledge through teaching, continuing education, and clinical practice. Her commitment to lifelong learning reflects her dedication to providing individualized, evidence-informed physical therapy.

Upcoming Publication

Kim is completing her first book, scheduled for publication in 2026. Drawing on more than four decades of clinical experience, the book is designed to help both patients and healthcare professionals better understand movement, function, and integrative manual therapy. It reflects her lifelong commitment to education, professional growth, and improving patient care.