Meet The Moms Behind Wild & Free Pediatric Therapy

Meet Belinda Barrett and Kristen Wermager, The Moms Behind Wild & Free Pediatric Therapy 

We are so excited to highlight these two talented, giving, smart mamas who are such a valuable resource for families in and around Katy.

Belinda and Kristen are the owners Wild & Free Pediatric Therapy where they provide quality pediatric therapy services using proven therapeutic techniques driven by family goals.

Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in the Katy area?

Belinda – Moved to Katy from Alaska in 2022. Have lived in many places including St. Louis, Missouri, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming. Happy to now be in the great state of Texas!

Kristen- Originally from Alaska, but moved around growing up spending time in Scotland and Dubai, UAE.  I completed undergrad and grad school in Colorado before moving back to Alaska to start my career.  My family moved down to Katy in January of 2020 and have been here since. While this is my first time living in the great state of Texas, my parents are both from Texas so I spent a lot of summers in Galveston as a kid.  Texas has always felt like a second home to me!

 

You’re mamas, of course! How old are your kids and what’s your favorite thing about being their mom?

Belinda – I have 10 year old twins, a boy (Andrew) and a girl (Kendall) and then a 6 year old boy (William)! I love to see their curious hearts and minds discover new places and ideas, from exploring new national parks to enjoying a movie together to teaching them about anatomy and everything in-between. 

 

Kristen- I have two girls- Violet is 8 and Emery is 6.  I love seeing their personalities develop and watching their relationship grow.  They are both very creative, silly, smart girls who love an adventure! They are so similar in some ways and so different in others, so it’s fun to watch how they interact and how much they learn from each other and love each other. They love to sing and dance- we often have Swiftie dance parties in our house! Lots of fun times crafting, baking, camping, riding bikes and just being silly!

 

One thing people would be surprised to know about you…

 

Belinda- I have a huge passion for nature (hence, Wild and Free)! From hiking, to trail running, to beach vacations, to creating gardens at home, I am my best mama self when sharing nature with my kiddos. I want every child to have the ability to explore nature and to feel Wild and Free. 

 

 Kristen: I love a good adventure and have even gone cage diving with great white sharks off the coast of Australia!

Favorite local things to do in the Katy area?

We love to go for bike rides and explore new parks/playgrounds- there are so many great playgrounds in the Katy area! 

 

Favorite local restaurants?

 

Belinda – We love La Centerra and all the restaurants, mostly the kids love the opportunity to quickly eat and then run around outside!A couple other favorites are Local Table and Buzz & Bites.

 

 Kristen- we love getting boba tea at Tea Top Katy and lunch and ice cream at Southern Dough.  My kids LOVE the chocolate Croissants from Delices De Maurice as well.

 

Give us your best mom hack that makes your life easier.

Belinda – every week I have the same schedule for meals…Monday pasta, Tuesday Mexican, Wednesday InstaPot Meal, Thursday Fish, Friday Take-out and Movie, Sunday Soup/Grill and Salads. I have found it takes a great amount of planning and stress out of my day-to-day routine when I have this set routine and I can experiment within those days but my overall decision is already made. 

 

Kristen- Instacart and order pick-up! So much easier when I don’t have to go into the grocery store with the littles! 

 

OK, let’s talk business! Tell us about Wild & Free Pediatric Therapy and how you got your start?

 

Wild & Free is a pediatric therapy clinic primarily offering physical therapy to babies and kids from birth to 21 years of age.  At Wild and Free we are dedicated to helping each child recognize their unique strengths and abilities to assist them with reaching their full potential. Our treatment sessions focus on providing stimulating challenges and dynamic opportunities in a fun, play based atmosphere to help every child feel wild and free in their exploration while also promoting each child’s motor, social and cognitive development. We strive to offer patient-centered family focused care, working closely with each family to develop goals specific to each child and family’s needs. 

When did you launch this business and what’s been the biggest blessing in it all?

Wild & Free had its grand opening in March of 2024 and has been steadily growing since! The biggest blessing that has come through opening Wild & Free is the ability for us as clinicians and moms to utilize our skills and knowledge to help the kids and families in the Katy area.  Being business owners and therapists has given us the flexibility to continue to learn and grow, constantly exploring new treatment options to best help our patients.  Being moms, we have a greater understanding of what many of our patients and parents are going through allowing us to build meaningful relationships with our patient’s families. 

 

What makes your practice unique?

We have a combined 28 years of experience working with a wide range of impairments, with diverse family backgrounds, and in multiple pediatric settings. We are passionate to provide Katy families with quality therapy services driven by a continuous commitment to learning and collaboration with the medical community. We specialize in aquatic therapy, Dynamic Movement Intervention, serial casting as well as a variety of other treatment techniques and modalities. 

Best advice for mamas wondering if they should look into PT for their kiddos?

Use your mama gut!! We often have moms reach out to us with concerns that they have but that their pediatrician was not concerned about. Sometimes we can affirm the child’s progress is within normal range, but more often than not, a mom’s gut instinct about their child’s development proves to have solid reasoning. It never hurts to get a professional opinion in regards to your child’s physical development!

 

Biggest blessing in starting a business in Katy, TX?

We have been overwhelmed by the support of the community and families that we serve! Katy is a wonderful place to raise a family and all children should have the availability to receive services. We are dedicated to striving to meet this need in every way possible. 

 

Future plans and hopes for your business?

Our biggest goal for 2025 is to expand our services to provide Occupational and Speech Therapy services!! Stay tuned!

 

Biggest blessing in being a mama?

Belinda – I am continually blessed to witness their growth in every aspect of their life but nothing can compare to those special hugs at the end of the day!

 

Kristen- Being a girl mom to two very persistent, out-spoken, smart girls can have its challenges but getting to watch them develop that fierce independence, strength, and confidence that both challenges and amazes me is such a blessing.  I hope they never lose that fierceness and it helps them conquer mountains one day! The snuggles are pretty great too 🙂 

 

Biggest blessing in being a business owner?

Belinda- I love providing families with a sense of hope and education to better understand their child’s development. It is a joy and honor to be a part of a family’s team and to walk alongside them in this very rewarding and challenging adventure of raising little ones!

Kristen- I love the relationships I build with families and their kiddos.  Being a part of their team and helping their kiddo reach inchstones to milestones is so rewarding.  I also feel very blessed to be able to explore my own interests as a therapist, allowing me to continue to learn and grow to better help my patients and their families. 

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Be sure to follow along with these mamas on Instagram: @wildandfreepediatrictherapy

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