Lisa Patel Sayo
Lisa Patel Sayo is a Southern California native who co-founded Empower Physical Therapy & Wellness in Chino Hills. She earned her B.S. in Biology and Psychology from UC Irvine before completing her Master's in Occupational Therapy at USC in 2004. Over her career she has worked across inpatient acute care, orthopedics, neuro rehab, pediatrics, school-based therapy, and women's pelvic floor therapy, giving her a wide-ranging view of how the body heals at every stage of life. She brings that same range to Empower, meeting each patient exactly where they are and building a plan that actually fits their life.
“There's a saying I come back to often: patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. It's how I try to show up for every patient, no matter how long their recovery takes.”
What guides the work.
Lisa's approach is shaped by the breadth of settings she's worked in, from inpatient acute care and orthopedics to neuro rehab, pediatrics, school-based therapy, and women's pelvic floor therapy. That range means she's comfortable meeting patients wherever they are, whether they're a child working on developmental milestones or an adult navigating a new diagnosis. As a co-founder of Empower, she's committed to a clinic culture built on patience, attentiveness, and treating every patient like a person first.
Off the clock.
Life beyond the treatment table.
When she's not at the clinic, Lisa loves to travel and stays active through regular exercise. She's also an involved volunteer at her kids' school, bringing the same hands-on, patient-centered energy to her family's community that she brings to her patients.