Movement
Building comfort, body awareness, strength, and participation through adaptive movement that feels safe and doable.
About Root to Rise
A gentle, structured approach rooted in respect
Root to Rise Coaching brings together adaptive movement, routine support, and practical wellness guidance in a way that stays non-clinical, strength-based, and individualized.
About Joanna Tsotas
Joanna Tsotas is the founder of Root to Rise Coaching. On the current Root to Rise website, she describes more than a decade of experience working with children, teens, and adults with a range of physical and cognitive disabilities, including work as a behavior technician in schools, clinics, and 1:1 settings.
She also describes herself as a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, an adaptive fitness coach, and a certified behavior technician. Root to Rise brings those influences together in a supportive approach focused on routine, movement, wellbeing, and confidence.
Core values
- Supportive, not clinical
- Structured, not rigid
- Encouraging, not pressuring
- Individualized, not one-size-fits-all
The approach
What coaching is
Coaching at Root to Rise is educational and lifestyle-based. It can include adaptive movement, functional routine support, healthy habit support, caregiver collaboration, wellness tools, confidence-building, and support for greater self-direction in everyday life.
This is designed for participants who benefit from clear expectations, repetition, calm pacing, and support that respects sensory needs and individual dignity.
Boundaries matter
What coaching is not
Root to Rise Coaching is not therapy, treatment, rehabilitation, crisis support, or regulated healthcare. It does not replace medical care, mental health care, nutrition therapy, occupational therapy, or other professional services delivered by licensed clinicians.
When concerns fall outside a non-clinical scope, clients should speak with the appropriate regulated provider.
What the work focuses on
Support that connects body, routine, and confidence
Routine
Creating more predictable daily structure to reduce stress and support independence, energy, and follow-through.
Wellbeing
Supporting regulation, recovery, and everyday wellness through manageable habits, reflection, and practical planning.
Who it serves
Teens, adults, families, and organizations
Root to Rise Coaching supports teens, young adults, and adults with special needs, as well as families and caregivers looking for respectful, structured support. Services can also be adapted for schools, community programs, and organizations.
Good fit indicators
- Structure helps reduce overwhelm
- Progress works best when paced gradually
- Encouragement matters more than pressure
- Support needs to be practical and individualized
Next step