A PT’s Reflection on Learning, Mentorship, and Growth
As I prepare to mentor our new physical therapist, Shital, I find myself coming back to a question that has followed me for a long time:
How do you know what you don’t know?
It sounds philosophical, but in my world, it’s very practical.
Every day, I work with people who are trying to understand their bodies in a new way. They come in with pain, frustration, and often confusion. And together, we start uncovering things they didn’t even realize were happening. Understanding pain and movement, and how the two are connected, is often the first real turning point.
In many ways, we are all learning what we didn’t know we didn’t know. That is exactly what the four stages of competence describe.
What Learning Feels Like to Me
Over time, I’ve come to recognize learning in a few ways:
I know there is always more to learn, even while honoring what I already know.
Something becomes clear that I had never noticed before.
When I know better, I do better.
I can recognize, without judgment, when someone else doesn’t know what they don’t know.
I ask questions. I stay curious. I listen more.
And I trust that the body often knows more than we give it credit for.
Learning body awareness is the beginning of that process, and it is a critical part of healing.
What Are the Four Stages of Competence?
The four stages of competence is a framework that explains how people learn new skills. It applies to everything from learning to drive to learning how to move without pain.
In physical therapy, I see these stages play out every day.
Stage 1: Awareness – You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
This is where most people begin.
Someone comes in with back pain or hip pain and says, “I have no idea why this is happening.”
They don’t yet see how their movement patterns, posture, or daily habits are contributing.
This stage is about awareness.
We start connecting the dots.
Stage 2: Learning – You Know What You Don’t Know
Now things start to make sense, but they don’t feel natural yet.
A patient might say, “I see what I’m doing wrong, but I can’t fix it yet.”
This is a normal part of the physical therapy learning process.
It takes patience to change how the body moves. It’s like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, but the puzzle is your body.
Stage 3: Practice – You Can Do It, But It Takes Effort
At this stage, people are improving.
They can move better, but they have to think about it.
This is where repetition matters. The body is learning new patterns, but they are not automatic yet.
This is also where many people get frustrated if they expect quick results. But this is exactly There real change happens.
Stage 4: Integration – It Becomes Natural
Eventually, the new movement becomes second nature.
People stop overthinking it. They move more freely. Pain decreases. Confidence increases.
This is what we are working toward. Not perfection, but ease.
Why The Four Stages of Competence Matter for Pain and Healing
When people understand the stages of learning new skills and how people learn to change movement patterns, they stop feeling like something is wrong with them.
Healing is not a straight line. It is a process.
At The Manual Touch, I approach this as a shared experience. I am guiding the process, but I am also learning alongside my patients.
As awareness improves:
- People become more patient with themselves
- They understand their pain more clearly
- They begin to trust their body again
And that is when real progress starts to happen.
A Final Thought
If you feel like your body is not cooperating or you don’t understand your pain, you are not alone.
You may simply be in an earlier stage of awareness.
And that is exactly where healing begins.
When to See a Physical Therapist
If you feel stuck or like your pain keeps coming back, it may be time for a deeper look.
A whole-body physical therapy approach can help identify patterns you may not see on your own and guide you through the process of change.
Schedule your one-on-one session
Let’s figure it out together and help you get back to the things you enjoy.
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