Protean Therapy

Protean Therapy

Protean Therapy helps you help yourself to a healthier life. “Protean” means “tending or able to change frequently or easily.” “Therapy” means “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder.” So, protean therapy is treatment that helps you change yourself in a way that relieves or heals your disease or disorder.

The idea of being “homo protean” can be traced to entomologist E. O. Wilson and sociologist Robert Jay Lifton who write about the adaptability of protean man. Humans are known as Homo sapiens or, wise men. But protean therapy emphasizes evolution over intelligence because if life is constantly changing*, you must adapt or die.

*The Second Law of Thermodynamics

The second law of thermodynamics states: “…in a closed system, the total entropy (a measure of disorder or randomness) will either increase or remain constant, but never decrease.” This also means “…heat will not spontaneously flow from a colder area to a hotter area; it will always flow from hotter to colder.” This physical law or strong principle can be traced back to Rudolf Clausius and Lord Kelvin William Thomson circa 1850 as well as Sadi Carnot and Clausius (Google’s AI Overview, 2025).

Humans take a long time to change. Our biological traits are largely locked in. We cannot choose to be taller but we can try to have offspring with someone who is tall.

Species take an even longer time to change. We cannot choose to have fins or wings, but if our descendants predominantly live near water or treetops, they are more likely to free dive or jump. Over thousands of generations, they may develop more traits to promote diving and gliding. Over millions of generations, they may learn to breathe underwater or fly through the air.

Humans have leveraged cultural evolution to create technology that transports us across oceans, through the skies, and into the depths of the sea. All of our superpowers are built on our sociality. E.O. Wilson referred to Homo sapiens as a eusocial species. We live and work together to survive. But humans, especially in the Western Hemisphere, see themselves as individuals.

You have a unique set of traits, strengths, and weaknesses that makes you, you. So, any treatment designed to help you live a happier and healthier life should be tailored to you and your needs. And since you are the only person who has always been there for you, you are the most consistently available help in your quest for health.

Nature, Nature, & Adaptation:

People are constantly changing. More than a decade of health care work has shown me that their health status changes with them. Since health is largely dependent on heredity, behaviors, and environments (i.e. genetic, epigenetic, & environmental interactions), it is paramount to know what is in your life’s deck of cards and how best to play them.

That’s where I come in. I’m here to help you recognize your cards and learn how to play them. I’m here to help you help yourself to a healthier life. Are you ready and willing to help yourself to health?

Josh Telfer, BSc, DPT/PT, CLT, MPH

Bottom Line Up Front:

Josh’s broad health sector exposure and background providing care in hospitals, clinics, and homes helps him better understand and empathize with his clients. As a licensed Physical Therapist (PT), Certified Lymphatic Therapist (CLT) and Master of Public Health (MPH), Josh is trained in physical rehabilitation, lymphedema treatment, and disease prevention. His collaborative client-centered approach aims to help you help yourself to a longer and healthier life.

Background:

Josh was born in the middle of the United States and spent parts of his childhood as a “missionary kid” in Lisbon, Portugal and Maputo, Mozambique before completing High School in Warren County, Missouri and studying exercise science at Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Josh gained health service experience working as a patient safety and aftercare assistant in hospitals and clinics during his years in University. Josh completed two academic degrees, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 2013 and a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from Missouri State University in 2016 before providing physical therapy services as traveling therapist, civil servant, and public health officer.

Josh completed a Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Arizona Online in 2021. He also gained experience in incident command logistics and disease/disaster response while working on public health projects and missions. Josh worked as a physical therapist (PT) and public health officer in New Mexico, Southwest Missouri, and Oklahoma before returning to the greater St. Louis area in 2025. The health companies Josh has worked for over the last 15 years include a mix of non-profit, for-profit, public, private, and government organizations: SSM Health, Elder Care, AMN Healthcare, Indian Health Service, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Integrity Home Care & Hospice, Select Medical, Mercy, Cox Health, and FYZICAL.

Outside of work, Josh enjoys reading & writing, running & hiking, playing or coaching team sports, and traveling with family & friends.