There are seasons when life seems to change all at once.
For Dr. Josiah Bartlett and his wife, Jenna, this has been one of them.
A new marriage. A new business. A move far from the small Iowa town they once called home. And, as they prepared to welcome their first baby this fall, an entirely new chapter for their growing family.
In the middle of it all, they opened Firm Foundation Integrative Health in Smyrna.
Just a few weeks later, another piece of the story unexpectedly fell into place.
Dr. James Wright was preparing to open a practice of his own. He felt drawn to Smyrna, but still needed a location and some guidance on starting a business. A friend suggested he reach out to Josiah.
What began as a conversation about business logistics became something neither man had planned.
James visited Firm Foundation, saw the available space and began talking with Josiah about their shared approach to caring for people — and their shared faith.
“This was totally a God thing,” James says.
Today, Firm Foundation Integrative Health and Strong Tower Functional Neurology remain separate practices, but sharing space allows the doctors to collaborate and refer patients to one another when another perspective may help.
Even the names fit.
“A strong tower built on a firm foundation is a beautiful picture of how God brought our faith-based practices together,” Josiah says.
Firm Foundation’s story began years before there was a clinic.
Jenna’s own experience with chronic health issues, including migraines, Lyme disease, autoimmune concerns and hormonal and digestive problems, sent the couple searching for answers. After trying more traditional approaches and continuing to struggle, they were introduced to integrative care, including chiropractic care, Applied Kinesiology and functional neurology.
The experience changed the way they thought about health — and the direction of their lives.
For Josiah, a doctor of physical therapy, it sparked an interest in looking beyond the site of a symptom and considering the many factors that may influence the way someone feels and functions. Jenna, who is completing chiropractic school at Life University, was drawn to a broader approach to wellness.
“What began as our own journey toward health has become a ministry,” Josiah says.
At Firm Foundation, Josiah builds on his physical therapy training while incorporating approaches such as muscle testing, nutritional testing, myofascial bodywork and Frequency Specific Microcurrent. Jenna’s work adds an emotional and spiritual component to the practice.
Their goal, they say, is to slow down, listen and look at the whole person.
James’s path into healthcare started with something simpler: curiosity.
He remembers noticing the way people moved — someone favoring an elbow while reaching for milk or a knee while sitting down — and wondering why. Those observations led him to Life University, where he studied anatomy, human movement and functional neurology.
Through Strong Tower Functional Neurology, James focuses on functional neurology and myofascial rehabilitation, often working with people experiencing chronic pain, migraines, vertigo, balance concerns or lingering symptoms after a concussion.
“The outlook we have is the service of the person in front of us and what is best for them,” he says.
That philosophy helps make the partnership work.
Josiah describes their approaches as looking at “different pieces of the same person.” One practice may focus more heavily on movement, physical function and other factors affecting wellness; the other may look more closely at neurological function and the relationship between the brain, nervous system and movement.
Sometimes, the most helpful thing is simply having another set of eyes.
For three people with small-town roots, Smyrna felt familiar.
Josiah and Jenna originally came to Georgia because of Jenna’s studies at Life University. James has lived in Georgia for more than six years and had always enjoyed Smyrna.
What they each noticed was the same thing: community.
For Josiah and Jenna, finding their clinic space became part of that story. After searching without success, they took a prayer walk through the area. The next day, a space that had not previously been available suddenly opened.
James remembers a strong pull. Every time he came to Smyrna to visit friends or grab lunch, he noticed how welcoming it felt.
“It always felt like the community was loving and friendly,” he says.
And now that both practices are open, gratitude is woven throughout nearly every part of their story.
James is grateful for the opportunity to serve a community he has grown to love. Josiah and Jenna are grateful for the difficult seasons that ultimately gave direction to their work, for a new clinic, a new marriage, the relationships they are building here — and for the baby they were preparing to welcome as this story came together.
Through all of it, they say their faith has remained the foundation.
“We want every person who walks through our doors to know that they are more than a diagnosis or a symptom,” Josiah says, “and that their story matters.”
For two young practices beginning their own stories in Smyrna, it seems like a pretty strong place to start.
“We want every person who walks through our doors to know that they are more than a diagnosis or a symptom and that their story matters.”
— Dr. Josiah Bartlett
“The outlook we have is the service of the person in front of us and what is best for them.”
— Dr. James Wright
UNDER ONE ROOF
Firm Foundation Integrative Health and Strong Tower Functional Neurology are separate practices sharing space at 2750 Atlanta Road SE, Suite 106, Smyrna. Their complementary specialties allow them to collaborate when appropriate.
Firm Foundation Integrative Health: firmfoundationintegrativehealth.com
Strong Tower Functional Neurology: StrongTowerFN.com