About Primal Labs
From farm life to clinical practice to education — a journey grounded in real experience.
Our Story
Primal Labs was built on a simple belief: education should be real — grounded in clinical experience, informed by research, and immediately applicable in practice.
The journey began with a recognition that much of professional education had drifted away from the realities of patient care. Academic knowledge often failed to translate into confident clinical decision-making. What started as one clinician’s search for more authentic learning evolved into something larger.
Today, Primal Labs brings together educators, clinicians, and researchers who believe in learning by doing, refining skills through experience, and contributing back to the profession. Our courses emphasize practical mastery, clinical reasoning, and collaboration — while staying connected to the idea that growth happens through challenge, curiosity, and service.
Why Clinicians Choose Primal Labs
Most continuing education teaches information.
Primal Labs focuses on application.
Our courses are designed for clinicians who want more than protocols and checklists — practitioners who want to understand why interventions work, how to adapt them to real patients, and how to grow beyond standardized treatment models.
Whether you are early in your career or an experienced clinician refining your approach, our goal is the same: to help you think better, treat with confidence, and deliver meaningful outcomes for the people you serve.
Small Cohort Learning
Direct instructor interaction and hands-on feedback.
Practical Application
Skills you can apply immediately in clinical practice.
Community & Growth
A network of clinicians committed to improving together.
Primal Labs Framework
Authenticity
Real experience. Honest teaching. Genuine connection. No corporate fluff — just education grounded in practice.
Excellence
Evidence-informed practice combined with real-world results.Quality over quantity. Mastery over trends.
Adventure
Growth happens outside comfort zones. Learn, explore, and serve with purpose.
Meet the Instructors
Todd Bourgeois, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, PhD
Dr. Bourgeois brings over 20 years of clinical experience and more than 15 years in professional education. His work integrates orthopedic manual therapy, health psychology, and performance-based rehabilitation to help clinicians develop practical, adaptable treatment strategies.
As an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists, his teaching emphasizes clinical reasoning, hands-on skill development, and applying evidence within real-world patient care
Course Taught
Garrett Mandel, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC, PhD
Dr. Mandel brings over 15 years of clinical experience and more than a decade in professional education. His background in orthopedic manual therapy combined with a PhD in Heath and Human Performance helps patients integrate physical impairments and performance-rehabilitation to optimize function. This skillset has been adapted to offer support to clinicians through the development of high-level clinical reasoning. His teaching style emphasizes clinical reasoning through the use of real patient examples, advancement of hands-on skills for evaluative and treatment purposes, and combining the pillars of best evidence with clinical expertise and patient perceptions.
Course Taught
Built Through Collaboration
Primal Labs thrives on collaboration. We are always looking for passionate instructors, researchers, and clinicians who want to contribute, teach, and help advance the profession through shared knowledge and experience.