That's why you visit with them ahead of time. Get your expectations on the table. They need to understand you and what your goals are. The average person typically will not rehab as hard as an athlete. I wanted to return to a normal level of activity, if not better because I wouldn't have a torn ACL to contend with. If the therapist didn't understand that, or didn't support that ("That's impossible") then it was adios. I found a great guy, and he really challenged me. It wasn't a torture session (ask me about my first ACL repair sometime), but rather it was a lot of work. A good PT person makes all the difference. You're largely self-motivated, as you want to return to a normal level of activity higher than the general population. With motivation out of the way, if you find the right person it makes a HUGE difference.