Bruce is a co-owner of Professional Physical Therapy which was founded in 1993 with his business partner, Frederick Payne, PT. Bruce received his degree in Physical Therapy in 1988from LSU Medical Center School of Allied Health Professions in New Orleans, La. Bruce’s primary interests include treatment of orthopedic injuries, post-surgical rehab, and geriatric musculoskeletal/balance problems. Bruce has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association (LPTA) since 1986,and Private Practice Section of the APTA since 1993. He is a board member and serves as Vice President for Physical Therapy Provider Network (PTPN) of Louisiana. Bruce’s hobbies include gardening and spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.
His training has included:
- McKenzie lower back/neck assessment and treatment
- Manual therapy
- Balance assessment
- Geriatric musculoskeletal injuries
- Total joint rehabilitation
- IASTM: Instrumental Assisted Soft Tissue Massage
Frederick is a co-owner of Professional Physical Therapy which was founded in 1993 with his business partner, Bruce Neal, PT. Frederick received his degree in Physical Therapy in 1989from LSU Medical Center School of Allied Health Professions in Shreveport, LA. Frederick has worked in the following clinical settings: acute care, wound care, outpatient rehabilitation,and home health care. Frederick has studied extensively since 1989 in manual and neuromuscular treatment techniques. Frederick’s primary interests are in manual therapy,post-operative care, and sports-related injuries. Frederick is certified in Intramuscular Dry Needle Therapy. Frederick is a lifelong proponent of engaging individuals to pursue a healthy and active lifestyle. He and his wife have 4 children and have lived in Amite since 1993.
His training has included:
- Manual therapy
- IASTM: Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Massage
- Cupping
- Mulligan’s Mobilization with movement
- Kinesiotaping
- Foot and Ankle disorders
- Strain-Counter Strain
- McKenzie spinal assessment and treatment
- Total joint rehabilitation
- Intramuscular Dry Needle Therapy
Melissa earned her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1989. She has practiced in multiple settings over the years including neurological and spinal cord rehabilitation, acute orthopedic post-operative care, skilled nursing, home health,and outpatient rehabilitation of orthopedic and neurological disorders. She ultimately found her passion in outpatient rehabilitation of the shoulder to the hand. She has been at Professional Physical Therapy since 2004 and has over 20 years of experience treating the surgical, nonsurgical and traumatic injuries of the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Melissa is certified in Dry Needling Therapy. She has had extensive training in the evaluation, treatment and custom splinting of hand pathologies. She has received continuing education to further her knowledge and stay current with the latest and most effective treatment techniques of the entire upper extremity. When Melissa is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Bruce, her children, and her grandchildren. She is a native of Amite and really enjoys the opportunity to give back to the community.
Jill is a Physical Therapist Assistant at Professional Physical Therapy in Amite and has worked here since 2011. Jill received her Physical Therapist Assistant degree from Delgado Community College in New Orleans, LA. Jill treats a variety of patients in the outpatient clinic including, women’s health/pelvic floor disorders, vestibular, orthopedic, and neurological disorders. She is experienced in IASTM, taping, cupping, and mobilization with movement techniques. Jill enjoys working in a fun-filled environment where the patient comes first. In her spare time, Jill enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and staying active.
Candis is a Physical Therapist Assistant at Professional Physical Therapy and has worked with the company since 2019. Candis has also been managing PPT's marketing and social media accounts since October of 2021. She received her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2016. She then went on to complete her Physical Therapist Assistant degree from Delgado Community College in New Orleans, LA, in 2019. Candis has experience in the outpatient and swing bed settings. Although she enjoys working with all patient populations, she has special interests in treatment of orthopedic injuries of the lower extremities and working with the geriatric population. Candis is certified in IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) and enjoys utilizing other manual interventions such as cupping and trigger point release. She became interested in the therapy field through her own rehab experiences in high school, and she has a passion to help her patients meet their goals. When she's not working, Candis enjoys spending time with her husband, swimming, singing, and crafting.
Chelby is a Physical Therapist Assistant at Professional Physical Therapy in Amite, LA. Chelby has experience in the outpatient clinic and swing bed settings. Chelby received heru ndergraduate degree in Kinesiology with a concentration of Exercise Science from Southeastern Louisiana University. She completed her Physical Therapist Assistant degree from Delgado Community College in New Orleans, LA, in 2022. She became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT) from Norton School for Lymphedema Therapy in 2024. Chelby became interested in the field of physical therapy because she wanted to be able to provide hands on and individualized care to help people get back to doing what they love. Although Chelby enjoys working with all populations, she has a special interest in treating lymphedema, treating individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and developing personalized exercises for simulating daily activities for each patient. When she is not working, Chelby enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, and all things cow/ rodeo related.
Katelin is a Physical Therapist at Professional Physical Therapy in Amite, LA. She has experience in outpatient, acute, and swing bed settings. Her studies include receiving her undergraduate degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Kinesiology in 2021. She then went on to complete her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, LA, in May of 2024. Katelin has special interests in treatment of lower body orthopedic injuries, operative and nonoperative, and treatment in acute/swing bed settings to ready patients for discharge to their home environments. Katelin is certified in DNT (dry needling therapy). Katelin became interested in the field of physical therapy by her time spent in therapy in high school and the desire to help people improve mobility and reduce pain. When she is not working, Katelin enjoys spending time exercising and spending time with her husband, friends, and family.
Sarah is a certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Professional Physical Therapy in Amite,LA. Sarah has experience in the outpatient and swing bed settings. Sarah received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2021. She then completed her associate degree in occupational therapy from University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2022. She is currently enrolled to complete her Occupational Therapist degree from University of Louisiana at Monroe. Sarah became interested in the field of occupational therapy because she was exposed to the field as she grew up by her family (Bruce and Melissa) and she has a desire to help her patients achieve their full potential. Although she enjoys working with all patient populations, she has special interest in outpatient orthopedic hand therapy. When she is not working, Sarah enjoys working out, playing tennis, and spending time with family, friends, and her husband.
Kodi is a certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Professional Physical Therapy in Amite, LA. Kodi has experience working in outpatient, swing bed, acute care, and pediatric settings. Kodi received her undergraduate degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Psychology. She then went on to complete her associate degree in Occupational Therapy at Delgado Community College in December of 2018. Kodi became interested in the field of Occupational Therapy because she got to see a family member receive OT services and she became passionate in the holistic aspect of the job. Kodi loves to simulate functional activities for her patients so that they can become as independent as possible and meet their individualized goals. Kodi has special interests in manual interventions such as IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization), cupping, and trigger point release. Although she enjoys working with all populations, Kodi has special interests in working with patients with neurological conditions. When she is not working, Kodi enjoys boxing and dancing for exercise, spending time with her husband, and watching her kids play ball.
Stephanie is a Physical Therapist Assistant at Professional Physical Therapy in Amite, LA. She has experience working in outpatient, swing bed, and skilled nursing facility settings.Stephanie received her Physical Therapist Assistant degree in 2018 from Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, LA. She is also a certified yoga instructor.Stephanie became interested in physical therapy when she was 19 years old and started working at PPT as a rehab technician and was exposed to the field for 3 years before applying to the PTA program at Fran U. Although she enjoys working with all patient populations, she has a special interest in working with the geriatric populations and treatment of neurological disorders and generalized deconditioning. When she is not working, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family and exercising.
Karla is a Physical Therapist at Professional Physical Therapy and has worked in the field since 1988. She is also a licensed Massage Therapist. Karla received her degree in Physical Therapy from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans, LA. She then went onto complete her advanced master's degree in health sciences from Louisiana State University.She has special interests in treatment of pelvic floor conditions and started treating pelvic floor in 1995. She is excited to bring pelvic floor rehab to North Tangipahoa parish to serve the Amite and surrounding communities. When she is not at work, Karla enjoys gardening,exercising, and spending time with her husband, kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.
Dawn is our Speech Therapist and provides speech therapy services at Hood Memorial Hospital in Amite, LA in the swing bed unit. Dawn completed her undergraduate degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1996 and then went on to complete her master's degree in Speech Language Pathology in 2004 from Southeastern Louisiana University as well. Dawn became interested in speech therapy due to her love for language, excelling in French, etc.Although she enjoys working with all patient populations, she has special interest in working with language disorders. Dawn is certified in Vital Stim and Interactive Metronome. Dawn also has many years in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders. When she is not working, Dawn enjoys reading, playing games, camping, and spending time with her family and pets.
