Laurie Schick PT, HPCS
Laurie has lived in the Northwest all her life and has always loved visiting Central Oregon. Her family finally had the opportunity to permanently move to Bend in 2016. Laurie has been a physical therapist for over 23 years and has practiced in a variety of settings including pediatric, orthopedic and outpatient rehabilitation. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Puget Sound and continued on to get her Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from University of Puget Sound as well.
She has always had a passion for horses and kids and became a PATH certified riding instructor in 2004, teaching riding lessons to children with disabilities. As she saw the benefits of equine movement as an treatment tool she went on to get extensive training in Hippotherapy. In 2005 Laurie started a therapy clinic at Forward Stride, a premiere therapeutic riding center in Beaverton, Oregon. Over the next several years she grew the practice to included physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists, all incorporating equine movement as an effective treatment strategy within their plan of care. Laurie is currently the only Board Certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist (HPCS) in the state of Oregon.
Laurie is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the APTA Pediatric Section, American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) and the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH). Laurie enjoys using a holistic approach toward treating kids and adults. She loves collaborating with other therapists, providing family education and incorporating a variety of treatment tools and approaches to help each individual reach their goals.
Laurie’s other passions include exploring the outdoors thru hiking and backpacking, skiing, traveling, reading and spending time with her two kids, husband and dog.
She has always had a passion for horses and kids and became a PATH certified riding instructor in 2004, teaching riding lessons to children with disabilities. As she saw the benefits of equine movement as an treatment tool she went on to get extensive training in Hippotherapy. In 2005 Laurie started a therapy clinic at Forward Stride, a premiere therapeutic riding center in Beaverton, Oregon. Over the next several years she grew the practice to included physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists, all incorporating equine movement as an effective treatment strategy within their plan of care. Laurie is currently the only Board Certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist (HPCS) in the state of Oregon.
Laurie is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the APTA Pediatric Section, American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) and the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH). Laurie enjoys using a holistic approach toward treating kids and adults. She loves collaborating with other therapists, providing family education and incorporating a variety of treatment tools and approaches to help each individual reach their goals.
Laurie’s other passions include exploring the outdoors thru hiking and backpacking, skiing, traveling, reading and spending time with her two kids, husband and dog.