We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Amie Dougherty recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Amie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

I was in my final semester graduate school in 2012, just a few months away from graduating with my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. It was then that I decided I wanted to pursue the field of pediatric physical therapy. My last clinical was a 12 weeklong pediatric rotation and a few weeks in I knew the field of pediatrics was where I was supposed to be.

I applied for a new graduate position at a local pediatric home health care company despite my professors and clinical instructors warning against the home health setting as a new graduate. I chose this specific company due to many wonderful reviews and their new graduate program, meaning I would have a designated mentor for the first 6 months while I grew my caseload and my clinical skills. I am not one to go against the grain, but I wanted to give this a try.

Well, flash forward to the interview…I had no idea it was an ACTUAL interview! And looking back I am so glad I did not know it was an interview. I would have been even more nervous! However, since it was my first “real job” I was clearly naive about the whole process. It all worked out and I was offered the position and absolutely loved the company, my manager, and my mentor.

I am thankful I took a chance on pediatric home health care as a new graduate, as I could not imagine myself in any other setting.

Dr. Amie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have practiced in the field of pediatric physical therapy for over a decade and as time has passed I began to see frustrations from parents regarding difficulties in receiving quality care for various reasons.

I sought out to create a resource for parents that removed those frustrations and allowed parents and children to get the services they want and deserve. I founded Milestones At Play Physical Therapy & Wellness in August of 2022 to be a resource for parents looking for quality, play-based, family-centered, and proactive pediatric physical therapy.

How is Milestones At Play different?
1) We are an in-home provider, meaning we fit seamlessly into our client’s routine; there is no need to rework nap and feeding schedules while loading up and driving across town. We come to you!
2) We do not “wait and see”. We are a private pay provider, meaning our services are not influenced by payor sources (aka insurance companies). This allows families to come to us directly once they have a concern about their child’s gross motor development. It allows us to treat the whole child proactively and get to the root cause sooner, as there are no prior authorizations or qualification standards. If parents have a concern we can help and will provide actionable recommendations to address those concerns.
3) We fully believe in a gentle, play-based approach. A child’s occupation is play and we are here to guide our clients with purposeful play to help each child be their unique self. Play is fun for all and this is when we see children thrive! We are a no tear zone!
4) As a true concierge provider, parents have access to me outside of treatment sessions via text/phone or email. I am your hype girl when it comes to your child’s motor development and here to guide you every step of the way.
5) Our frequency of services are customized to you and your family. If you want weekly sessions, sure, monthly, sure, as needed – you got it. We educate and empower our parents with the tools needed to guide their child toward the next mini or major motor milestone.
6) Our sessions are not rushed, we spend at least 60 minutes with you and your child, answering all of your questions and addressing all of your concerns. We love what we do!

I am genuinely proud of creating a service that bridges the gap between traditional in-home pediatric physical therapy services and early intervention. I am naturally a helper and want to use my clinical and personal experiences to help other parents during their parenting journey. Since opening have been able to connect with so many amazing families, kiddos, and other like-minded providers in the community, it’s refreshing and rejuvenating as a provider. It can be scary going out on your own, especially as an introvert but it is worth it! It is my goal to continue providing quality care to parents and children in a way that is truly individualized for every family.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

The majority of my referrals come from previous clients who have shared their experience with a friend or family member. I pride myself on connecting with my families, providing quality services, and most importantly getting results. Our model makes the therapy process easy and fun. Milestones At Play provides pediatric physical therapy AND supports and empowers parents at the same time. With our concierge model we are able to go above and beyond, check in with our families outside of treatment sessions, navigate and schedule outside referral recommendations, and truly be a resource for our parents throughout the process.

The joy on a parent’s face after their child has learned to crawl or take their first steps is the best feeling and I am always right there celebrating with them. I am so thankful for all of my clients have trusted me in their pediatric physical therapy & wellness journey and those who continue to share about their positive experience with Milestones At Play.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I have been a pediatric physical therapist for nearly 12 years and during that time I have held many roles. Outside of clinical knowledge and expertise I feel there are three key practices that make a great pediatric physical therapist: 1) their listening skills, do they actually listen to the family and their concerns 2) do they address those concerns and educate the family on the “why” behind the recommended activities and 3) do they build rapport with the family AND the child. When a child trusts their therapist and feels seen and heard wonderful things will happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.milestonesatplay.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milestonesatplay/
• Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amie-dougherty-7b860592?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amie-dougherty
• Other: Bio Site: https://bio.site/milestonesatplay

Image Credits
Focused Creative Photography