Physical Therapists

We want you to feel at home with our physical therapy practice. Our therapists offer the real-world experience and knowledge you expect from an effective physical therapy practice along with a caring, responsive attitude that will put you at ease.

Herald E Schmidt, PT, CSCS

Hal received his degree in physical therapy from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse in 1990. He became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) in 2006 and is a certified Sportsmetrics trainer. He has also maintained his Outdoor Emergency Care certification since 2000.

Hal has extensive experience working with orthopedic and sports medicine injuries. He has worked with athletes at all levels: youth, high school, collegiate and professional to return them back to competition in peak condition. Injury prevention for athletes is of special interest to Hal. He works with local athletes to avoid injury and meet their performance goals. Hal is trained in Maitland and NAIOMT manual therapy techniques and combines his manual skills with core stabilization techniques to relieve spine pain and return patients to optimal levels of activity. He is devoted to teaching patients about their injuries and giving patients the skills to treat their ailments.

Hal is married to Traci Schmidt and they have 2 boys, Crosby and Calvin. They can be found year round enjoying Idaho’s natural beauty in the mountains and on the water. Hal is on Schweitzer Ski Patrol, and does the first aid for the Ponderay Cup Soccer Tournament. He participates in many of the events for local charities like 24 Hours for Hank and Jaycee's Race. To keep his fitness and social skills up, Hal enjoys running, camping, biking, soccer, hockey, skiing and chasing his two boys.

Heather Lien, DPT

Heather received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Idaho State University in 2009. The orthopedic specialization of physical therapy most interests her, particularly in relation to athletics. As a lifelong athlete, she has gained an appreciation for how amazing the capacity of the human body is. Studying the field of Physical Therapy has allowed her to utilize that excitement to help people improve how their bodies function. She feels it is very rewarding to help bring people back from injury so they can not only perform the typical activities of daily living, but also enjoy the many recreational activities available in this area. An aspect of Physical Therapy that is extremely important to Heather is patient education. Just helping someone to recover is only part of the picture. She feels it is so important to provide patients with the knowledge of their condition, how to help themselves to heal, and how to avoid it from returning.  

Heather also enjoys using her hands when treating patients, as she realizes the importance of touch in healing. She utilizes many types of techniques of manual therapy, and has taken many courses from the North American Institute of Manual Therapy (NAIOMT).

Heather keeps involved in the community through being a member of the Angels Over Sandpoint charity group, and participating in the local bike races and triathlons. She also works with Hal to conduct their summer high school athlete training programs, and to develop the training regimen for the 2012 Race Across America women’s team.