PTA+ Physical Therapist Assistant

PTA+ Physical Therapist Assistant


Leadership and Beyond: Building Your Path as a PTA

December 29, 2025

What does leadership look like for PTAs—and how do you grow into it when the path isn’t always clear?


In this episode of PTA+, host Katie Sutton sits down with Amy Smith Hamel, PTA, a respected leader in physical therapy and Regional Director of Operations at Restore Therapy in Alabama, for a grounded, honest conversation about leadership, growth, and saying yes before you feel ready.


Amy shares her journey into leadership, the moments that shaped her career, and why mentorship, service, and stepping into opportunity matter—especially when the road gets tough. We talk about developing your own leadership style, leading through adversity, and what it really means to weather storms when you’re responsible for more than just yourself.

Beyond her professional role, Amy brings her whole self to the conversation—as a mountain biker, wife, mom, and lifelong learner—offering a reminder that leadership doesn’t happen in isolation from life.


In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • how Amy stepped into leadership and grew along the way
  • the role mentorship and service played in her career
  • how to develop a leadership style that fits you
  • lessons on leading through adversity and uncertainty
  • a special “Plus Point” segment featuring Amy


If you’re a PTA who’s curious about leadership—or already in it and figuring things out as you go—this episode offers practical insight, encouragement, and perspective.


???? Watch the episode:

https://youtu.be/TooenM5CTME