With more than 25 years of experience, Tonya Windsor is dedicated to helping people move better, feel better, and live with less pain. As co-owner of Hands On Physical Therapy, she believes that every patient deserves individualized, one-on-one care that treats the whole person—not just the symptoms.
Tonya earned her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis after attending Ball State University. Throughout her career, she has worked in orthopedics, pediatrics, and sports medicine developing a well-rounded approach to patient care rooted in hands-on treatment and compassionate listening.
Her passion for manual therapy has led her to pursue extensive advanced training in Myofascial Release with John F. Barnes since 2003, along with continued education in Craniosacral Therapy through the Upledger Institute since 2013 and Functional Dry Needling through Kinetacore. She integrates these specialized techniques to create personalized treatment plans that support healing, restore function, and improve quality of life.
In 2008, Tonya and her business partner, Heather, founded Hands On Physical Therapy with a shared vision of providing exceptional, patient-centered care. Their practice is built on meaningful relationships, hour-long one-on-one treatment sessions, and a collaborative approach that empowers patients to reach their goals and return to the activities they love.
When she's not in the clinic, Tonya enjoys staying active through yoga, barre, pilates, and strength training. She loves spending time with family and friends and has a passion for travel, exploring new places, and experiencing different cultures.
Heather was born and raised in Fort Wayne and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Physical Therapy in 2001. She married her husband in 1999, and together they have two children. Outside of work, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and curling up with a good book.
Heather has dedicated her entire career to outpatient orthopedics, serving in a variety of clinical and leadership roles. In 2006, she earned her Manual Therapy Certification from St. Augustine University, where she developed a strong foundation in hands-on treatment techniques with an emphasis on myofascial release. In 2016, she became a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT), expanding her expertise to include complex swelling disorders and post-surgical rehabilitation.
Heather treats a wide variety of conditions, including orthopedic injuries, chronic pain, headaches and migraines, TMJ dysfunction, post-surgical recovery, lymphedema, and systemic disorders. She is passionate about looking beyond the symptoms to identify the underlying cause of dysfunction, helping patients restore balance, improve movement, and achieve lasting results.
What Heather loves most about physical therapy is solving the puzzle behind each patient's pain or limitation. She believes that every individual is unique and that successful treatment comes from understanding how the entire body works together. Her goal is to empower patients with the knowledge and tools they need to move better, feel better, and return to the activities they love. Her personal philosophy is simple: Everything happens for a reason. Stay positive, stay curious, and keep moving forward.
Each brings their own specialties and continuing education to your care.
Karen grew up near Defiance, Ohio and graduated from the University of Toledo and earned her BS in Physical Therapy from the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio in 1998. She has lived in the Fort Wayne area since graduation and has worked in a variety of settings in the Decatur, IN area during that time. Those settings have included inpatient, outpatient orthopedics, home health, and skilled rehab.
She has attended various courses in manual therapy as well as obtaining certification as a Sole Supports custom orthotic fitter. She has enjoyed expanding her treatment options through continuing education, and feels blessed to have found a profession that provides her with the opportunity to assist clients in feeling better.
Karen enjoys staying busy with her husband and three sons and all the activities they find to be involved in. She enjoys quilting, sewing, hiking, cooking, baking, and spending time at the lake in the summer.
Anika has been a licensed Physical Therapist in Europe; specifically in Berlin, Germany. She got her license in 2004. Right after PT school she got specialized in Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage (MLD) and also Craniosacral Therapy. She moved to the U.S. in 2006 to be with her husband who she met in High School when she was an exchange student in 2000.
Unfortunately, she found out that the US wouldn't accept her degree from Europe. Anika decided to go back to school in the U.S. and this time she went for her PTA license and graduated in 2019.
Anika loves to spend her free time with her husband and three children outdoors camping, hiking, fishing, and spends most of her time at the Parkview Ice House watching her two boys play hockey and enjoys seeing her daughter figure skating.
Sarah graduated in 2023 from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions as a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). During her time at RMU, she focused her clinical experience in outpatient orthopedics and manual physical therapy by attending continuing education courses on Fascial Distortion Model (FDM) with FDM Academy.
Following graduation, she was able to continue her education with CranioSacral Therapy (CST) courses with the Upledger Institute as well as Visceral Manipulation (VM) and Neural Manipulation (NM) with the Barral Institute. These areas of interest have helped to expand the integrative approach Hands On offers with treatment of the body as a whole.
Sarah is passionate about teaching her patients about their body, how it works and how it is interconnected between all its layers and tissues. She wants to make sure you feel you are back in the driver's seat of your body after treatment.
Alyssa has been a licensed physical therapist assistant since 2019 after graduating from the University of Saint Francis PTA program. She earned a BS in Exercise Science from Indiana Wesleyan University prior to her PTA degree and was blessed to compete on the Track and Field team.
Alyssa knew from a young age that she was drawn to the physical therapy field, and was able to experience the impact of manual therapy skills during her clinical rotation with HOPT in 2019. While working in a variety of settings including home health and skilled nursing facilities, Alyssa never lost the love for manual therapy. She joined the HOPT team in 2024 and continued her training with MFR and craniosacral techniques.
Alyssa was born and raised in Walton, IN. She moved to Fort Wayne in 2017 where she married her husband, Joshua, in 2019. In her free time, she enjoys reading, having board game nights with friends, and in the summer going to the lake house in Tennessee.
Our wonderful front office staff members are very friendly, and are here to assist you with any questions you may have. From scheduling to insurance inquiries, our team is ready to help make your experience as smooth as possible.
We're always looking for passionate therapists who share our commitment to hands-on healing.
View Open Positions
