Dr. Diana Schonhoff PT, DPT, AASOT has been a licensed physical therapist since 1979. She received an Associate in Applied Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 1975, a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in 1979. She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Boston University in September 2007
Dr. Diana Castro Schonhoff, PT, DPT travelled the world as an Air Force brat, living in Ankara Turkey, Laredo Texas, Paris France, Universal City Texas, Ramstein Germany, Knob Noster Missouri, San Antonio Texas and New Braunfels Texas. She graduated from Samuel Clemens High School with a Distinguished Achievement award in Vocational Office Education. She worked for Dr. Robert Henslee, a local dentist initially as an office clerk, progressing to a dental assistant which helped pay for college.
When her mother reported seeing a physical therapist work with a little girl who could not walk, Dr. Schonhoff, who rescues every animal she can, heard about physical therapy, she was hooked! She began college at San Antonio College two weeks out of high school. She applied at St Philips College physical therapy program which was full so she chose the occupational therapy program instead. She graduated Phi Theta Kappa, moved to Galveston Texas to work at Jennie Sealy Hospital and began her course work at Galveston Community College. Meanwhile, Goodwill Rehabilitation Services in San Antonio Texas offered her a job helping people regain work skills, with paid college tuition towards her Physical Therapy degree. She moved back to San Antonio to help Goodwill Rehabilitation Services and fulfill her course work required for the PT program. She was accepted into the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Physical Therapy and the University of Texas program. She chose UTMB, graduated and moved back to San Antonio. Lutheran General Hospital needed a Physical Therapist or would need to shut off its services. Dr. Schonhoff left her first job at Metropolitan Hospital to help. She then moved to Northeast Baptist Hospital as their Director, while seeing home health patients in their homes after work and helping a rheumatologist care for his patients in his office. When downtown Baptist Medical Center’s Director retired, Dr Schonhoff accepted the position to rehab the department. It became the Physical Rehab Department, adding occupational, speech and massage therapies to all the Baptist hospitals. When Northeast Baptist Hospital needed her back to open an Out Patient clinic merger with Warm Springs Hospital, Dr. Schonhoff returned to Northeast. She also developed the newly built North Central Baptist Physical Rehab Department when Baptist asked for her help. She left Baptist after 15 years to work in Medshares Home Health Company, helping them grow their Rehab Services all over State of Texas.
While driving by after seeing a patient in Bracken, the current clinic site kept drawing Dr Schonhoff. Garden Ridge Physical Therapy lease papers were signed in December 1997 and incorporated in May 1998, when the building was completed. The school bus dropped the three Schonhoff sons, Rob, Derek and Ryan, off at the clinic after school. The clinic has provided physical therapy services to the local community of Garden Ridge, as well as Schertz, Cibolo, Marion, New Braunfels, Universal City, Converse, San Antonio, St Hedwig, Lavernia, Gonzales, Marble Falls, Austin, Yokum, Corpus Christi, Houston and many others. It has also been a teaching site for students across the United States. She added her transitional Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Boston University in 2007 to improve her clinical skills, enriching her patients. Patients are treated in the clinic and at home when needed.
Twenty-three years later, the Garden Ridge Physical Therapy clinic continues to provide exceptional physical therapy services with experienced, compassionate, high-quality care. Deemed an essential business during COVID, it stayed open to serve. Dr. Schonhoff’s passion for physical therapy is as strong as ever. Aside from the orthopedic, neurology, cardiopulmonary, rheumatology patients, Dr Schonhoff adds Hippotherapy (physical therapy on horseback which she learned from her Galveston PT professor and a physical therapist from Germany), vestibular/vertigo/dizziness/loss of balance, facial paralysis, pelvic floor (women and men), myofascial release, mechanical movement, Dry Needling, developmental delay, sports injuries and many others to her field of expertise, learning from the best in the physical therapy field. She treats all patients, from newborn to geriatric as if they were her own beloved family members. Patients are not just a number.
Dr Schonhoff donated from the beginning of the clinic’s opening, to the Garden Ridge Lions Club. She then joined in 12/12/2012 with her oldest son Rob, the first mother/son in the Garden Ridge Club. She is also a member of the Garden Ridge Women’s Club, having served on the Board. She has served on her local Texas Physical Therapy Association Chapter Board as Treasurer, Governmental Affairs Liason, and Job Placement Chair, her local Community Association Board as President, Vice President and Treasurer, and The Circle T/Saddlelight Center Board as President. She loves to serve others!
Garden Ridge Physical Therapy & Wellness Center is proud of the community it serves, both civilian and military. Patients often get the benefit of several treatments at the same time which work in synergy to obtain a patients’ goals with increased beneficial outcomes. Garden Ridge Physical Therapy & Wellness Center serves with finesse, passion and expertise like no other.
