About Us

Frances (Speech and Language Therapist) Frances has been in the field of speech-language pathology for almost 10 years. She was born and raised in California, but moved to Washington with her husband and step-daughter. She started out as a speech-language pathologist assistant (SLPA), where she developed her therapeutic and interpersonal skills, and then got her licensed to become a speech-language pathologist (SLP). When she became an SLP, she had the opportunity to work with a variety of populations and different diagnoses; but her passion is to work with children and their families. She chose to work with the pediatric population for multiple reasons; one of the reasons being to improve current communication habits and shape new ones, that enables functional and purposeful language. Giving the child and their parents the tools and strategies that minimizes communication break downs and maximizes effective speech. Hearing and seeing parents being able to converse with their child without getting frustrated is such a rewarding feeling and knowing she was one of the reasons a child is better able to communicate gives her so much joy.

Kaara (Speech and Language Therapist) believes every child is unique and has their own strengths and needs. She enjoys getting to know each child’s personality and discovering how to help him or her develop new skills. Sometimes gains can be small or slow, but that does not make them any less meaningful. It is one of her greatest joys to make lasting changes in the lives of children and their families. Her goal is to create therapy activities that are both natural and rewarding and she has found movement and play to be powerful therapy tools that enhance learning and help new skills develop across environments and situations – you are more likely to find her on a swing or kicking a soccer ball than sitting at a desk. Kaara’s love for data and research drives her to implement evidence-based practices and research-driven therapy tools in creative and motivating ways from Karaoke to cooking classes. She works closely with therapists from other disciplines and find it essential to collaborate with other medical professionals, teachers, and families to develop holistic treatment plans.  Kaara’s special interests are Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders, Oral-Motor Speech Disorders, and Alternative-Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems.

Jenifer (Occupational Therapist) is a native of the pacific northwest and completed her undergraduate studies in biology and graduate studies rehabilitative medicine at the University of Washington in 2007. She has a keen interest in physiology, wanting to comprehend the underlying forces that put our bodies at ease or into disease. Her attraction to occupational therapy is the holistic view of a person; the focus on a variety of  aspects that impact a persons’ well being as well as the elemental physical processes. This fabulous confluence of of the very small within the big picture is one of the reasons that occupational therapy is such a powerful tool. The opportunity to work with children is valuable; the chance to assist in shaping young lives, to intervene early, is precious to her. Often a small adjustment early on ones path has a profound impact down the line. Jenifer truly enjoys working with kids from the wee baby to the teenager, she finds this work fulfilling and really fun!

Rebekah (Occupational Therapist) received her master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in May of 2017 (BOOMER SOONER).  She has experience working with the geriatric population in the home health setting and children of various ages and their families in an outpatient clinical setting.  Rebekah moved to Washington in the summer of 2019 for a change of scenery from the Midwest and to continue her passion of working with children.  This passion flourishes from the philosophy that pediatric occupational therapy focuses on supporting each child to reach their full potential by providing strategies, building on their strengths, and collaborating with the family and other professionals involved in the child’s life. Rebekah has a gentle, fun-loving, and enthusiastic personality that keeps children engaged and motivated to work on the skills they need to succeed in everyday life.  Rebekah loves using a playful, creative, and multi-sensory approach to help children thrive!

Emily (Occupational Therapist) moved to Washington in March, 2019 and enjoys hiking, reading, soccer, and most outdoor activities. Like most kids, Emily also enjoy games and play.  Emily’s hope is for kids to have fun with play and feel more successful in their play through developing the motor, cognitive, and/or sensory processing skills, necessary to become more independent. Her hope is also for kids to feel successful and confident at home, school, and in relationships with family and friends. She loves to continually learn, whether it be related to therapy or the many documentaries she watches about Planet Earth and animals.

Jamie (Occupational Therapy Assistant) become interested in occupational therapy early on in high school and pursued this career knowing her passion was to work in a pediatric setting. She is thankful to have been introduced to occupational therapy and strives to support children in reaching their potential everyday. She works with children to build on their strengths and provide them and their families with therapeutic strategies to implement in their everyday life. Jamie strives to engage children in activities that are meaningful to them and their families, she truly values the work she does to support a child’s development. Jamie loves spending time with her own family when not at work and having a child of her own know the importance of family.

Patti (Administrative Assistant) attended Walla Walla Community College and completed an Associate’s Degree in Office Administration specializing in Medical/ Clinical Administration. Patti has experience working in managerial office environments for both non-profit and for profit organizations. Patti has a passion for working with families and spent 19 years at Boyer Children’s Clinic, she was excited to bring her experience to Kids at Play Therapy which is closer to home. Patti’s organizational skills facilitate assist families in getting established with therapy services and navigating insurance. Patti strives to make sure families are able to access therapy services for their children. When not at work Patti enjoys spending time with her family.