Jessica Ravineala, MS, OTRL, is an occupational therapist and co-owner of The Therapy SPOT. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, after studying psychology, human development, and art at Central Michigan University. She has experience treating autistic children/young adults, children who have sensory processing and regulation issues, feeding and oral motor difficulties, visual processing and perceptual issues, as well as other physical and neurological impairments. She also has experience working with children who struggle with anxiety and mood disorders. Her continuing education has focused on a variety of areas, including visual development and perceptual skills, the vestibular system, neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT), Therapeutic Listening, Myofascial Release, Visceral Manipulation, feeding & oral motor, Social Thinking strategies, DIR/Floortime, the Collaborative Proactive Solutions model (CPS) and responsive parenting. She is passionate about following a child’s interests and learning neurodivergent affirming approaches. Her favorite part about working with kids is being able to affect the entire family’s ability to function by helping children overcome their challenges and realize their potential. When she’s not working, Jessica’s hobbies include traveling and spending time with her family.
To contact Jessica, call our office or email her at jessica@therapyspotmi.com
Paula Gomoluch, MA, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and co-owner of The Therapy SPOT. Paula has over 20 years of experience with children and adults in the hospital, outpatient clinic, rehabilitative and private practice setting. Paula has experience in developing and running both special need preschool programs and summer speech groups. Paula developed and implemented preschool speech screenings provided to area preschools. She works with therapeutic listening, DIR/Floortime, feeding issues and sensory diets. Paula is proficient in Boardmaker software, PECS, and iPad applications such as ProLoQuo2Go. She holds a Michigan State license and is ASHA certified.
To contact Paula, call our office or email her at paula@therapyspotmi.com
Anya Rowe, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech language pathologist who received her Bachelor of Applied Arts from Central Michigan University and went on to complete her Master of Science at Illinois State University. Since beginning her career, Anya has worked in both the schools and in the pediatric outpatient settings. Anya has experience working with the birth to 27 year old population, with an emphasis on early childhood and elementary aged children. Anya has experience working with a wide range of diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Apraxia, Articulation Disorders, Expressive and Receptive Language Delays, Emotional Impairments, Cognitive Impairments, and Developmental Delays. Anya especially enjoys working with the early childhood population utilizing play-based therapy techniques to help children and families reach their language goals. In her free time, Anya enjoys spending time outside, hiking, camping, and hanging out with friends and family.
To contact Anya, call our office or email her at anya@therapyspotmi.com
Stefanie Mitchell, MSOT, OTR/L is an occupational therapist who joined the Therapy Spot team in January of 2018. She graduated from the University of Michigan with her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Spanish, and then completed Grand Valley State University’s Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy program. Stefanie completed 12 weeks of pediatric training at The Therapy Spot from January to March of 2016. She currently works at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan on the spinal cord injury inpatient unit in addition to the Therapy Spot. Stefanie has always had a passion for working with children, especially in the outpatient setting where the family can be incorporated into treatment.
To contact Stefanie, call our office or email her at stefanie@therapyspotmi.com
Bianca Aakesson, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist who received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Grand Valley State University. Bianca has experience working with pediatric patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings and is currently working at DMC Children's Hospital in addition to The Therapy Spot. She has completed training and has experience using Beckman's Oral Motor Protocol, infant feeding, and LSVT BIG. Bianca's clinical interests include feeding therapy and oral motor skills, vision therapy, sensory integration and reflex integration. Outside of occupational therapy, Bianca enjoys spending time with her family, staying physically active and traveling!
To contact Bianca, call our office or email her at bianca@therapyspotmi.com
Jaimie Durden, MS, OTRL, is an occupational therapist, who joined the Therapy Spot team in March 2019. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, after psychology and Spanish from the university. Jaimie has experience treating children and young adults with various diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorders, sensory processing dysfunction, feeding difficulties, fine motor delay, anxiety, and mood disorders. Her continuing education includes DIR/Floortime, Social Thinking Curriculum, and Trauma and Feeding. Jaimie loves working with children and collaborating with their families to create the just right challenge in order to promote growth and success in their environment.
To contact Jaimie, call our office or email her at jaimie@therapyspotmi.com
Andrea House, MA, CCC-SLP completed her education at Western Michigan University and has been working as a Speech-Language Pathologist with the pediatric population for over 15 years in both individual and group sessions, including collaborative groups, social skills groups, and teaching a speech and language based preschool. She has received specialized training in the DIR/Floortime approach for working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She also has experience in addressing sensory processing needs during therapy, using visual supports, treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech, and the SOS Feeding Approach. She truly enjoys working with children and helping their families find successful tools and activities to use at home. When not at work, Andrea enjoys spending time with her husband and two young boys.
To contact Andrea, call our office or email her at andrea@therapyspotmi.com
Janel Davis-Heitzmann, MPT graduated in 2003 with a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Oakland University. She has worked primarily with young children in the outpatient setting, treating everything from sports injuries to balance/coordination difficulties. She loves helping infants and toddlers meet their gross motor milestones and coaching parents so they can carry on with therapy at home. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and holds two kinesiology taping certificates. Janel’s continuing education courses have been extensive and include the latest techniques in pediatric yoga, pilates, torticollis treatment, DIR/Floortime, autism, orthotics/DAFOs, and early intervention. When she’s not working as a physical therapist, she can be found cheering on her twin boys at their activities or out running in preparation for her next distance race.
To contact Janel, call our office or email her at janel@therapyspotmi.com
Julianne Martin, MS, SLP, joined The Therapy SPOT to complete her clinical fellowship in 2019. Julianne graduated with her Master’s degree from Bowling Green State University after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University. She has experience working with pediatric and adult populations in a variety of settings including clinics, schools, summer camp, outpatient rehabilitation, individual therapy, and group therapy. Julianne enjoys working with children and their families to achieve their communication and language goals. When she is not working, Julianne enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, walking her dog and spending time with her family and friends.
To contact Julianne, call our office or email her at julianne@therapyspotmi.com
Tori Bakewell, MA, SLP, is a speech-language pathologist at the Therapy Spot. She graduated with both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Eastern Michigan University specializing in communication sciences and disorders. She has experience in the school setting as well as the private clinic setting. She has worked with children with Autism, developmental disabilities, cognitive impairments, and emotional impairments. She also has a special interest in equine-assisted therapy. She often volunteers and helps those with special needs learn to ride horses! In her free time, she enjoys relaxing with her dog Enzo, spending time with her family, and traveling!
To contact Tori, call our office or email her at tori@therapyspotm.com
Christina Yaldo, MSOT, OTRL, CTRS is an occupational therapist who graduated with her Master’s of Science degree from Grand Valley State University. She is also a Certified Recreational Therapist who graduated with her Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University. Christina completed her Level II Fieldwork at the Therapy Spot. She is a creative therapist who enjoys coming up with new ways to help children and their families achieve their goals while incorporating activities that are meaningful to the child. Christina has experience working with children with Autism, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Fragile X Syndrome, Fetal alcohol syndrome, Down Syndrome, Anxiety and regulation difficulties. She has certifications in Handwriting Without Tears (HWT) and DIR/Floortime. She enjoys collaborating with the other disciplines to be able to provide the best carryover and success for the child. Christina enjoys spending time with her family, reading her bible, crafts, painting, dancing and singing.
To contact Christina, call our office or email her at christina@therapyspotmi.com
Amy Lazar, B.A., COTA/L completed her education at Macomb Community College and Oakland University. She holds an associate degree in Occupational Therapy and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She has also completed extensive training through the Optometric Extension Program's Vision Therapy Institute. She has worked in the outpatient pediatric setting for over 25 years, providing vision therapy since 1994 and occupational therapy since 2010. Amy's continued education has included Beckman Oral Motor Treatment, Universal Exercise Unit, Assessment and Treatment of the Baby via NDT, Interventions for Challenging Behavior, Interactive Metronome, Animal Assisted Interventions, Handwriting Without Tears, Kinesio Taping, Self Regulation and many more. Her favorite part about working with children is seeing the look of pride on their faces when they are able to achieve their goals, no matter how big or small. Amy has recently completed the Master Gardener course through MSU Extension Program and enjoys gardening at home as well as through volunteer work. In her free time, she also enjoys reading, cooking, kayaking, playing the piano, sailing and yoga.
To contact Amy, call our office or email her at amy@therapyspotmi.com
Taylor Naumann, MS, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist who received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Wayne State University in 2019. Taylor has experience working with children and adults in various settings but has always had a passion for working with pediatrics in the outpatient setting, using sensory and play-based therapy approaches. Taylor admires the work of Jean Ayre’s and her development of Ayre’s Sensory Integration, as well as Stanley Greenspan's DIRFloortime approach. Taylor has experience working with children with a variety of diagnoses’ including autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, auditory processing disorder, ADHD, and SPD. In the past year, her continuing education has focused on sensory integration, regulation and behavior, DIRFloortime, vision, oral motor development, and SOS feeding. She also became certified in Therapeutic Listening and Astronaut Training. Outside of work, Taylor loves reading in her hammock, working out, playing with her two golden retrievers, and spending time with her nephew.
To contact Taylor, call our office or email her at taylor@therapyspotm.com
Muhiba Mehmedovic, MA, SLP , graduated from Central Michigan University with a Master of Arts in Speech Language Pathology. She is passionate about providing neurodiversity affirming therapy and has interests in augmentative and alternative communication and echolalia. Muhiba loves to work through a child-led and family-based approach. Her favorite part about being an SLP is watching children gain confidence and find their voice! Outside of being an SLP, she enjoys hiking, drinking lattes and spending time with her husband and their two cats.
To contact Muhiba, call our office or email her at muhiba@therapyspotmi.com
Danielle Lacanaria, CF-SLP , joined the Therapy SPOT team in February 2021 to complete her Clinical Fellowship. She graduated from New York University with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, after receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Wayne State University. She has experience working with children of all ages across a vast range of diagnoses in both elementary school and outpatient settings. She enjoys incorporating her client’s interests into therapy to make for a fun, motivating session where their acquired skills can be generalized to the home and school environments.
To contact Danielle, call our office or email her at danielle@therapyspotmi.com
Rachel Wills, MS, OTRL , graduated from Indiana University Northwest in 2010 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. She obtained her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2012. She is licensed in the state of Michigan and nationally registered. Rachel joined The Therapy SPOT in 2021 after working in the adult inpatient setting for nine years. After having three children and realizing her desire to work with kids, Rachel took continuing education courses in early childhood development, reflex integration, visual processing, and sensory integration over the course of a few years in order to transition her career to pediatrics. She found a deep appreciation for the therapeutic opportunities in the pediatric outpatient setting and the variety of kiddos who participate in the therapy. Drawing from previous work experience, pediatric coursework, and personal experience raising children, Rachel meets each child wherever they are in their individual journey and travels alongside them and their families. When not at work Rachel spends time with her family and friends, watches Badger sports, and spends time outside.
To contact Rachel, call our office or email her at rachel@therapyspotmi.com
Jenn Rhein, MS, OTRL , is an occupational therapist who graduated with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2011 after receiving an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Michigan. She spent the first 6 years of her career providing Early Intervention services in the Chicagoland area and working in both clinic and therapeutic day school settings. After relocating to the Detroit area, Jenn worked for several years in a community mental health setting. In this role, she had the opportunity to combine her passion for working directly with families in their natural environment with her interest in psychology and gained a wealth of knowledge of trauma-informed practice. Jenn is committed to building strong relationships with her clients and providing creative intervention focused on the areas of occupation that matter most to each individual family.
To contact Jenn, call our office or email her at jenn@therapyspotmi.com
