Kristen, MA, SLP

Kristen integrates direct speech and language intervention with family education on the nutritional, behavioral, and sensory factors that impact communication. She thrives on collaboration with parents, educators, and multidisciplinary teams to create supportive environments where children can carry their skills confidently into everyday life.

Her experience spans a wide range of clinical and educational settings, including the School for the Deaf, public and private schools, Head Start programs, and home health. She has extensive experience supporting children with apraxia, hearing loss, expressive-receptive language disorders, fluency disorders, speech-sound disorders, oral-motor disorders, and autism spectrum disorder.

Kristen also taught a Pre-K speech and language class for 2–3-year-olds with severe and profound communication needs, providing intensive early intervention. Kristen’s commitment to supporting children is deeply personal. Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, she recognized early on that she learned differently from her peers. These experiences shaped her empathy for children who struggle and strengthened her belief that every child deserves support tailored to their unique learning style. She credits this background with helping her become a more intuitive, patient, and attuned therapist. A Raleigh, North Carolina native, Kristen discovered her passion for communication sciences through early volunteer work. She earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and spent 20 years serving in the Bradenton, Florida public school system before returning to North Carolina.

Outside of work, Kristen is an avid traveler, camper, and hiker. She and her husband—often joined by their adult children—have visited 46 U.S. National Parks and continue their quest to explore them all.