"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." - Plato
Olympia Staff
Christopher - Speech Language Pathologist and Owner
Christopher Heistand has been working in the field of speech pathology since 1997, working in a variety of settings including private practice, schools and medical (pediatric outpatient, adult inpatient and NICU). His passion remains working with the pediatric population and their families. He enjoys the vast variety of personalities and speech related challenges that he encounters. His approach to therapy is a total communication approach, customizing therapy sessions to fit the needs of each uniquely opposed child and with providing families the strategies and confidence to integrate therapy into their everyday activities. Christopher lives in the greater Olympia area with his wife and two children where they enjoy year round boating, the outdoors, traveling and family activities that are focused on eating fine cuisine.
Christina-Occupational Therapist
Christina joined the Therapeutic Beginnings team in 2023. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree from Western Washington University in 2014 and her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Governors State University in Illinois in 2021. Christina is passionate about meeting every child where they are and utilizing every child’s interest in a play-based way to expand upon skills. She is passionate about working with children and has special interests in building motor skills, resilience, and executive functioning skills. Her goal is to provide family and child-centered care. Outside of the clinic, Christina loves being outdoors, whether it’s paddleboarding, hiking, or biking, and playing games with family.
Leora-Speech Language Pathologist
Leora joined the Therapeutic Beginnings team as a Speech and Language Pathologist in 2020. She received her Bachelors in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of South Alabama and her Master's in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Montevallo. She has experience working in nursing homes, schools, and behavioral hospitals and has had training in alternative and augmentative communication (AAC.) She has always had a passion for the language development process and loves finding unique ways to help children enjoy communicating with the world around them. Leora moved to Washington in 2019 and has fallen in love with the community, weather, sights, and hiking opportunities here. She enjoys trying new things, and is currently attempting beginner-level quilting, bonsaiing, and woodworking.
Sarah-Speech Language Pathologist
Sarah Swanberg graduated from the University of Washington in 2019 and has experience in a variety of treatment clinics, autism diagnostics and home health. While she enjoys working with people of all ages, her passion lies with the pediatric population. She has special interest in outreach to older children and is looking forward to working with as many populations as she can. While she is a Washington native, she is new to the Lacey area and is enjoying spending her spare time exploring the beautiful wildlife. Her other interests include hiking, photography, baking and crafting anything she can get her hands on.
Hannah-Speech Language Pathologist
Hannah is a Speech and Language Pathologist from Orlando, Florida. She moved to Washington and joined the Therapeutic Beginnings team in 2023. She received both her Bachelor's degree and her Master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from University of Central Florida in 2019 and 2021 respectively. She has experience working with both children and adults, but has always loved working with the pediatric population. In her free time, Hannah enjoys painting, photography, and language-learning. She is ready to explore all that the PNW has to offer.
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