Meet our clinicians

Innovative, driven, and passionate about improving the lives of every patient, Maureen is a trailblazer in speech therapy, as well as the growing field of orofacial myology. Early in her career, Maureen recognized a significant need for treatment options for patients with Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD), including those that contribute to breathing, feeding, speech, and/or posture challenges. As one of the few Certified Orofacial Myologists in the Midwest, Maureen has been instrumental in paving the way in her field since 2009—spreading awareness about airway health and feeding development challenges, and successfully engaging in cross-functional collaboration with dental professionals, physicians, and school districts to improve—and in some cases save—the lives of people of all ages with these disorders.

Julie’s current caseload of diverse learners includes students with autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities. She is passionate about working collaboratively with parents and the Trestle team to give all children a functional way to communicate. Julie lives in Oak Lawn, Illinois, with her husband and three school-aged children. When not working, she makes the most of her free time, spending it with family and friends. An avid reader, Julie enjoys being part of her book club. She also likes tackling a good home DIY project and hunting down great shopping bargains.

Elizabeth is passionate about helping children with autism and other developmental disabilities. She takes a special interest in research centered around special education, which led her to be an esteemed presenter at the American Speech Hearing Association (ASHA) annual conference. She also recently completed postgraduate coursework in the areas of pediatric language disorders and spectrum disorders to further inform her practice. Elizabeth grew up and currently lives in Oak Lawn with her husband and their dog. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys reading, traveling, trying new recipes, working out, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Upon earning her bachelor’s degree in 2009, Erin took a year to cultivate her skills at a therapeutic day school within a program specialized for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. After completing her master’s studies, she continued her work with individuals on the autism spectrum in a clinic where she provided comprehensive therapy for children aged 3 to 18 alongside occupational and behavioral therapists. She also provided speech and language therapy to public school children through the second grade. Erin lives with her husband and three sons in Orland Park, Illinois. Together they enjoy cheering on the Bears from home or at the stadium. When she’s not supporting Da Bears, she’s organizing dance parties in the kitchen, playing at the park, baking, coloring, building Legos, and diving into the interests of her three boys.

Kerry has been laser-focused on providing top-notch speech, language, and swallowing services to children of all ages—and varying diagnoses and needs. She has a passion for helping children who have difficulties with feeding and swallowing, and with the development of oral-motor and language skills. Kerry lives in Evergreen Park, Illinois, with her husband and their two daughters and son. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, completing home design projects, planning and taking family vacations to Michigan, and spending as much time as possible with her friends and extended family.

Mary Kate is passionate about working with children of all ages, adults, and their families to improve their overall communication abilities. Her goal is for each patient to enjoy a better quality of life with the skills they build together. Mary Kate grew up in Evergreen Park with her parents, two older brothers, younger sister, and large extended family. She graduated from Mother of McAuley High School in 2013 and went on to Saint Louis University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In her free time, Mary Kate enjoys being outdoors, reading, cooking, playing sports, and spending time with friends and family.

Madeline is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist with a master of arts in speech pathology. As a certified early intervention provider, she is adept at catching and treating speech disorders in young children to enable proper development. Madeline has also completed specialized training in orofacial myology, which deals with oral disorders caused by atypical functionality of the tongue, lips, mouth, and face. In layman’s terms, orofacial myology disorders (OMDs) are often caused by childhood habits such as thumb-sucking, tongue thrusting, sippy-cup use, mouth breathing, and more. These can then contribute to malocclusions or misalignments in the teeth and jaw that can impact speech. Madeline also offers expertise in autism spectrum disorders, cognition, and traumatic brain injury. Madeline’s other skills and areas of expertise include rehabilitation, clinical research, healthcare management, acute care, and program development. In her free time, Madeline enjoys cooking and baking. She learned some of her favorite recipes while studying the history of Italian food in Perugia, Italy in 2011.

Shivani was born and raised in California and spent nearly a decade in the Midwest for her undergraduate and graduate training. She currently lives in Santa Monica, California, with her husband and daughter. Shivani and her husband enjoy traveling to new countries, especially Italy. Her favorite way to experience the culture is to walk the streets, eat at hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and find the best coffee! In addition to traveling, she loves spending time with friends and family, working out, and rooting for the Cubs.

Jill has practiced in both school settings and private clinics, working with children ranging in age from birth to 18 years old. After joining the Trestle team, Jill quickly found that orofacial myology was the piece she had been missing in her skill set. Really homing in on the muscles and structure has made a huge difference in her therapy and in the progress for her patients. She has developed a strong passion for integrating breathing techniques as it impacts every facet of our lives. Jill lives in Chicago with her husband and two kids. When not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, practicing lettering, and going to the movies.

Deanna earned a master of health sciences in communication disorders from Governors State University, where she was awarded the South Cook County Speech Hearing & Language Association Scholarship for her academic and clinical excellence. With exceptional leadership abilities and a commitment to the field of speech-language pathology, Deanna is an emerging expert in speech disorders in children. Deanna’s expertise includes autism spectrum disorder, apraxia, cerebral palsy, chromosomal disorders, dysarthria, dysphagia, feeding aversions, sensory processing disorder, fluency, and articulation/phonological disorders. She is also well versed in helping children with Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Deanna currently lives in Oak Lawn and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, volunteering, traveling, working out, and shopping.

Linda is motivated by her belief that every person has a voice within them and has something important to say. She’s made a career putting this belief into practice. Linda spent 11 years working as a speech-language pathologist at Elim Christian Services in Crestwood, Illinois, where she used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) strategies to improve the communication skills of students with cognitive disabilities. Linda has also worked in private practice, providing comprehensive assessments and remediation for communication disorders for children and adults. Since 2017, Linda has been an adjunct professor at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. In her Speech Science course, Linda teaches educators how to implement AAC strategies when working with 18- to 22-year-old students with significant disabilities. Linda lives on the southside of Chicago and enjoys spending time with her family and pets.

Sara’s passion for all things speech and language has been evident since she joined Trestle Therapy Group in 2022. She loves collaborating with the team to find the right therapeutic solution for each patient. Sara is a graduate of Saint Xavier University, where she earned both her bachelor and master’s degrees. In her free time, Sara enjoys cooking, being outdoors, and spending time with her friends and large family in the Chicagoland area.

Innovative, driven, and passionate about improving the lives of every patient, Maureen is a trailblazer in speech therapy, as well as the growing field of orofacial myology. Early in her career, Maureen recognized a significant need for treatment options for patients with Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD), including those that contribute to breathing, feeding, speech, and/or posture challenges. As one of the few Certified Orofacial Myologists in the Midwest, Maureen has been instrumental in paving the way in her field since 2009—spreading awareness about airway health and feeding development challenges, and successfully engaging in cross-functional collaboration with dental professionals, physicians, and school districts to improve—and in some cases save—the lives of people of all ages with these disorders.

Kerry has been laser-focused on providing top-notch speech, language, and swallowing services to children of all ages—and varying diagnoses and needs. She has a passion for helping children who have difficulties with feeding and swallowing, and with the development of oral-motor and language skills. Kerry lives in Evergreen Park, Illinois, with her husband and their two daughters and son. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, completing home design projects, planning and taking family vacations to Michigan, and spending as much time as possible with her friends and extended family.

Upon earning her bachelor’s degree in 2009, Erin took a year to cultivate her skills at a therapeutic day school within a program specialized for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. After completing her master’s studies, she continued her work with individuals on the autism spectrum in a clinic where she provided comprehensive therapy for children aged 3 to 18 alongside occupational and behavioral therapists. She also provided speech and language therapy to public school children through the second grade. Erin lives with her husband and three sons in Orland Park, Illinois. Together they enjoy cheering on the Bears from home or at the stadium. When she’s not supporting Da Bears, she’s organizing dance parties in the kitchen, playing at the park, baking, coloring, building Legos, and diving into the interests of her three boys.

Madeline is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist with a master of arts in speech pathology. As a certified early intervention provider, she is adept at catching and treating speech disorders in young children to enable proper development. Madeline has also completed specialized training in orofacial myology, which deals with oral disorders caused by atypical functionality of the tongue, lips, mouth, and face. In layman’s terms, orofacial myology disorders (OMDs) are often caused by childhood habits such as thumb-sucking, tongue thrusting, sippy-cup use, mouth breathing, and more. These can then contribute to malocclusions or misalignments in the teeth and jaw that can impact speech. Madeline also offers expertise in autism spectrum disorders, cognition, and traumatic brain injury. Madeline’s other skills and areas of expertise include rehabilitation, clinical research, healthcare management, acute care, and program development. In her free time, Madeline enjoys cooking and baking. She learned some of her favorite recipes while studying the history of Italian food in Perugia, Italy in 2011.

Jill has practiced in both school settings and private clinics, working with children ranging in age from birth to 18 years old. After joining the Trestle team, Jill quickly found that orofacial myology was the piece she had been missing in her skill set. Really homing in on the muscles and structure has made a huge difference in her therapy and in the progress for her patients. She has developed a strong passion for integrating breathing techniques as it impacts every facet of our lives. Jill lives in Chicago with her husband and two kids. When not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors, practicing lettering, and going to the movies.

Deanna earned a master of health sciences in communication disorders from Governors State University, where she was awarded the South Cook County Speech Hearing & Language Association Scholarship for her academic and clinical excellence. With exceptional leadership abilities and a commitment to the field of speech-language pathology, Deanna is an emerging expert in speech disorders in children. Deanna’s expertise includes autism spectrum disorder, apraxia, cerebral palsy, chromosomal disorders, dysarthria, dysphagia, feeding aversions, sensory processing disorder, fluency, and articulation/phonological disorders. She is also well versed in helping children with Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Deanna currently lives in Oak Lawn and enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, volunteering, traveling, working out, and shopping.

Kayla provides physical therapy services in the pediatric setting and has experience with a wide variety of cases. She loves working with kids and has found her true passion in this field. Helping children achieve milestones that seemed far in the distance is what she strives for in her career. Kayla grew up in Joliet, Illinois, and currently lives in Naperville. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog and being active outdoors.

Denise works with clinic patients and families to support them in getting the important care they need. She offers extensive knowledge of health insurance with more than 10 years of experience managing insurance and billing for Trestle. Denise has a strong background of advocating for young children having been a member of the first preschool education teaching team at St. Michael School in Orland Park when the program launched in 2009. She loves working with young children and their families to support optimal growth and success for each child. She is also the mother of four sons and leverages that experience in helping the children in our practice. In her free time, Denise is quite active. Two of her sons are graduates of the University of Alabama and her youngest son is a current student, so she loves cheering on all of the Alabama Crimson Tide teams, but especially their championship football team! Denise loves spending time with her family, which includes two fantastic dogs, Riley and Sully. Her creative hobby is interior design and home decor.

The role of Client Care Coordinator is perfectly suited for Lisa, whose attention to detail and kind-heartedness are appreciated by both clients and coworkers. When not working, Lisa likes to spend as much time as possible with family. She and her husband have three daughters and a dog named Charlie who loves to sun himself all day long. Every Sunday, Lisa’s parents join them for family dinner, and Lisa loves having three generations around the table. She considers it one of her greatest blessings. She also enjoys traveling with her extended family, and every other year they take a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It’s a treasured family tradition that began back in 2009.