Carla Crockett, MS, OTR/L, CASDCS - Founder & Occupational Therapist
Hi, I’m Carla (she/her). I founded Empowering the Best and support infants, children, teens, adults, and families across in-person, mobile, and virtual settings throughout Northern Michigan. My work is grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-aware care, sensory science, and real-life function, helping people build skills, confidence, and routines that support meaningful participation at home, school, work, and in the community.
I bring advanced training in neurological and functional vision rehabilitation, sensory processing, interoception, co-regulation, feeding support, pediatric pelvic health, and upper extremity rehabilitation. I believe healing and growth happen when people feel seen, supported, and understood in environments that honor their nervous system, strengths, and lived experience.
I have led program development across pediatric outpatient, feeding, and neuro-vision services, and I have supported client access and clinic growth through grant writing and resource development. I also enjoy teaching and presenting on practical tools that clinicians and families can use in real life.
Empowering the Best is expanding into an interdisciplinary collective of therapists and community professionals aligned with whole-person care.
Focused Expertise & Professional Involvement
-Whole-person OT support across the lifespan (infants through adults)
-Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS)
-Pediatric feeding and mealtime support
-Feeding Fundamentals: Certified SOFFI Professional (medically complex infants)
-Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention
-Mealtime Miseries: Management of Complex Feeding Issues
-Pediatric pelvic health and advanced toilet training
-Pediatric pelvic health and advanced toilet training (Functional Pelvis & MedBridge trainings)
-Sensory processing, interoception, and nervous system regulation
-Sensory Strategies: Sanity Restoration for Family Life
-Therapeutic Art Interventions for Challenging Children (meltdown/shutdown support)
-Pediatric Astronaut Training: Sound Activated Vestibular-Visual Protocol
-Brain Rules for Pediatric Treatment: Neuroscience Meets Evidence-Based Practice
-Co-regulation, routines, and executive functioning support
-Neurological and orthopedic rehabilitation (Saebo certification; upper extremity orthotics training)
-Splinting Simplified and Upper Extremity Orthotics (Johns Hopkins)
-Functional vision support across the lifespan
-Collaborative team-based approach with families, educators, and providers
-Custom home programs to support skill generalization and carryover into daily routines
-Functional communication support (PODD certification)
-Whole-person outpatient services and statewide virtual
-Northern Michigan Occupational Therapy Community of Practice (organizer)
-Brain Injury Association of Michigan (membership)
-Published research in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at state and regional conferences
-Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (Executive Board membership)
-Petoskey-Harbor Springs Community Foundation (Grant Distribution Committee membership)
My Philosophy
I partner with clients, families, educators, and providers to create practical strategies that fit real life. My approach supports regulation, skill-building, and independence through strengths-based care, nervous system support, and routines that are sustainable beyond the therapy session.
Ashley Myers, MA, CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologist
Hi, I’m Ashley (she/her). I spent the first 13 years of my career as a Speech-Language Pathologist contracting with private practices, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies throughout mid-northern Michigan. Those years gave me invaluable hands-on experience across a wide range of communication needs, ages, and settings, while shaping both my clinical expertise and my deep respect for the resilience and individuality of every person I serve.
I am nationally certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and professionally licensed by the state of Michigan. My work supports clients across the lifespan with a focus on meaningful communication, confidence, and functional skills that carry over into real life at home, school, work, and community environments.
In May 2025, I returned to Petoskey, where my academic and professional journey began, allowing me to be closer to family while continuing to do the work I’m passionate about. I’m grateful to support clients and families through flexible care options, including in-person and virtual services.
Focused Expertise & Professional Involvement
-Autism Spectrum Disorders and pediatric speech/language delays
-Articulation and motor speech disorders (including apraxia and lisps)
-Dyslexia and literacy skills support
-Dysphagia and pediatric feeding disorders (including sensory-based protocols)
-Aphasia and cognitive-communication disorders (memory, attention, executive function)
-Stuttering and fluency support
Voice disorders
-Accent modification and gender-affirming voice support
-AAC support (including Tobii eye-gaze technology) and PECS
-TBI support and caregiver education
My Philosophy
I believe communication is more than words, it’s connection, confidence, and being understood. I partner with clients and families to create practical, individualized strategies that support daily function and meaningful participation. My approach is strengths-based, supportive, and rooted in helping each person feel capable, empowered, and heard.
Amanda Goyings – Interventionalist & Learning Support
Hi, I’m Amanda (she/her). I’m an educator, instructional coach, and lifelong learner with nearly two decades of experience supporting teachers and students across a wide range of learning needs. Over the past 18 years, I’ve had the privilege of coaching more than 100 teaching professionals and working directly with over 450 students. I love building strong relationships with educators, students, and families because meaningful learning starts with trust, connection, and feeling supported.
I specialize in supporting the 1–5% of learners who benefit from intensified instruction through small group or one-on-one support. My work focuses on meeting students where they are, strengthening foundational academic skills, and designing targeted interventions that promote long-term growth and confidence.
I bring a strong background in literacy, math, behavior, assessment systems, intervention planning, and instructional coaching. I hold a Michigan Professional Teaching Certificate with endorsements in Elementary Education (K–5) and Early Childhood (PreK–K), along with specialized training in structured literacy and math intervention. I’m passionate about evidence-based instruction and always eager to reflect, collaborate, and grow so I can better support every learner.
Focused Expertise & Professional Involvement
-Literacy and structured reading support (LETRS, Orton-Gillingham, UFLI, Heggerty, Corrective Reading, REWARDS)
-Phonics-based intervention and foundational skill building (Phonics Fundamentals, Phonics for Reading)
-Writing support and composition development (John Collins Writing)
-Math intervention and recovery-based instruction (Add+Vantage Math Recovery®, Math Recovery, Connecting Math Concepts, CAMS & STAMS)
-Assessment and data-based decision making (Acadience Learning, NWEA, FastBridge)
-Behavior support, SEL, and classroom systems (CHAMPS, Love and Logic, Zones of Regulation)
-Instructional leadership and coaching (Adaptive Schools, Cognitive Coaching)
My Philosophy
I believe educational equity is achieved through strong partnerships, thoughtful instruction, and an unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of every learner. I collaborate closely with both educators and families to create supportive, inclusive learning environments where students feel seen, valued, and challenged. By combining evidence-based teaching with meaningful relationships, I work to remove barriers to learning and help students build the skills they need to grow with confidence.
Jenny Stadtmiller – Respite Caregiver Support Provider
Hi, I’m Jenny. I provide respite and caregiver support services for individuals across the lifespan, including infants through older adults. I offer direct supervision and practical, day-to-day support that helps families feel safe, supported, and less overwhelmed as they move through routines, transitions, and daily demands.
I have experience supporting medically complex children and adults, and I approach each individual with patience, compassion, and a steady, strengths-based mindset. My role is to bring calm, consistent care while helping families build structure and follow-through that fits real life.
Jenny partners closely with our team and can collaborate with therapists and interventionalist support providers to strengthen carryover and generalization of skills into daily life. If you or your loved one has a home program, routines, or study plan that feels hard to remember, manage, or complete independently, our team can develop a skilled, individualized plan that can be carried out with support, so you’re not doing it all solo.
Focused Support
-Respite support and direct supervision (infants through older adults)
-Caregiver support and family-centered routines
-Medically complex child and adult support experience
-Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), including cooking and meal preparation
-Home resets and daily structure support
-Community-based support, including shopping and transportation in a standard vehicle
-Custom, practical support curated to meet your family’s needs
My Philosophy
I believe the best support is steady, practical, and built on trust. I partner with families to provide safe, respectful care that supports daily function, confidence, and meaningful participation, while honoring each person’s strengths and needs.
Admin Team – Client Care & Operations Support
Our Admin Team provides behind-the-scenes support that helps Empowering the Best run smoothly, efficiently, and with excellent client care. As a collaborative duo, they work together to support our therapists, providers, and families with clear communication, organization, and consistent follow-through.
They offer clerical support and billing assistance to help streamline scheduling, paperwork, payments, and day-to-day coordination. Their goal is to create a seamless experience for clients and caregivers so families feel supported, informed, and cared for from the very first point of contact.
We value customer service that feels human, responsive, and respectful, and our Admin Team plays a key role in helping our practice deliver dependable support across every step of the process.
Focused Support
-Client communication and customer service coordination
-Billing support and payment support assistance
-Scheduling and clerical organization
-Paperwork support and documentation coordination
-Intake and onboarding support for new clients and families
-Internal team coordination to support smooth care delivery
Our Philosophy
We believe strong support systems matter. Our Admin Team helps create a reliable, organized experience for families and providers by making communication easier, processes clearer, and day-to-day logistics more manageable.