Hi, I’m Carla (she/her). I am an occupational therapist and founder of Empowering the Best, LLC. I have over 15 years of experience supporting children, teens, adults, and families through therapy, coaching, and educational programs. Over the past decade, I have led a regional occupational therapy networking group, spoken at state-level and Midwestern professional conferences, delivered continuing education programs for therapists and educators, and provided community-based education in collaboration with teams of professionals. I have served as a clinical educator for graduate-level students for more than 10 years. I have also authored a peer-reviewed publication and appeared as a guest on a professional podcast, both experiences strengthened my commitment to bridging evidence and practical application.

My work blends neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and team-based approaches to support participation, communication, routines, and learning. I combine professional expertise with a nature-based, growth-focused philosophy, guiding clients to grow through what they go through. I believe context matters, and we need support to heal and then generalize skills to our everyday lives.

I bring advanced training in areas shared below and across multiple clinical domains. 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 practical tools that clinicians, families, and community partners can use in real life while collaborating with a diverse range of providers and professionals.

Empowering the Best is expanding into an interdisciplinary collective of therapists and community professionals aligned with whole-person care. In addition to my clinical work, I have been actively involved in community partnerships for over a decade, including hosting collaborative events, volunteering with the Great Start Collaborative, serving on the City of Petoskey Tax Increment Finance Authority Committee, and supporting the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Community Foundation Grant Distribution Committee.

Why Empowering the Best? I believe excellent care should be accessible, supportive, and designed to foster growth without creating stress or overwhelm for clients, families, or providers. At Empowering the Best, we focus on creating a healthy, respectful, and nurturing environment where people can heal, build skills, and thrive in their everyday lives.

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)

Payment & Reimbursement

Carla is currently able to accept:

• LTBB

• Straight Medicaid

• Molina Marketplace

• Auto No-Fault

• Workers’ Compensation

• Private Pay

Insurance Options Pending

Carla is actively in the process of credentialing with major insurance plans, including:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield (Traditional)

• Blue Care Network

• Priority Health

• United Healthcare

• Aetna

• Cigna

• Medicare

• Tricare

• VA Community Care Network

• Select Medicare Advantage and managed Medicaid plans

Approvals occur on a rolling basis, so coverage with these plans may become available over time.

Carla’s 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.

Meet Stephanie, OT

Empowering the Best is growing, and we are proud to welcome another incredible in-person occupational therapist to support our northern Michigan community.

Hi, I'm Stephanie (she/her). I hold a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Grand Valley State University, which makes me proud to say another Laker has landed at Empowering the Best.

Throughout my career as an occupational therapist, I have learned that no matter our age, our daily activities, the things we need and want to do, define who we are. That is why my practice is dedicated to helping individuals thrive at every single stage of life, from childhood through adulthood.

A large part of my heart and expertise belongs to pediatric therapy. I have spent years serving children and families across northern Michigan, including time on a school-based team. Whether we are exploring the outdoors in nature-based therapy, navigating ADHD and executive functioning, or utilizing neurodiversity-affirming autism support, my goal is to make therapy feel natural, joyful, and deeply connected.

Beyond my work with children, I have advanced clinical expertise in helping adults navigate complex physical recoveries. Life can throw unexpected challenges our way, and I am here to help you regain your independence and quality of life. In orthopedic and stroke rehabilitation, I have extensive manual training through orthopedic fellowships, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, and manual supports. As a SAEBO-certified provider, I use specialized, evidence-based techniques to help individuals rebuild strength, movement, and confidence after an injury or stroke. Navigating cancer treatment and recovery also takes a toll on the body and mind. In oncology care, I provide compassionate, holistic support to help manage fatigue, pain, and cognitive changes, ensuring you can continue participating in the moments that matter most.

My practice is whole-person, trauma-informed, and psychosocially grounded. I believe in dynamic support rooted in best practice, because life keeps you moving and care should move with it. I value nature-based, collaborative work, and I am passionate about teaching the next generation of occupational therapists.

Whether I am partnering with a parent to support their toddler, collaborating with teachers in a school, or working one-on-one with an adult reclaiming their independence, my approach is always the same: compassionate, specialized, and completely tailored to you.

Why Empowering the Best? Carla and I aligned the moment we met. I believe care should be collaborative, accessible, and built around real life, and I could not be more grateful to join a team that holds that standard for clients and providers alike.

Focused Expertise and Professional Involvement

• Whole-person, trauma-informed, psychosocially grounded OT care across the lifespan

• Pediatric therapy, including ADHD, executive functioning, and neurodiversity-affirming autism support

• School-based and nature-based collaborative practice

• Orthopedic and stroke rehabilitation, including orthopedic fellowship training, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, and SAEBO certification

• Oncology care through a holistic, whole-person approach

• Mentoring and teaching the next generation of occupational therapists

• Doctorate and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, Grand Valley State University

• Registered with NBCOT, OT licensed in Michigan

Payment and Reimbursement

Stephanie can accept:

• LTBB

• Private pay

• Worker's Compensation

• Auto No-Fault

Pending coverage options:

• BCBS

If you have questions about your insurance, please reach out. We are happy to help guide you.

Stephanie's Philosophy

I believe occupational therapy works best when it is dynamic, meaningful, and built around the real rhythms of each person's life. I partner with clients, families, and providers to create care that is whole-person, evidence-based, and genuinely supportive. Life keeps us moving, and I am here to help every person I serve with the same level of integrity and whole-person values I would want for myself or my family.

Hi, I'm Jenny (she/her). I am an occupational therapist with 16 years in the profession. I am overjoyed to be a part of the Empowering the Best collective, because it’s a team so dedicated to helping people access whole-person, evidence-based care.

Joining Empowering the Best feels like a full-circle moment in my professional journey. Carla and I first met in 2008 as occupational therapy graduate students at Grand Valley State University. We even partnered to complete our Master's thesis together! We later drafted that work into a manuscript that was published in a peer-reviewed journal. Nearly two decades later, that same spirit of collaboration and striving for excellence is at the core of what I bring to this collective. 

My clinical experience spans outpatient, inpatient, acute care, and inpatient rehabilitation, serving clients from pediatrics through older adulthood. Areas of focus include physical recovery and pain management, neurological rehabilitation, hand therapy, lymphedema care, and return to work. 

My work blends clinical expertise, neurodiversity-affirming practice, and whole-person care across the lifespan. I believe healing happens when people feel seen, supported, and understood. Through trainings provided by Learn Play Thrive, I have invested in learning how to provide care that is trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and honors autistic and neurodivergent ways of being.

I am also passionate about teaching balance, pacing, and regulation as a core therapeutic skills. After years of a hurried pace of working with clients, I embraced the idea of creating space for connection and processing matters as much as covering all the needed topics and exercies. In truth, clients need room to regulate, integrate, and generalize what they are learning into the rhythm of their actual lives. Therapists need sustainable practice patterns to deliver quality care without burning out. Whole-person care is not only what happens in the therapy room. It is how we honor the nervous system, the schedule, and the season of life each person is in. This is the standard Empowering the Best is built to hold for our clients and our team.

Beyond my clinical work, I  run Jenny Gill Copywriting, LLC, where I serve healthcare practices, OTs, PTs, SLPs, and rehab entrepreneurs as a copywriter and marketing strategist. This led me to volunteer as Website Coordinator for the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association and presentations for the OT Entrepreneur Summit. I also support at-risk elementary-age students as a mentor and program co-director through Kids Hope USA. 

Why Empowering the Best? With it’s unique philosophy and model, I could tell Carla was building something special for clients and therapists when she launched Empowering the Best. And I wanted to be a part of it! I believe excellent care should be accessible, supportive, and built to foster growth without creating stress or overwhelm for clients, families, or providers. That is the kind of care more people deserve access to, and I am eager to help people access it through Empower the Best. 

Focused Expertise & Professional Involvement

• Whole-person, lifespan-based OT care (pediatrics through older adulthood)

• Outpatient physical recovery and pain management (hand, elbow, shoulder, post-operative upper extremity)

• Neurological rehabilitation including CVA, brain injury, and inpatient rehab

• Acute care and swing bed evaluation and treatment

• Certified Lymphedema Therapist (upper and lower extremity)

• Customized orthotic fabrication

• Kinesio Taping Fundamentals

• CEAS 1: Ergonomics Assessment Certification

• Functional Cognition: Allen Cognitive Theory in Clinical Practice

• Work compensation case progression and return-to-work support

• Neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based practice across the lifespan

• Learn Play Thrive: Strengths-Based Approach to Autism

• Learn Play Thrive: Strengths-Based Goal Writing

• Learn Play Thrive: Here to Play

• Teaching sustainable pacing for clients and therapists, in session and beyond

• Co-author, peer-reviewed journal publication (with Carla Crockett)

• Clinical educator for Level II OT students

• Three-time presenter at the OT Entrepreneur Summit

• Michigan Occupational Therapy Association, Website Coordinator Volunteer

• Kids Hope USA, Co-Director and Mentor

• Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, Grand Valley State University

• Registered with NBCOT, OT licensed in Michigan

Payment & Reimbursement

Jenny can accept:

• LTBB

• Private pay

• Worker's Compensation

• Auto No-Fault

Pending coverage options:

• BCBS

If you have questions about your insurance, please reach out. We are happy to help guide you.

Jenny's Philosophy

I believe good therapy is steady, thoughtful, and built on real partnership. I take time to understand each client's full story, then work alongside them, their families, and their providers to create care that is evidence-based, effective, and genuinely supportive. I value honesty, clear communication, and meeting people exactly where they are. My goal is not to rush a process but to walk through it with you, using the right tools at the right time so the progress we make together translates into everyday life.

Hi, I'm Keisha (she/her). I am a Licensed Master Social Worker and mental health clinician with over 10 years of experience supporting infants, children, teens, and families across home based, school based, and outpatient settings. I earned two degrees from the University of Michigan, ultimately my Master of Social Work with a concentration in Interpersonal Practice in Mental Health, which allows me to serve as a mental health clinician. That foundation combined with over a decade of real world clinical experience shapes everything I bring to my work with clients, families, and the Empowering the Best collective.

My clinical background is deeply rooted in infant mental health, early childhood, and school based behavioral health, with extensive experience supporting children and teens through family therapy, crisis intervention, and trauma informed care. Throughout my career I have worked alongside OT, PT, SLP, educators, medical providers, and community organizations, and I bring that collaborative spirit into every professional relationship I build.

Being part of the Empowering the Best collective is rewarding because it brings together the kind of team that clients and families so often have to piece together on their own. Being part of a collaborative where OT, SLP, PT, and mental health supports are connected means clients and families can access more coordinated, cohesive care.

My work blends trauma informed, relationship based, and strengths focused approaches to support emotional regulation, coping skills, attachment, and social functioning. I am especially passionate about supporting infants, children, and teens who have experienced grief, loss, and trauma. I welcome the opportunity to support adults as well and am open to exploring fit on a case by case basis.

I hold a Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement as an Infant Family Specialist, with extensive experience conducting assessments, diagnosing mental health disorders, and developing individualized person centered treatment plans.

Why Empowering the Best? Clients and families deserve support that is connected, cohesive, and built around their real lives. Being part of a collective that makes that possible is something I am deeply committed to.

Focused Expertise & Professional Involvement

-Infant and early childhood mental health (birth through age 6)

-Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement, Infant Family Specialist

-School based behavioral health (preschool through grade 12)

-Individual and family therapy for children, teens, and families

-Trauma informed and relationship based care

-Grief, loss, and bereavement support

-Emotional regulation and coping skills development

-Attachment and parent child relationship support

-Crisis assessment, intervention, and safety planning

-Comprehensive mental health assessment and diagnosis (DSM, ICD, DC:0-5)

-Functional and relationship based assessments (PECFAS, CAFAS, DECA, ASQ, Massie Campbell)

-Person centered treatment planning and individualized goal development

-Multidisciplinary team collaboration with OT, PT, SLP, educators, medical providers, and community systems

-Care coordination across multidisciplinary teams and community systems

-Home based, school based, and outpatient service delivery

-Community event organization and family engagement programming

-Grief peer support group facilitation, Ele's Place Ann Arbor

-University of Michigan research contributor, Women and Infants Mental Health Program and Research Recruitment Core

-Collaborative team based approach with families, educators, and providers

Payment & Reimbursement

Keisha is currently able to accept:

-LTBB

-Private Pay

-Workers Compensation

-Auto No-Fault

Pending Coverage Options:

-BCBS

If you have questions about your insurance, please reach out. We are happy to help guide you.

Keisha's Philosophy

I partner with clients, families, and providers to create a space where healing feels possible. My approach is grounded in relationship, curiosity, and a deep respect for the strengths and lived experiences each person brings. I believe growth happens when people feel truly seen, supported, and understood and I am committed to showing up with warmth, steadiness, and intention in every connection I make.

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 and 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 including memory, attention, and 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

Payment & Reimbursement

Ashley can accept:

• LTBB

• Private pay

• Worker’s Compensation

• Auto No-Fault

Pending Coverage Options:

• BCBS

If you have questions about your insurance, please reach out. We are happy to help guide you.

Ashley’s 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.

Hi, I’m Jesicalyn. I bring experience across medical-based outpatient hospital settings and Michigan school systems. My work across healthcare and educational environments has shaped my commitment to ethical, collaborative, and person-centered speech and language services.

I have extensive experience providing speech-language therapy in one-to-one, small group, and virtual formats. I tailor intervention to each individual’s communication profile, learning style, and environment, with an emphasis on measurable progress and meaningful participation.

My background within school systems has strengthened my ability to align speech and language goals with IEP frameworks, classroom expectations, and academic standards. I prioritize evidence-based intervention that supports expressive and receptive language development, articulation and speech clarity, social communication, and functional communication across settings.

I am passionate about helping individuals increase communication skills, confidence, and self expression. I value multimodal communication systems, including verbal speech, AAC, and alternative forms of expression, so that each person has access to a communication method that supports autonomy and authentic connection.

Within Empowering the Best, jesicalyn brings strong speech-language expertise to our collaborative model, helping ensure communication strategies are developmentally appropriate, functional, and integrated across home, clinic, and educational environments.

Focused Expertise and Professional Areas

-Expressive and receptive language development

-Articulation and speech sound disorders

-Social communication and pragmatic language

-Multimodal communication and AAC support

-Functional communication across environments

-One-to-one, group, and virtual speech-language therapy

-Collaboration with educators, therapists, and families

-Evidence-based, ethically grounded service delivery

-Experienced with virtual service delivery options

Payment & Reimbursement

Ashley can accept:

• LTBB

• Private pay

• Worker’s Compensation

• Auto No-Fault

Pending Coverage Options:

• BCBS

If you have questions about your insurance, please reach out. We are happy to help guide you.

Jesicalyn’s Philosophy

I believe communication is foundational to connection, learning, and participation. Speech-language therapy should empower individuals to express their thoughts, needs, and identities with clarity and confidence.

Through collaborative, evidence-based practice, I support individuals and families in building communication systems that are functional, transferable, and sustainable across settings.

We are looking for a dedicated and compassionate Respite and Caregiver Provider to join our team.

If you may be interested, please send a message through the contact us tab to learn more.

With appreciation,

Our Empowering the Best Team

Tammie has spent her career as a Physical Therapist supporting individuals across a variety of settings, including outpatient care, hospital-based inpatient rehabilitation, community-based environments, and home health. These experiences have shaped her clinical approach and deepened her respect for each person's unique movement patterns, goals, and lived experiences.

Licensed in the state of Michigan, Tammie is committed to supporting individuals across the lifespan with a focus on functional movement, independence, and meaningful participation in daily life. Her work centers on helping clients improve strength, mobility, balance, and confidence in ways that translate directly into real-world activities.

Tammie believes in meeting clients where they are and collaborating closely with individuals and multidisciplinary teams to support whole-person care. She values consistency, clear communication, and practical strategies that can be integrated into daily routines for lasting progress. She is grateful to be part of a community that prioritizes thoughtful, collaborative care and the opportunity to support individuals and families through in-person and flexible care options.

What drives Tammie goes beyond the clinic. She has a genuine love of life, movement, and living authentically, and believes that a strong and healthy life is built both inside and outside of practice spaces. That belief shapes the way she shows up for her clients, encouraging them not just to meet their rehabilitation goals but to reconnect with the activities, rhythms, and moments that make life meaningful to them.

Areas of Focus

Tammie's clinical work spans neuromuscular and orthopedic rehabilitation, balance, gait, and functional mobility training, postural control and movement pattern development, and strength and endurance training for daily function. She also supports clients through fall prevention and safety awareness, post-injury and post-surgical recovery, and chronic pain management. Her experience extends to neuro-based movement challenges and brain injury support, caregiver education and home program development, and building mobility skills for home and community participation.

Payment & Reimbursement

Tammie currently accepts

-LTBB

-Private pay

-Worker's Compensation

-Auto No-Fault.

Pending:

-Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)

If you have questions about your insurance or coverage, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are happy to help guide you through your options.

Tammie's Philosophy

Movement is essential to participation, independence, and quality of life. Tammie partners with each client to create practical, individualized plans that support strength, mobility, and confidence in everyday environments. Her approach is collaborative, supportive, and focused on helping each person build the skills they need to move through life with greater ease and capability.