Hi! I’m Katy. I am a speech-language pathologist (also called a speech therapist) who is passionate about helping children communicate. I grew up in Thousand Oaks, a suburb north of LA, and spent many holidays and breaks coming up to the East Bay to visit my aunt and cousins who live up here. For college, I went to University of California, Santa Barbara where I studied Global Studies and Spanish.

When I was graduating from college, like many in their early 20s, I did not know what I wanted to do “when I grew up.” I knew I wanted to help people, so I started my early career in non-profits. I ended up in fundraising as a grant writer at the Santa Barbara Zoo. While I loved the gift of being able to work for a cause, I was not passionate about raising money. During those days, I was babysitting to try to make extra money, and I slowly began to realize I enjoyed spending time with kids a lot more than my desk job. From there, I found more interest in childhood development and early language acquisition. I began volunteering at RiteCare of Santa Barbara (a speech therapy nonprofit) to see if it might be an area of interest, and I was immediately found my career. From there, I completed my Masters of Science in Medical Speech Language Pathology from the University of Washington in Seattle. 

During my training, I gained experiences in all kinds of pediatric settings. I worked in schools, interdisciplinary private practices, early intervention, and the University of Washington Autism Center. At the end of my studies, my fiancé at the time and I knew we wanted to move back to California. We decided to move to the East Bay to be close to his family and many of our friends. Over the first years of my career, I gained experience and training in the private practice setting in Oakland and Fremont. I became a generalist of pediatric speech language pathology, working with kids from age 18 months to 18 years old with a variety of diagnoses and speech-language needs. I continued my education, becoming more and more specialized in early intervention (birth to three) as well as working with autism spectrum disorder and gestalt language processors. During that time, I also gave birth to my son, who is now 18 months old. 

While working for other practices in the East Bay, I often came across therapy that centered compliance and non-neuroaffirming approaches. In September 2025, I decided it was time to open my own practice. I felt I needed the freedom to specialize in play-based, child-centered therapy. Starling Speech Therapy has given me the opportunity to connect with like-minded parents who also want to prioritize connection, safety, sensory regulation, and communication for their child. If that speaks to you, I know I am the right fit for your family. 

For fun, you can catch me on the Montclair Rail Trail walking (and sometimes even jogging), snacking on a pastry at Forma Bakery in Temescal, doing the crossword, drinking matcha lattes, and hanging out with my son, husband, and dog, Louie.