Our Team

Katelin is a Santa Cruz native and currently enjoys living in the Aptos hills. She received her bachelor's degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from San Diego State University and graduated summa cum laude with a master's degree in Communication Disorders from Emerson College. She enjoys working with people of all ages with communication and swallowing disorders and has gained experience through a variety of settings including schools, private practices, long-term care, and inpatient neuro-rehabilitative facilities. Katelin is bilingual in English and Spanish and strives to provide culturally competent, patient-and family-centered care to ensure every step of the therapeutic process is collaborative and beneficial for all members. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two Mini Australian Shepherds, hiking, sailing, and traveling.

Maria is a native of Monterey, Calif. She graduated summa cum laude with a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of the Pacific. She is a board-certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the California Speech-Language-Hearing-Association. She has received introductory training in Positive Behavior and the Orton-Gillingham Approach for literacy. Maria has been with the Central Coast Language and Learning Center since completing her clinical fellowship. She currently works as a full-time therapist in addition to fostering the growth of SLP graduate students and SLPAs by lending her wisdom and knowledge in a supervisory capacity. Although Maria has some experience working in public schools, acute rehabilitation, and post-acute care, the vast majority of her experience lies in the private clinic setting. Her true passion is in providing remote, or in person services to the pediatric population with particular emphasis on school-age children. Maria believes in taking a semi structured, play-based approach to speech and language development to make learning fun, motivating, and meaningful. Areas of interest include speech sound disorders, phonological/phonemic awareness, and language-based learning disabilities.

Jacqueline is a first-generation Mexican American and bilingual speech-language pathologist from Northern New Mexico. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders and a Bachelor of Science in Spanish before completing her master's degree in Communication Disorders at New Mexico State University. She has extensive experience working with adults in rehabilitation hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, where she treated cognitive-communication disorders, dysphagia, and speech-language impairments related to strokes and other neurologic conditions. While her foundation is in adult neurorehabilitation, she is also passionate about expanding her work with pediatric populations. As someone who grew up navigating two languages and cultures, Jacqueline was inspired to become a speech pathologist to help bilingual families feel seen, supported, and empowered. She is especially drawn to parent coaching and enjoys equipping caregivers with tools and confidence to support their child's communication in everyday routines. She also practices from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective and is a strong advocate for bilingual children and culturally responsive care. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, running, and reading fantasy books—always with Taylor Swift playing in the background.

Deborah became a Speech Language Pathologist after going through speech therapy herself and later seeing positive interactions between an SLP and occupational therapy services for a family friend. She wanted to be part of a team that helped others with speech and language difficulties. Deborah graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with her degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and spent two years as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant before obtaining her Masters in Speech Pathology from Pacific University. She has worked in both clinical and school settings with a primary focus on helping individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Deborah has advanced SLP training in TalkTools Feeding First and myofunctional training by Linda D'Onofrio. Deborah is an English-Spanish bilingual and enjoys spending her free time with friends, baking and cooking new recipes, and spending time with her dog Blue. 

Maribel is a bilingual medical speech pathologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), with a master's degree in Communication Disorders from New Mexico State University. She has extensive experience serving both pediatric and adult populations across medical, educational, and home-based settings. Maribel specializes in swallowing and feeding disorders, fluency, social communication, articulation, language disorders, early intervention, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She also incorporates integrative approaches such as Myofascial Release and Craniosacral Therapy into her practice. As a certified VitalStim provider with advanced training in the McNeil Dysphagia Therapy Program (MDTP), Maribel is dedicated to providing trauma-informed, culturally responsive care that promotes meaningful, functional outcomes for diverse populations. Outside of her clinical work, Maribel finds joy in music, nature, hiking, fishing, scenic drives, and — most of all — spending time with her family.

Carrie is a SLP with more than 30 years of experience working with children in the public schools. She obtained both her bachelor's and master's degree from CSU-Northridge. She has advocated and provided speech/language therapy for students who exhibited difficulties in the areas of articulation, language, voice and fluency. She collaborated and consulted with parents and classroom teachers in the management of speech/language disorders. She has supervised undergraduates, interns, paraprofessionals and volunteers. Carrie also served as President of the Monterey County Speech Language Hearing Association for several years and is a lifetime member of the American Speech Hearing Association. She has presented classes at the Monterey County Office of Education in therapy techniques, as well as in the school system. Carrie aims to help children know not only how to communicate but why communication is important. She wants them to be clearly understood, be able to form bonds between people, and become contributing members of their community. Carrie recently retired and will be working part time for CCLLC. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and seeing the country and meeting new people.

Lauren is a native of North Carolina where she received her master's degree in Speech- Language Pathology from Appalachian State University. She is a member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association and holds licenses in North Carolina and California. Throughout her practice as a clinician, Lauren has gained experience in a variety of settings serving a range of clients, from toddlers to geriatrics. Lauren discovered a fondness for early intervention language therapy as well as a passion for working with speech-sound disorders, phonology and social-pragmatic language development in school-age children. Lauren loves getting to know her clients and having the opportunity to use her creativity to tailor sessions to a client's needs so it is enjoyable and constructive. One of her favorite parts of being an SLP is the feeling she gets to share with a client when they overcome a previously challenging communication task, or display a new communication/language skill. When Lauren isn't busy being a SLP, she enjoys reading, exercising, cooking, hiking, and playing with her nieces and nephews.

Elia is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist who values the ability to support the whole child and bring family priorities front and center in the therapeutic process. Elia is experienced in teaching communication skills across a wide range of ages and diagnoses, and particularly enjoys supporting skills in language, literacy, fluency, social communication, and multimodal communication. With a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Emerson College and certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Elia brings both clinical expertise and compassionate care to every client interaction. With experience in schools, private practice, and outpatient neuro rehabilitation, Elia creates therapy plans that are personalized, evidence based and grounded in meaningful goals for life participation. Guided by the belief that communication is central to connection, Elia is inspired by the words of communication theorist Paul Watzlawick: "One cannot not communicate." This principle recognizes that every behavior, every gesture, and every attempt to connect matters deeply in the therapeutic process for fostering communication. Known for using a collaborative, strengths-based approach, Elia's favorite part of her role as a speech-language pathologist is watching children's self-confidence and independence blossom as they build meaningful communication skills.

Helga received her master's degree in speech-language pathology from California State University Monterey Bay. Her clinical foundation began as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) specializing in pediatrics, a passion she continued to develop throughout her graduate studies. Her clinical background spans private practice, acute care, and outpatient services, including a specialized medical externship in pediatrics. Helga is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian, allowing her to provide culturally responsive care. In her free time, she loves going to the ocean, drinking matcha, reading books, and spending time with her soon-to-be husband, Myk.

Isabel is a Spanish-English bilingual who grew up in the Salinas Valley. She received a M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from California State University, Monterey Bay. She has experience working with bilingual patients in fluency, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), articulation, cognition, receptive and expressive language. She enjoys incorporating neurodiverse affirming approaches through play-based therapy and aims to become a specialist in AAC and feeding/swallowing throughout the lifespan. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, baking, swimming, and spending time with her family. 

Yakelin is a first generation Mexican-American student born and raised in Santa Cruz, Calif. She is earning her Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at California State University Monterey Bay. She was motivated to enter the field of speech-language pathology due to a love of learning, language, and connection. Throughout her life she has enjoyed learning about different cultures, languages, how language is processed in the brain, and more. She is interested in working with individuals across the lifespan and eager to utilize her bilingual skills to serve the community. While most of her experience is in the schools, she looks forward to furthering her clinical skills regarding cognition, motor speech, and feeding and swallowing. In her free time she enjoys reading, listening to music of all genres, spending time with her loved ones, and drinking matcha. 

Caitlan brings multiple years of billing and revenue cycle management experience to the CCLLC team. She is very passionate about the work that she does and is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in healthcare management at MSU Denver. As revenue cycle manager, she strives for operational excellence, and aspires to create lasting and meaningful relationships with CCLLC patients through a patient-centered philosophy. When not working, Caitlan loves creating art. Living in Colorado, she has inspiration all around her with the beautiful landscapes. She also enjoys spending summers at the lake and hiking with her chihuahua, Theo. 

Schae currently has an associate's degree in Psychology and is also working toward her bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She loves movies and spending quality time with her family and friends over a movie night. She is very motivated and looks forward to overcoming any challenge she is faced with. As the office manager at CCLLC, Schae is excited to bring guidance and be a bright light to her coworkers, patients, and their families.