Meet the Team
 |
SHOLEH SHAHINFARFounder, Owner, M.A. CCC-SLP, RYTSpeech Language Pathologist
|
|
She learned through her studies and life experiences that you can express your “voice” through whatever modality fits your needs, whether that be speaking, gestures, a device, writing, art, or dance. Sholeh has always prioritized family, and shortly before starting her speech and language therapy practice, she supported her cousin by attending her son’s speech therapy appointment with him. Through her participation at that one session, Sholeh realized that she longed to help children — and instantly decided to focus her expertise and ability to nurture on giving families the tools to grow together through connection. A registered yoga teacher who’s also fluent in Farsi, Sholeh has an innate ability to create calm and promote mindfulness. When she’s not furthering her education outside of office hours, you can find her out in nature or at the beach with her pup Kobe. Sholeh holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. Her practice is deeply rooted in the belief that we’re all connected. And that only through our connectedness can we reach and impact children to uplift their voices in the world. |
 |
 |
BAYLEE BROWNM.A. CCC-SLPSpeech Language Pathologist
|
 |
ASHLEY TAYLORMSEd, CCC-SLPSpeech Language Pathologist
|
 |
TAYLOR LASKYM.S. CF-SLPSpeech Language Pathologist
|
 |
SARAH GAUSEPHOLM.S. CF-SLPSpeech Language Pathologist
|
 |
KATHY TIENB.A. SLPASpeech Language Pathologist Assistant
|
 |
KAELYN GREENM.A. OTR/LOccupational Therapist
|
 |
CLAUDIA KOCHCOTA/LOccupational Therapist AssistantClaudia is a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant who has a passion for helping others reach their goals. She received her Associates of Science degree at Stanbridge University, Irvine. While there, she had a great deal of training which included an emphasis in the training of the pediatric population in outpatient clinics. ClaudiaClaudia’s goal is to provide the tools needed to help children bring out the best in themselves during each therapy session. She believes children can learn best by teaching in a fun setting through positive and meaningful activities. As a new mom, her parenting experience validates her soft spot for children and creating a better environment for the new generations to come. Outside of work, Claudia enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, hiking, and eating at the best restaurants |
 |
GENNA HENDERSONAdministrative DirectorGenna has been with Valued Voices since 2019, she joined the family after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in communication sciences and disorders from Pacific University in Oregon. Genna has always been passionate about helping give opportunities to others and believes all children have a joyous light inside them that deserves to be shown to the world. She knows that giving people the chance to express themselves allows them to reach new heights internally and in their communities. As our administrative director, Genna is responsible for effectively implementing administrative procedures, maintaining a welcoming and organized environment, and most importantly making our families feel welcomed and supported. As a former collegiate volleyball player, Genna stays active with regular exercise. She loves spending her time outside, doing ceramics, and trying new food. |
Meet the Team
SHOLEH SHAHINFAR
Founder, Owner, M.A. CCC-SLP, RYT
Speech Language Pathologist
Child Communication Specialist
Certified Oral Motor Therapist
A speech-language pathologist and certified oral motor therapist, Sholeh founded Valued Voices in 2014, shortly after a leap of faith landed her in a sought-after post- secondary teaching position in California. Within months she knew her highest calling was actually to make a significant positive impact on children’s lives.
As Founder and CEO of Valued Voices, Sholeh uses her gift in holistic Child Communication Development to empower children to connect to their authentic voice – helping them grow mentally and physically and form stronger relationships through self-expression. She works closely with entire families to ease the stress of the unknown and find and implement solutions to any communication challenges a child is experiencing.
Her desire to give children the tools to express their most authentic self was born out of her own childhood experiences with self-expression. While part of a close- knit, loving family, Sholeh still had difficulty speaking up and sharing her thoughts and feelings.
A speech-language pathologist and certified oral motor therapist, Sholeh founded Valued Voices in 2014, shortly after a leap of faith landed her in a sought-after post- secondary teaching position in California. Within months she knew her highest calling was actually to make a significant positive impact on children’s lives.
As Founder and CEO of Valued Voices, Sholeh uses her gift in holistic Child Communication Development to empower children to connect to their authentic voice – helping them grow mentally and physically and form stronger relationships through self-expression. She works closely with entire families to ease the stress of the unknown and find and implement solutions to any communication challenges a child is experiencing.
Her desire to give children the tools to express their most authentic self was born out of her own childhood experiences with self-expression. While part of a close- knit, loving family, Sholeh still had difficulty speaking up and sharing her thoughts and feelings.
BAYLEE BROWN
M.A. CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Social Skills Specialist
Child Communication Specialist
Baylee has always found a passion for helping others. As a Speech Language Pathologist, she uses this passion to empower clients to find and develop effective ways to communicate. Baylee has a Master of Arts in Speech Language Pathology from Wichita State University in Kansas. There she gained clinical experience in a variety of areas, ranging from disorders of written expression, autism spectrum disorders, articulation disorders, language disorders, developmental delay, to early intervention and identification. In her spare time, she enjoys going to Zumba, yoga, hanging out with her friends, and trying new restaurants. Baylee is new to California and excited to explore a new place, when you see her give her suggestions on places to eat and things to do in the area!
ASHLEY TAYLOR
MSEd, CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Speech Sound Disorder Specialist
Child Communication Specialist
Ashley has always had a love and passion for supporting others to reach their goals. Being given the opportunity to help others every day brings Ashley a tremendous amount of joy and excitement. Ashley received her Master’s degree in science from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. There she was able to work with a wide range of clients in helping them reach their goals.
Ashley enjoys customizing her therapy approach to fit each client. She has a passion for clients that use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and clients with Speech Sound Disorders. Ashley enjoys problem solving and adapting each therapy session to help her clients. She has a deep love for helping give others a voice! Ashley is a new mom and enjoys going to the beach, reading, and cooking.
TAYLOR LASKY
M.S. CF-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Early Intervention Specialist
Child Communication Specialist
As a speech-language pathologist, Taylor finds purpose in empowering her clients and their families. Taylor’s priority is to create an upbeat, welcoming, family-focused environment for clients to build confidence as they grow. Taylor holds a Master of Science degree from Chapman University and feels grateful to use the knowledge gained through her educational, clinical, and personal experiences to touch the lives of others daily.
With a passion for early intervention, Taylor loves to utilize the power of play to maximize communication and social development! She blends fun with functionality to design dynamic and purposeful sessions for each of her clients. Taylor believes that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach to speech therapy, so she always strives to harness each client’s unique set of strengths and areas of interest.
On the weekends, you can find Taylor at the beach reading a book, on a long walk with her dog Sadie, at the gym trying a new workout, or in a coffee shop planning her next road trip.
SARAH GAUSEPHOL
M.S. CF-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Child Communication Specialist
Sarah attended the University of Southern California where she received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience. She then obtained her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders at Chapman University, where she was distinguished as one of the top students in her class and received the Outstanding Student Clinician Award.
Sarah enjoys working with both adult and pediatric populations. She customizes therapy for individuals by utilizing the client’s strengths and passions to target their goals. Sarah strives to create a fun, positive, and safe atmosphere which is crucial to maximizing progress.
In her spare time, you will find Sarah gardening, playing pickleball, cooking at home with her friends and family, or caring for her cat.
KATHY TIEN
B.A. SLPA
Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Child Communication Specialist
Kathy is a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant. She attended California State University Long Beach, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders in 2014. After graduating, she worked as an SLPA within the clinical setting throughout most of her career, and has recently gained experience in the school district.
Her passion is early intervention and facilitating functional communication through play-based therapy. She focuses on building a language rich environment that supports each individual and their families. She loves seeing her clients make progress and thrive in therapy!
During her spare time, Kathy enjoys riding her bike, going to the beach, game nights, and traveling to new places.
KAELYN GREEN
M.A. OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Certified Sensory Integration Therapist
Kaelyn is a licensed occupational therapist who is passionate about working with children and their families in order to best address their needs and work towards their goals. She believes that occupational therapy is best conducted when the therapist is a partner who works with the child and family and looks to carryover that approach into her practice. She received her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton. She is certified by the University of Southern California in Sensory Integration and is an advocate for addressing underlying sensory functioning in order to improve occupational performance. She has extensive training working in pediatric outpatient clinics and in Her goal is to create a fun atmosphere that makes working towards a child’s goals and improving their occupational performance seem like playing games. When she is not working, you will find Kaelyn taking care of her two golden doodles, working in her garden, or taking trips to the Central Coast.
CLAUDIA KOCH
COTA/L
Occupational Therapist Assistant
Claudia is a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant who has a passion for helping others reach their goals. She received her Associates of Science degree at Stanbridge University, Irvine. While there, she had a great deal of training which included an emphasis in the training of the pediatric population in outpatient clinics.
Claudia’s goal is to provide the tools needed to help children bring out the best in themselves during each therapy session. She believes children can learn best by teaching in a fun setting through positive and meaningful activities.
As a new mom, her parenting experience validates her soft spot for children and creating a better environment for the new generations to come. Outside of work, Claudia enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, hiking, and eating at the best restaurants.
GENNA HENDERSON
Administrative Director
Genna has always been passionate about helping give opportunities to others and believes all children have a joyous light inside them that deserves to be shown to the world. Her bachelor’s degree in sociology and minor in communication sciences and disorders from Pacific University in Oregon led her to Valued Voices. She knows that giving kids the chance to express themselves allows them to reach new heights internally and in their communities. A former collegiate volleyball player, Genna stays active with regular exercise and she loves to cook at home.
At Valued Voices, we work with conscious parents to empower self-expression in their late bloomers through holistic therapies.
We work with your whole family to help your child reach their communication & motor milestones. Our holistic therapies empower children to find their voice and self-express through whatever modality suits their needs, whether that be speaking, gestures, writing, art, dance, or a device.
