The Team
Alycen graduated from Idaho State University with her Master's of Science in Speech Language Pathology. Throughout her career she has worked with a variety of children and adults, doing everything from swallowing to utilizing alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) to help her non-verbal clients communicate more effectively. She works with individuals of all ages and functioning levels in a variety of settings. Alycen has a passion for helping people communicate and for educating clients and families.
When she is not focused on creating the best special needs clinic in Utah, Alycen loves playing volleyball and doing woodworking. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Rob, and her family.
Alycen DeCosta, M.S., CCC-SLP
Clinical Director & Speech Language Pathologist
Emily is originally from Orem, and now lives in Spanish Fork with her husband of 22 years and her 3 beautiful children. She likes to cook, read, and take her kids to their various trainings and tournaments. Emily is a pro when it comes to all things office management, and enjoys being around her co-workers.
Emily Beattie
Office Manager
Laine is originally from Payson, UT. She was raised in 6 different states before coming back to settle in Springville, UT. She has a background in Business Management and 5 years of administrative experience. You can find Laine and her family camping, hiking, or doing something creative when she isn’t in the clinic!
Laine Hofeling
Assistant Office Manager
Sherian was born and raised in Blanding, UT. She and her husband have 8 children and 26 grandchildren. Sherian has more than 20 years billing experience. When she isn't working she can be found creating quilts, reading, and enjoying the great outdoors with her family.
Sherian Smith
Billing Specialist
Shaylee is from Blackfoot, Idaho. She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science from Brigham Young University- Idaho with a degree in Marriage and Family Studies. Shaylee loves the outdoors and spending time with family. She moved to Utah two years ago and loves going to BYU sporting events with her husband.
Shaylee Choules
Clinical Care Coordinator
Rylee grew up in Utah. She enjoys playing volleyball, watching movies, and eating delicious food. Her favorite thing to do is hang out with her husband and family. She served a church mission in Las Vegas. Rylee has always enjoyed working with kids with special needs, she has participated in peer tutor and has a little brother with down syndrome. She is so excited to work at whole child therapy and cannot wait to meet you all!
Rylee Gregory
Scheduling Assistant
Brooklyn grew up in Spanish Fork. She graduated from UVU in May of 2023 with her Associates Degree. She loves to be around her family and friends. She has a dog named Koda that she loves to take on walks. She loves to be outdoors and she loves to travel as well.
Brooklyn Dean
Office Assistant
Kaylen is a student at BYU, she is studying social work! She loves music and board games. She is super excited to be apart of the team!
Kaylen Nesbit
Billing Assistant
Shelby is from Santaquin, Utah and has lived there for 11 years with her husband and two little boys. She loves to be outdoors and tries to be outside as much as possible.
Shelby Craig
Billing Assistant
Jone Lokahi Vuikadavu
Mental Health Therapist
Lokahi is a husband and a father who values time with his beautiful wife, their beloved daughters, family, sports, learning and growing. A few quotes that he tries to adopt in his life is one shared by Henry Eyring “'I never met a man (woman/child) I couldn't learn something from"' and by Thomas S Monson “See others as they may become”. Lokahi knows that as fellow travelers in this journey of life, we all have potential, we all have something to contribute, we all have worth, and that has been his approach with the work that he does in the human service field and more importantly at home where he feels that it is important to invest our best efforts. He has been blessed with opportunities of life experiences; school opportunities where he attended BYUH for some time and then graduated from BYU Provo with a Bachelors in Family Studies including a Master’s in Social Work from UVU; work opportunities that have created environments to practice what he has learnt and to learn from others including the adoption of various interventions that he now uses to help those in need. Some of the interventions that he has used and also learnt are EMDR, concepts of CBT, DBT, ACT, strength-based focus, motivational interviewing, play therapy, Autplay therapy, sand tray therapy, attachment focused approach, solution focused, client centered, couples therapy, family therapy, group therapy. He recognizes that one of the most important things in therapy is to meet individuals where they are at and help be a guide, and support for them to where they want to go with the tools that they need. He considers the trust placed on him to help with that journey, a great blessing and a privilege.
Ryan is from Nephi, UT and has always wanted to work with kids. He received a bachelor's degree in General Education with an emphasis in Psychology from Utah State University in 2016. He then went to Henderson, NV to complete a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy in 2019. Once graduated, Ryan worked in an acute care setting and eventually found his way into his preferred setting of pediatrics. Ryan has experience developing an occupational therapy program and worked with kids with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and autoimmune disorders. Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 children, playing music, designing t-shirts, and playing video games.
Ryan Elder
Occupational Therapist
LaRiah Albrecht, COTA
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant
LaRiah grew up in New Mexico and Utah. She started her career with autism as an ABA therapist at Whole Child Therapy while completing her prerequisites for school. When (very sadly) moving on from WCT, she continued to gain almost 4 years of experience working with children and adults with intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, and autism through job coaching, direct support, and managing a day program. She eventually graduated as a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) from the OTA program at Salt Lake Community College and circled back to her roots at Whole Child Therapy. She is currently advancing her occupational therapy degree through a post-professional OTA program online while working at Whole Child Therapy and is completing courses that will expand her knowledge about working with her clients in OT. She loves her work as a COTA and loves building relationships with clients and their families. LaRiah is very passionate about advocating for neurodiversity and hopes to learn as much as she can from her coworkers, clients, and their families. In her free time, she loves to draw and paint for her art shop and see her family.
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Kenzie graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Child Development in 2018. She went straight into her Master of Occupational Therapy program at Colorado State University and graduated in August of 2021. While attending school, Kenzie had the opportunity to work with children as a preschool teacher, camp counselor, in an after-school program, and more. She is passionate about supporting children and families and is so excited to start her career as an occupational therapist with Whole Child Therapy! In her free time, Kenzie loves to spend time with her family and friends, play games, explore the outdoors, read, and bake!
Mackenzie Brown, OTR
Occupational Therapist
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Alyssa is from Logan, Utah. She earned a BS degree in Human Movement Sciences from Utah State University. Alyssa worked as a Motor Aide for a school district in Cache Valley before continuing her education at the University of Utah, where she graduated with her Master of Occupational Therapy. Alyssa has experience working in a variety of settings including: Outpatient Pediatrics, Pediatric Home Health, Inpatient Rehabilitation, and Long-term Acute Care. In her free time, Alyssa loves having fun with her husband, Jake, and her family. She enjoys boating, hiking, skiing, reading, and mountain biking. Alyssa is passionate about working in pediatrics and thrives watching the children she works with learn, grow, and succeed!
Alyssa Merrill, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Jackie grew up in Chicago, IL and recently moved to Utah from Michigan. Jackie graduated from Wayne State University with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2022. Her clinical experiences include internships in an outpatient hospital and two public schools. She loves working with children and helping them learn to communicate better. Jackie’s favorite activities include hiking, rock climbing, snowboarding, camping, and traveling.
Jacqueline Schwartz, SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Abbey grew up in Riverton Utah and attended the University of Utah for a Bachelor's degree in the Science of Communication Disorders and a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology. She has always known she would work with kids and started out as an RBT providing ABA therapy in Salt Lake. One of her passions is working with kids with severe and complex communication needs and she is a huge advocate for alternative and augmentative communication (AAC). The thing she loves most about being an SLP is the feeling that fills the room when a person feels like their communication is understood. Outside of work, Abbey loves spending time with her husband, nieces and nephews, and cat. She loves being outdoors, being around animals, and doing random arts and crafts.
Abbey Rasmussen, SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Haley currently going to BYU, studying Communication Disorders with a plan to eventually go to graduate school to become an SLP. She loves to hike, visit National Parks, and play her guitar. Haley is passionate about ABA because it's a wonderful thing to come to work and be around coworkers and families that are all working towards improving the lives of children with Autism in whatever way they can.
Haley Matthews
SLPA, Speech Technician
Nicole earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from BYU in 2017, and her Masters of Education in Behavior Analysis from the University of Cincinnati in 2020. Nicole and her husband met when they were 14 years old, got married a decade later, and now have 1 daughter. They love camping and going to the beach every year with their family. Behavior analysis wasn't the field Nicole planned on going into, but the more she pursued it the more interested she became. She loves the kids and families she gets to work with! Nicole's biggest career goal would be to create assessments for behavior analysis that remove ableism and bias from the way we interact with our clients, because she believes that our job should be to promote independence without trying to make autistic people "indistinguishable" from their neurotypical peers. Neurodiversity is beautiful and should be celebrated, and she wants to help the field of ABA fully embrace that.
Nicole Hood
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, Director of ABA Services
Lily Palmer
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst
Lily completed her bachelor's degree in special education at Brigham Young University in 2020 and her master's degree in special education- behavior analysis at the University of Utah in 2022. In addition to working as a behavior analyst, she also works as a middle school special education teacher. Lily grew up mostly in Asia, including the Philippines, China, and Taiwan. In her free time she loves hiking, camping, refinishing furniture, puzzles, and spending time with her husband and two dogs. A fun fact about Lily is that she is a triplet!
Aubrey is Married to her husband Zach and has 3 kids. Her oldest son has ASD and is her reason behind perusing a career as a BCBA. Aubrey knows what it is like to struggle to parent a child with ASD and hopes to help parents feel more equipt to connect with their child! Aubrey is starting a Master's program in ABA at UVU. Upon graduating, she will work for a time as a BCBA and then wants to begin to make improvements to the ASD system such as policy changes and making ASD resources more available and affordable. Aubrey loves to play volleyball, read, and spend time with her family. She is excited to be a part of the Whole Child Therapy family and work with your amazing kiddos!
Aubrey Kidd
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst in Training
Amy graduated from Southern Utah University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 2020. She returned to SUU in 2021 to pursue a Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, with an emphasis in Non-profit Management and Leadership. Amy loves anything active! She threw discus for the SUU track and field team for 5 years. She is the youngest of 11 children, and LOVES spending time with her nieces and nephews. Amy's career goal is to pursue a BCBA, and work for Whole Child Therapy for the rest of her life!
Amy Pouliot
Technician Team Lead, Registered Behavior Technician
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Sierra grew up in Gilbert, Arizona and moved to Utah Valley for school. She loves teaching and problem solving. She has worked with kids with learning disabilities since high school and loves every minute of it. In her free time she loves to read and write and to spend time with her family. She plans to eventually go to school to become a COTA.
Sierra Pratt
Registered Behavior Technician
Lena is currently going to school at Utah Valley University majoring in Pre-Occupational Therapy. Some activities she enjoys doing are camping, fishing and spending time with her friends and family. Lena is also an identical twin! She is passionate about helping clients learn how to cope with behaviors and be more independent. Her plan is to continue her education and get a degree as an Occupational Therapist.
Lena Hill
Registered Behavior Technician
McKenzie grew up in small town Aurora, UT and moved up to Utah County to work at Whole Child Therapy. She recently graduated with her associates degree from Snow College down in Ephraim, UT and is hoping to go to Utah Valley University next fall majoring in ABA to continue this career path she is on. She enjoys being with family and friends, being in the great outdoors, traveling the country, and trying new hobbies. Kids bring her joy and love that she cannot find anywhere else! McKenzie loves seeing people change and becoming successful which is why she loves her job!
McKenzie Mason
Registered Behavior Technician
Sara is from Spanish Fork, Utah and currently attends BYU where she is studying to be a Child Life Specialist, obtaining her bachelor's degree in Family Studies with an emphasis in Human Development, as well as a minor in Psychology. She was part of the BYU Color Guard for the last four years, and has also spent the last four years teaching color guard at Maple Mountain High School. She really enjoys getting to be an RBT and is excited to continue getting to know and work with such wonderful kids! In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, watching shows, and hanging out with her friends and husband.
Sara Newman
Registered Behavior Technician
Anne has lived in Utah County her whole life. Before joining the Whole Child Therapy team, Anne worked as a kid's golf, tennis, and swim instructor and has a passion for working with children. She is currently majoring in Human Development at BYU and hopes to get a master's degree in Occupational Therapy. Her dream is to work with autistic children as an occupational therapist. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing the piano or violin, swimming, and hiking.
Anne Olsen
Behavior Technician
Edric is very happy to be a part of the Whole Child Therapy team! He has worked in various fields such as at restaurants, IT support, and construction, but has always been most interested in linguistics (English, Spanish, & Portuguese), the brain, and helping others! He is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Communication Disorders through Utah State in hopes to become a Speech Language Pathologist. He most loves spending time with his lovely wife and beautiful daughter. Together they love doing just about anything, from outdoor games, sports and camping to indoor crafts, movie nights or reading a good book!
Edric Thorup
Behavior Technician
My name is Devin Pope, but most people call me by my middle name (Cougar), but either one is great. I'm a freshman attending BYU, majoring in psychology with a minor in statistics. Whenever I'm sweating I'm usually having fun. I spend the warm parts of the year hiking, swimming, playing volleyball and getting baked under the sun. When the winter comes I just hide inside and hold out until it's over.
Devin Pope
Behavior Technician
Morgan is from Modesto, California. She is currently majoring in Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University in hopes of becoming a Speech Pathologist. Morgan loves spending time with family and friends and loves playing sports.
Morgan Andrews
Behavior Technician
Rebeca was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, she is currently going to Utah Valley University for a degree in psychology. She hopes to further her education and become a bcba. Rebeca loves spending time with family and friends, she's very excited to be working with amazing kids and helping them succeed!
Rebeca Cabrera
Behavior Technician
Born and raised in Utah. Loves nature and spending time with friends and family. Loves to cook and craft.
Lindsey Caldwell
Behavior Technician
Joey is from South Texas! He majored in psychology at Brigham Young and is a first generation graduate. He enjoys reading, cooking, and shopping.
Joey Mena
Behavior Technician
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Eli grew up in Utah and loves working with people. He worked as a CNA in a memory care facility for 3 years and found a passion for service. He loves movies and talking and getting to know people.
Eli Williams
Behavior Technician
Carlie loves backpacking, soccer, and being with people. She is from Idaho. She is currently studying communication disorders to become and Occupational Therapist!
Carlie Stoker
Behavior Technician
Hannah is from Seattle, Washington. She attends BYU and is studying psychology. She is also a ballroom dancer.
Hannah Mattson
Behavior Technician
Kylie is from St. George, UT. She is currently studying psychology at UVU.
Kylie Shepherd
Behavior Technician
Abigail is from Payson, UT. She lives there with her husband and puppy, Scout! They love to paddle board, go to concerts, and visit Disneyland.
Abigail Strebel
Behavior Technician
Brooke is currently attending BYU. She enjoys cooking and painting in her free time.
Brooke Hall
Behavior Technician
Mollie is from Lehi, Utah. She is currently attending UVU and is studying respiratory therapy. She loves being outside and hanging out with friends and family.
Mollie Miyasaki
Behavior Technician
Jessica is from Springville. She graduated from BYU in special edication. She worked at an elementary school for 3 years before deciding to pursue a Master's Degree. She loves spending time outdoors with her husband and 2 dogs. She enjoys trying new things such as crafts, sports and even raising chickens!
Jessica Anderson
Behavior Technician
Lauralyn is a senior at UVU and will be graduating in the Spring of 2024 with her Bachlores in psychology. She has a deep love of the arts and plans to pursue drama therapy, she loves working with kids. She is super grateful to be apart of Whole Child Therapy.
Lauralyn Malmstrom
Behavior Technician
Brookelle is the oldest of 10 kds from Yakima Wasington. She has worked as a Registered Behaviour Technician for the past 2 years and just graduatd with a degree in Communication Disorders. She loves music, being outside and makeing people smile!
Brookelle LeFevre
Registered Behavior Technician
Allison lives in Provo, she graduated BYU and us getting her masters to become a BCBA. She loves Thai food and spending time with her dog Baja.
Allison Pacheco
Behavior Technician
Ella lives in Vineyard, she grew up in South Jordan. She played socccer growing up. She is currently attending UVU and is majoring in Social Work.
Ella Pierce
Behavior Technician
Brinnley Christofferson is a graduate student in an ABA program through Pepperdine. She got her undergraduate at BYU. She loves to garden, play tennis. read, ride bikes and play with her dog.
Brinnley Christofferson
Behavior Technician
Sydney is originally from Arizona and she moved up here to Provo to go to school at UVU. She has an interest in speech education. She loves people, talking, singing, reading and she loves to laugh
Sydney Rose
Behavior Technician
Morgan is twenty and she's from a small town called Stansbury Park. She loves animals mainly horses. She enjoys nature and learning about how things work. The brain and psychology has piqued her interest. Morgan hopes to become a therapist one day!
Morgan Johnson
Behavior Technician
Caitie is from St. George. She has seven siblings and fourteen nieces and nephews. She loves to hike, camp, and do anything outdoors. She is currently studying human development at BYU.