Meet the People in your Corner
We're a small, focused team of pediatric occupational therapists who love the early years and understand just how much they matter. When you work with Thrive, you get specialists who look at the whole child, meet your family where you are, and stay right beside you. You don't have to figure this out alone.
Meet Kati Olsen, the driving force behind Thrive Pediatric Wellness. With over 10 years of experience in Occupational Therapy, Kati’s journey started with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Grand Valley State University. Before specializing in pediatrics, she spent time in the stroke recovery department at NYU Lutheran Hospital learning neuro techniques she now includes with her pediatric clients.
Kati’s experience spans from ages 1 month to 10 years old, plus young adults. Kati began her Occupational Therapy career providing services to children in Manhattan and Brooklyn, NY within the home, sensory gyms and schools before settling in West Los Angeles.
Kati’s journey into lactation and infant development was sparked by her personal challenges she faced while breastfeeding her first son. A diagnosis of a lip and tongue tie led to a frenectomy which lead Kati to learn about the crucial pre and post-therapy phases. After this experience, she dove deeper into learning about lactation, earning her Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC) certification and pursing continuous education. Kati’s passion extends beyond lactation, driven by her son’s feeding challenges involving extreme picky eating and sensory oral motor issues. Her sessions blend feeding support with sensory integrative therapy, body work and developmental approaches, driven by a passion to guide families through similar obstacles.
Her holistic approach and incorporation of the family, is woven into her personalized treatment plans. Beyond therapy, Kati enjoys travel, trying new foods, exploring the outdoors and creating memories with her husband and three children.
Kati Olsen, MS, OTR/L, CLC
Founder; Occupational Therapist
Ashley Bonzell, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Ashley initially found Occupational Therapy after researching ways to use her creative background in theatre and art to help children with a variety of needs. She received her Master of Arts and Doctoral degrees in Occupational Therapy from USC Chan, in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and has been working in pediatrics for more than five years- in outpatient clinic, early intervention, and social skills programs. During her clinical residency, Ashley focused on a variety of projects in addition to clinical work. These included becoming certified in Sensory Integration; completing the pedagogy track for Sensory Integration instruction; co-authoring a series of four children’s books based in Sensory Integration theory; surveying occupational, speech, and physical therapists from seven pediatric clinics and analyzing the results to establish best practices for providing telehealth services; and co-developing and implementing a virtual parent support group during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Ashley is dedicated to providing holistic, high-quality, evidence-based care that is tailored to each family. In recent years, during her time as clinical faculty with USC Chan, Ashley presented at the OTAC 2023 Annual Conference on the Impact of Parent Mental Health on Child Emotional Regulation, based on a program she developed and implemented to address caregiver mental health and co-regulation, in the early intervention and clinic programs. She also developed and implemented a theatre-based social skills program which culminated in a play performance by a group of ten neurodivergent children, and presented at the AOTA 2024 Inspire Conference. Other projects have included developing a protocol for establishing sensory profiles in early intervention clients, updating the early intervention manual at an established clinic to promote best practices for therapists and assistant staff, and mentoring students enrolled in the USC Chan OT 610 Sensory Integrative Dysfunction course toward their Sensory Integration certification by providing hands-on training in the clinic setting.
Ashley has experience working with children aged 9 months - 18 years, in a variety of settings. Additional advanced practice includes working toward obtaining her Swallowing Assessment, Evaluation and Intervention (SWC) certification.
Sarina Cass, MA, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Sarina is a pediatric occupational therapist who believes the best therapy starts with building a genuine connection and meeting each child exactly where they are. She loves partnering with families to help children build the skills, confidence, and independence they need to thrive in their everyday lives.
Her approach is child-led, play-based, and individualized, with an influence from DIR/Floortime. She believes children learn best when they feel safe, connected, and truly understood, and she works hard to create a space where every child feels accepted for who they are.
Sarina has worked with children from birth through adolescence and draws from her educational background and interests in sensory integration, emotional regulation, social-emotional development, primitive reflex integration, and cognitive-behavioral therapy-informed approaches. She especially enjoys helping children build emotional awareness, motor, feeding, and social skills through meaningful activities that are tailored to their unique strengths, interests, and goals.
She also believes parents and caregivers are an important part of the therapeutic process. She enjoys collaborating with families and sharing practical, realistic strategies they can use throughout their daily routines so that progress continues outside the therapy room.
When she's not working, you'll usually find Sarina spending time with her baby girl and husband, hunting down the best pizza and sushi spots around LA, digging through record stores, chasing sunsets, or hosting dinner with family and friends.
Amanda Fleming
Office Manager
Amanda Fleming is the Office Manager at Thrive Pediatric Wellness and brings nearly 10 years of healthcare administration experience to the team. She is passionate about creating a welcoming, organized, and supportive experience for every family from their very first interaction with Thrive.
Amanda loves being one of the first people families connect with at Thrive Pediatric Wellness. She enjoys supporting the therapy team and helping make each family’s experience organized, welcoming, and stress-free from start to finish.
One of Amanda’s favorite parts of her role is getting to know the families and therapists she works with each day. She is proud to be part of a team that is committed to helping children reach their fullest potential and feels grateful to contribute to the meaningful work Thrive Pediatric Wellness does within the community.
Outside of work, Amanda loves spending quality time with her husband, family, traveling, and making memories with her adventurous cat, Maple. She enjoys exploring lakes and waterfalls, trying new foods, and discovering new places wherever her adventures take her. She believes some of life’s best moments come from experiencing something new and making meaningful memories with the people—and pets—she loves most.
Ready to meet your team?
Book a free 15-mintue call, and we’ll figure out the next steps for your family.
