Kati Olsen, MS, OTR/L, CLC

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.

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, savoring food and exploring the outdoors and creating memories with her husband and three children. Join Kati on a journey towards comprehensive well-being at Thrive Pediatric Wellness.

Ashley Bonzell, OTD, OTR/L

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.

Our Therapists have training in:

Tummy Time! Method

Get Permission Approach to Feeding

Talk Tools Sensory Motor Feeding Techniques

Beckman Oral Motor Techniques

SOS Feeding Protocol

Healthy Children Project: Certified Lactation Counselor Training

MNRI Reflex Intregration Course

Harkla Relfex Course

Lactation OT: Supporting Oral Motor Skills in the Infant

Lactation OT: Tongue Ties

Lactation OT: Therapeutic Use of Bottles for the Breastfed Infant

NDT

Sensory Integration and Sensory Motor Treatment and Assessment

Wilbarger Brushing Protocol

Vital Links: Astronaut Training

Vital Links: Eyesight to Insight; Vestibular and Visual Assessment and Treatment

Vital Links: Quickshifts Listening Program

The Alert Program

The Zones of Regulation

Mindfulness

Handwriting without Tears; Pre-K Readiness & Writing, K-5 Handwriting and The Print Tool Assessment