Staff
Executive Director
ICDL Advisory Board, Colorado State University Affiliate Faculty, Salem State University Visiting Assistant Professor
Virginia Spielmann is an Occupational Therapist and the Executive Director of STAR Institute for Sensory Processing. She obtained her PhD in Infant and Early Childhood Development in August 2021 and is Visiting Adjunct Faculty at Salem State University Occupational Therapy Department, and Affiliate Faculty at Colorado State Department of Occupational Therapy. She is a published author, researcher, and well-travelled and masterful public speaker.
Dr.…
Treatment Center
Mim Ochsenbein, MSW, OTR/L has been a practicing pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years. She received her BSc in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1996 and her MSW from the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2012. She has received advanced training in sensory integration (SIPT certification, STAR ProCert1, STAR ProCert2), listening therapy (Therapeutic Listening, iLs), feeding therapy (SOS), DIR, mental health (DC:0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood), and infant massage (CIMI…
Joelle graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. She then received her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Arizona, where she completed a LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) Fellowship as well as a certification in working with bilingual populations.
Prior to working at STAR Institute, Joelle completed her clinical fellowship at JFK Partners, a program of the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she focused on the assessment and…
Jayna graduated from Simpson College with a bachelor's degree in biology and Spanish. She then completed a doctorate in occupational therapy at Creighton University. Jayna was the first Occupational Therapy Pediatric Resident (now called Fellowship) with Creighton University following her occupational therapy degree. During this time, she received advanced training in Sensory Integration and Processing, feeding, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and education. Jayna has worked in a variety of pediatric settings prior to coming to STAR Institute and is Board Certified in Pediatrics through…
Chelsea graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Human Services from Kansas State University in 2014 and then in 2018 graduated from Pueblo Community College with an Associate of Applied Science Occupational Therapy Assistant. Since 2018 she has worked in multidisciplinary team pediatric outpatient settings and post-acute care rehab with adults. She has supervised four OTA students and in May 2022 presented for OTAC on social emotional development in children and teens with her past supervising OTR. Chelsea enjoys building relationships with families and helping them…
Kaitlyn graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies. She then graduated top of her class from Midwestern University with her Masters in Occupational Therapy. During her time as a student, Kaitlyn completed a clinical rotation at Gundersen Health Systems working in the pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit. There she collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to provide education, treatment, plan of care, and discharge recommendations to patients. She then completed a clinical rotation at the STAR Institute furthering her…
Ariel graduated from the University of Florida with her Bachelor of Science in Health Education in 2018 and received her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2022. During her time at the University of Florida, Ariel was an active member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association and the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity, where she was able to enhance her understanding of various aspects of the field of occupational therapy including the importance of learning about diversity and striving for cultural humility. Ariel was selected to be an INSPIRE scholar through…
Paulina received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She then completed her Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Paulina’s training and clinical experience began centered around the DIR/Floortime model in outpatient pediatric settings both in Chicago and Italy. Paulina has completed the STAR Institute Intensive Mentorship Program Level 1 and holds a Profectum Level 1 Certificate in the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based Model/Clinician (CL1).
Paulina’s special…
Alexa graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science. She then went on to complete her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Belmont University. Alexa’s doctoral capstone was on the role of occupational therapy in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and sensory modulation in POTS. She has spoken on POTS at the AOTA Inspire Conference and Dysautonomia International Annual Conferences.
Alexa has experience practicing in outpatient, early intervention, and home health settings. Alexa is passionate about providing…
Rachel graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from the State University of West Georgia and received her Masters in Education in School Counseling from Georgia State University. Following three years of work as a high school counselor, Rachel served for two years in Burkina Faso as a Peace Corps volunteer, working in the sector of Girls’ Education and Empowerment. Prior to coming to STAR Institute, Rachel worked in community mental health with families of children and teenagers who were in the foster care, adoptive, juvenile or truancy court systems. This multi-faceted work included…
Kayla has more than 10 years experience with children, adolescents and their families. She has supported clients in the private clinic, outpatient pediatric hospital, and school settings. Prior to working at STAR Institute, Kayla worked in a multi-disciplinary, collaborative team at a nationally recognized children’s hospital as well as a relationship based school serving individuals with complex sensory-motor, communication, and learning differences.
Kayla’s treatment lens is rooted in relationships, building trust through respectful interactions, and presuming competence with the…
Carrie received her Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Arizona in 2004. Prior to joining STAR Institute, Carrie worked in Southern California and practiced in several different pediatric settings including a multidisciplinary SPD clinic, public schools, a hospital-based mental health treatment program, and private practice clinics. She served as an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) specialist and has experience developing and running social skills programs. Carrie has taken the University of Southern California Advanced Training…
Dr. Courtney McDonnell is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Colorado. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and went on to earn her Master’s degree and Doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. She completed her pre-doctoral training at the Casa Pacifica Centers for Children & Families in Camarillo, CA and her post-doctoral training at Atlanta Psychological Services in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. McDonnell comes to the STAR Institute with extensive experience working with children and their…
Andrea “Dezi” Valdez received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2015 and went on to earn her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Creighton University in 2023. While in OT school, Dezi applied for and was accepted into the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) Institute for Future Scientists in Occupational Therapy, which was an event where students could meet and network with the leaders in occupational therapy research. She completed fieldwork rotations at Sensory Kids in Portland, OR; Lincoln Regional Center in Lincoln, NE…
Consultants
Jackie Bartell, M.Ed., has been working in the field of special education for over 30 years. She has worked with special needs children in a variety of settings, including both private and public schools, as well as consulted with families in their homes. She draws on her experiences, that include work with Stanley Greenspan and Serena Weider, with insights that help professionals and parents to understand the relationship they have with their child and how to apply the DIR model within a home or school setting.
As an expert training leader for ICDL, she provides online and in-…
Throughout over 25 years as a speech-language pathologist, Jennifer has developed extensive knowledge and experience in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and has presented at the state and national levels.
Her clinical experience in the public schools, private clinics, early intervention programs, and community-based adult workshops and group homes, informs and drives Jennifer’s interests in developing the communication and language abilities of children and adults with complex communication needs. As a result, Jennifer appreciates the unique perspective…
Mariah Person joined STAR Institute in 2020 excited to partner alongside STAR Institute's commitment to social, occupational and disability justice.
Mariah is an aspiring dance movement therapist with a passion for helping people to heal and develop through movement, and advocating for the significance of stimming for health and wellness. Mariah creates accessibility conscious curriculum for their dance/creative movement students and collaborates to create "autistic space" events.
Mariah received their official autism diagnosis at the age of 25, in July 2019. Mariah's…
Kieran Rose is a published Writer and International Public Speaker whose essays at www.theautisticadvocate.com have been read by over a million people and cited in numerous research papers.
With a background in Education and service delivery, Kieran delivers his own specialist Autism training to families and Professionals and provides private consultancy for charities and organisations across the world that support Autistic children, adults and their families. An experienced international public speaker, Kieran regularly…
Dr. Kay Toomey is a pediatric psychologist who has worked for nearly 30 years, with children who don’t eat. She is the developer of the highly effective, family-centered SOS Approach to Feeding in successful use worldwide to assess and treat children with feeding problems. In addition to being a Clinical Consultant for the Feeding Clinic at STAR Institute, Dr. Toomey speaks nationally and internationally about her approach. She also acts as a consultant to Gerber Products. Dr. Toomey helped establish The Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oral Feeding Clinic in Denver and Rose Medical Center’s…
Education Center
Pam joined STAR Institute as Education Program Manager in August of 2022, with a background in adult education, starting her career at RE/MAX International, working with realtors to obtain certifications and continue their education. From there, Pam found her way into Adult Ministries, overseeing adult biblical studies. When she is not at STAR, she has been known to volunteer her time in an array of areas from the British car community to teaching and leading bible studies, to working at a dance studio teaching strength and conditioning. But, at the end of the day her pride and joy is her…
Ewa joined the STAR team in April 2023 as the Education Coordinator. She has a master's degree in human resources and considers herself a people person. Ewa is a traveler by heart. Her greatest journey started a few years ago when she moved to the US. Since then, Ewa lived in 6 different states, finally choosing Colorado as her home. Now she’s focused on her professional career and ready for new endeavors.
Research Center
Dr. Schoen is the Director of Research at STAR Instititue. She is an occupational therapist with over 30 years of clinical experience and a doctorate in occupational therapy from New York University (2001). She completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship awarded by the Developmental Psychobiology Research Group at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Psychiatry, under the mentorship of Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. She is a co-author of the Sensory Processing 3 Dimensions Scale currently being standardized by Western Psychological Services. Dr. Schoen is an Associate…
Marketing
Crystal is a creative professional with over 15 years of experience in strategy development, marketing, design, and project management. She has a Design Management degree from the Art Institute of Colorado. Crystal has a strong customer service philosophy, developed leadership, and effective management. These attributes allow her to drive creative insights and brand messaging that align with the wants, needs, and budgets within her current role and projects.
As part of the STAR team, Crystal's expertise and wide-range skill set allow her to elevate STAR's marketing and fundraising…
Operations
Tory started at STAR in 2020 as the Executive Assistant to Dr. Virginia Spielmann and has since grown into the role as the Development & Fundraising Officer. She works with all of our generous donors, community partners, and outside organizations. Tory has her B.A. in Special Education and over 14 years of experience working in both programmatic and administrative areas of non-profits. She is thrilled to use her skills to support the mission of STAR and spread awareness of sensory health and wellness. It is her belief that when we educate on and implement sensory-informed practices…
Ann is the Operations Coordinator at STAR, supporting the executive and clinical teams with all things administrative. She is also a Master of Arts in Counseling student at Regis University pursuing licensure as an LPC and further training in Jungian Analysis. Ann is passionate about holistic wellness and is excited to support the STAR team in their pursuit of delivering sensory health to the world. In her free time, Ann enjoys video games, art, yoga, and learning about spiritualities and cultures from around the world. On the weekends she can be found at your local coffee shop or at the…
Andrea will be your personal guide into STAR Institute’s treatment program. In most cases, she will be the staff member to respond to your inquiries when you contact us. She will review your developmental history form and make recommendations about how to proceed. She conducts intake evaluations and helps coordinate programs for families coming to STAR Institute from out of town. Andrea has managed therapy clinics since completing her college degree in management and marketing.
Front Office Team
Jessica will be your point of contact if you have questions or concerns regarding Billing/Insurance or any general questions regarding STAR’s process. She has 20+ years of experience working in a Customer Care role where 5 of those years were dedicated to being an Admin & Support Staff to Adults with Disabilities. During her off times, she enjoys playing video games, board games, photography, outdoor activities, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog.
Kayla comes to us with a variety of talents and experiences from customer service to education. She has her Bachelor’s in Psychology, and after several years as a preschool teacher decided to pursue her Master’s in Divinity. When she’s not at STAR Kayla leads the children’s program at her church, and enjoys adding to her library, catching up on her favorite TV shows, visiting the family farm, and playing board games, D&D, and PokemonGo.
Cre'ghnaija Moye joined STAR Institute in 2023 as the Client Care Coordinator. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and hopes to use it alongside her other social and mental health studies to bring holistic thinking/ methods.
To further pursue a career and education, Cre'ghnaija made the move to Colorado to work in a space that shared a similar set of values. Cre'ghnaija hopes to bring a sense of comfort to families as well as her skill set to STAR. When she is not at STAR, she is out actively finding ways to give back to the community, indulging in the arts, or…
Founder
As founder of the first comprehensive Sensory Processing Disorder research program nationwide and author of groundbreaking Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder and No Longer A SECRET: Unique Common Sense Strategies for Children with Sensory or Motor Challenges, Dr. Lucy…