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Samantha Swensen, MS OTR/L Lead Occupational Therapist Samantha attended East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy, and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology. Samantha specializes in autism spectrum disorders, sensory integration and assistive technology. She primarily works with preschool and school aged children. Samantha adores spending time with her family and her dog Harry. She also enjoys crafts, woodworking, outdoor activities and playing guitar. |
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Kendra Cooper, OTR/L
Kendra is a Summa cum laude graduate of McMaster University with a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy(Bhsc OT). She has 20 years of clinical experience in a range of settings including mental health, outpatient rehabilitation and in aquatic therapy. She has a passion for mental health and working with children. Kendra currently works as a telehealth OT in Kayenta schools. She promotes mental health OT practice as a Co Chair on the Arizona OT Association's Special Interest Section in Mental Health. In her free time Kendra enjoys traveling with her husband, reading and is an avid swimmer. |
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Tanya Dzingle, MOTR/L
Tanya joins the Occupational Therapy team at NRTA to provide virtual OT services and supervision. Tanya grew up in Nebraska and obtained her Bachelor of Science at University of Nebraska at Kearney. Tanya’s Master of Occupational Therapy was obtained at the Glendale campus of Midwestern University. Having worked 24 years in the OT field, Tanya has provided telehealth at Sierra Vista Unified School District (3 years), Good Samaritan Society (5 years), and 7.5 years with Litchfield Park Unified School District. Areas of specialities that Tanya has are in sensory integration, mental health and emotional regulation, visual-motor integration, visual perception, feeding and oral motor therapy, and Autism Spectrum disorders. Tanya is currently living in her home state of Nebraska but has worked in Arizona most of her career. She and her husband (and their five kids) enjoy participating in Special Olympics events, camping, being at the lake, doing yoga, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. |
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Lesley Geyer, MA OTR/L
Lesley is a virtual Occupational Therapist with NRTA, providing therapy services virtually to clients. She attended the University of Pennsylvania to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. Afterwards, Lesley attended New York University to obtain her Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy. She has been practicing in her field for over 45 years. Lesley has work experience at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, providing school based services in the Philadelphia area, providing virtual therapy to students at Arizona Virtual Academy, performing assistive technology evaluations to Philadelphia preschool students, and 3 years of providing virtual OT services through NRTA. Lesley specializes in early intervention, sensory integration and processing, assistive technology, and Tourette syndrome. She currently provides virtual therapy services to the Kayenta, Hopi, and Hotevilla communities. Lesley runs a cat TNR (?) program and kitten rescue, and owns retired racing Greyhound dogs. I love gardening, kayaking, and paddleboarding. |
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Samantha Kaspryzk, OTD OTR/L Samantha earned a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Public Health from Northern Arizona University in 2012. She went on to earn a Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Northern Arizona University at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in 2019. Sam specializes in neuro rehabilitation and in working with rural and underserved populations. Sam loves working with babies. She works on the AzEIP team serving families in Flagstaff, Williams, and the Grand Canyon. |
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Lisa Larez, MS OTR/L Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and a Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Lisa has been a practicing occupational therapist in Northern Arizona for over 10 years. She provides home, clinic, and school-based therapy. She has worked with a variety of clients of all ages and their families. Lisa especially loves working with assistive technology, sensory diets, and motor development. |
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Brenda Kania Neeley Certified OT Assistant/L Brenda earned an Associates Degree from Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin. Brenda has been servicing the pediatric population of Northern Arizona for over 14 years. She currently provides school based Occupational Therapy out on the Hopi and Navajo Reservations. She also has experience servicing children in our NRTA clinic and out in the surrounding communities. In her free time Brenda enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, cooking, camping and recreating outdoors. |
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Karina Olson, MS OTR/L Karina studies Exercise Science at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. She went on to earn a Master of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Karina has experience working in outpatient and acute care. She works in the schools and in home-based therapy. She is passionate about her profession, and she is interested in working with all ages of people to assist them with their functional goals. Karina recently joined the AzEIP team, working with families in Page. |
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Sydney Petersen, MS OTR/L Sydney earned her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. She has experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings and has worked in schools, clinic, and home-based settings. She has worked with all ages of clients from multiple ethnic backgrounds. Sydney has also led teams in rehabilitation tech and loves working in team- based therapy. |
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Bernadette Pierson, OTR/L
Bernadette is a graduate of Mount Mary College in Milwaukee and has been practicing OT since 1990. She has worked in an acute care hospital as well as outpatient services for hand patients. She currently specializes in oral motor skills, vestibular techniques for visual motor skills, sensory processing, Myofacial Release, and energy work as a Reiki Master. She provides services in the Page area and the Navajo Nation. She enjoys working with children with autism, cerebral palsy, severe special needs, as well as children who need help with fine motor skills. She also assists with adult services at the Page Hospital. |
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Nicole Rambeau, MS OTR/L Nicole earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Ball State University in Indiana. She then went on to earn a Master of Occupational Therapy from Pacific University in Hillsboro, Oregon. She specializes in working directly with parents and their children and has worked with all ages, from young infants to adults in their 90’s. Nicole has also had experience working in skilled nursing, in-patient rehab, and outpatient pediatrics. In her spare time, she loves exploring Northern Arizona and spending time with her family. |
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Marisa Schwartz, MOTR/L
Marisa is a virtual Occupational Therapist with NRTA, providing services virtually to clients that qualify. She attended Quinnipiac University to obtain her Bachelor of Science. Also at Quinnipiac, she got her Master degree in occupational therapy. She has been practicing for over 15 years and has held positions doing teletherapy with Global, HopeHealth Hospice, California Regional Center, and four years with the United States Navy. Marisa specializes in early intervention swallow therapy, hospice care (acute inpatient). Marisa is a proud dog mom to a beloved Pitbull mix named Ragnar.
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Linda Westlin, OTR/L Linda attended George Washington University in Washington DC where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She received her Post Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Linda has been practicing for over 20 years in both hospital and school settings. Linda specializes in sensory integration and sound-based therapy. In her spare time Linda enjoys ringing hand bells, kayaking, visiting family, and hiking. |