Professionals



Brien Cook
Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Cook is the Chief Financial Officer for Cook Speech and Language, Inc. His background includes experience with the computer industry, where he worked in sales and marketing for such companies as Apple Computer and EPSON America. In 2004, he left the technology sector and started Mix It Up! which sells and rents frozen beverage machines.

In addition to his duties with Mix It Up! he has played an integral role in the launching of Cook Speech and Language, Inc. with his wife, Holly Cook. They have formed the perfect partnership with each being responsible for a particular aspect of the business. Mrs. Cook oversees all clinical matters as well as supervising our speech and language pathologists. Mr. Cook meanwhile handles all of the accounting, marketing, and day-to-day operations.

When not working he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, DIY projects, and spending time with his family and dog Bodie.

 

Kathleen Nannery-Quijas, M.S.
Speech Pathologist

Kathleen Quijas received her undergraduate degree in speech pathology at California State University, Hayward, and her graduate degree from the California state University, Humboldt. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of speech pathology, and has worked in a variety of setting including hospital pediatrics, habilitation, school based therapy, and as a classroom teacher for children with communication delays.

Mrs. Quijas holds a State License in Speech Pathology. She has been trained in SCERTS, PECS, sensory motor integration techniques, and is a Specialist in Autism Studies through UC Davis. Her areas of interest include language and behavior, and preschool intervention. When not working, Kathleen enjoys spending time with her husband and their two college aged daughters.

 

Julie Siebensohn, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist

Julie received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from California State University, Sacramento. Julie has nearly five years of experience working as a school-based Speech and Language Pathologist. She also has experience in the hospital setting. Julie has expert knowledge in the identification and treatment of a variety of communication impairments including articulation delays, disfluency and delayed language skills.

Julie holds a California State License for Speech Pathology, and maintains the Clinical Certificate of Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association.  Julie is also a Hanen-certified Speech Pathologist, trained in family-focused early language intervention for young children with expressive and/or receptive language delays.

In her free time, Julie enjoys maintaining a healthy mind and body through yoga, weight training and the occasional hike through Auburn canyon with her husband.

 

Christine Chain, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist

Christine received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from San Jose State University. During her graduate program at San Jose State, she participated in an Early Intervention Grant that focused on early childhood language assessment and intervention. Christine spent her first five years working as a school-based speech language pathologist, while also working in skilled nursing facilities. Since the birth of her first child in 2005, she has worked in adult day health care centers as well.

Christine holds the Clinical Certificate of Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as a California State License for Speech Pathology.

When not working, Christine is home taking care of her three children, Brandon, Olivia, and Abigail. She enjoys photography, scrapbooking, and spending time with her husband, children, and dog.

 

Amy Samson, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist

Amy received her Masters degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from San Jose State University. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Hope International University in Fullerton, CA. Amy spent her first three years working as a school-based speech language pathologist, serving ages 4-14 with a variety of communication disorders. Her professional interests include using assistive technology and working with severely handicapped children.

Amy holds the Clinical Certificate of Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as a California State License for Speech Pathology.

In her free time, she enjoys photography, playing board games, snow skiing, and spending time with her husband and baby.

 

Melissa Savage, M.S., CFY-SLP
Speech Pathologist

Melissa received her undergraduate degree in Audiology and Speech Pathology at Brigham Young University and her graduate degree in Communications Disorders and Sciences from California State University, Northridge. Melissa is currently working on her Clinical Fellowship year in order to obtain her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the America Speech and Hearing Association.

Melissa has four years of both full and part time experience as a speech pathologist, mostly in school settings. She has enjoyed working with children ages preschool through 8th grade with a variety of communication disorders. Her interests include early intervention, apraxia of speech, child speech and language delays, and the use of American Sign Language in language acquisition.

In addition to Speech Pathology, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and three young children, training for half marathons, traveling, and playing the flute.

 

Amy Wahlstrom, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist

Amy received her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. She holds her undergraduate degrees in theatre and vocal performance from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.

Amy’s professional interests include voice disorders and professional voice care, fluency, early intervention, child speech and language delay and the application of tele-health to speech language pathology.

Amy holds a California State License for Speech Pathology, and maintains the Clinical Certificate of Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). She is also LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment for individuals with Parkinson Disease) certified and is trained in the SCERTS and PROMPT methods. Amy has presented her research on aging voice and tele-health applications at the ASHA national conference.

In addition to speech language pathology, Amy enjoys singing, playing the piano, cooking, traveling and spending time with her fiancé James.

 

Jean Ready, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist

Jeanie received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida. During her graduate program at UCF, she participated in the consortium program which enabled her to work in the public schools while attending classes at night. Jeanie has been a school based therapist for the past five years. Professional interests include all areas of working with the severe handicapped population. Other areas of interest are articulation disorders, language delays and autism spectrum disorders.

Jeanie holds the Clinical Certificate of Competence from the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as a California State License for Speech Pathology.

When not working, Jeanie enjoys relaxing with her cat and dog as well as training for marathons. She is a very proud aunt and always looks forward to traveling back east to see her nieces and nephews.

 

Lisa Wood , B.S., SLP-A
Speech Pathologist Assistant

Lisa Wood graduated from California State University, Sacramento in May of 2009 and is a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant that has been working with Cook Speech and Language since December of 2009. Her ambition is to go back to school, obtain her doctorate in research and become a part-time Speech-Language Pathologist and university professor. Her major interests in the field pertain to autism spectrum disorder, American Sign Language and its benefits to language acquisition, and early intervention. She is delighted to be working with Cook Speech and Language and hopes to change the lives of the children she works closely with.

 

Katie Dealey
Speech Aide

Katie is currently finishing her Master’s in speech pathology at California State University, Sacramento. She graduated from U. C. Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and a minor in German. She has been helping out at Cook Speech and Language since January 2008, and has since then become very interested in working with early intervention.

 


 

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