meet our team

making a difference, one voice at a time

Speech & Language Therapists

SHOLEH SHAHINFAR

Founder, Owner, M.A. CCC-SLP, RYT

Speech Language Pathologist
Certified Oral Motor Therapist
NLA and Gestalt Language Trained Therapist
Child Communication Specialist

A speech-language pathologist and certified oral motor therapist, Sholeh founded Valued Voices in 2014, shortly after a leap of faith landed her in a sought-after post- secondary teaching position in California. Within months she knew her highest calling was actually to make a significant positive impact on children’s lives.

As Founder and CEO of Valued Voices, Sholeh uses her gift in holistic Child Communication Development to empower children to connect to their authentic voice – helping them grow mentally and physically and form stronger relationships through self-expression. She works closely with entire families to ease the stress of the unknown and find and implement solutions to any communication challenges a child is experiencing.

Her desire to give children the tools to express their most authentic self was born out of her own childhood experiences with self-expression. While part of a close- knit, loving family, Sholeh still had difficulty speaking up and sharing her thoughts and feelings.

She learned through her studies and life experiences that you can express your “voice” through whatever modality fits your needs, whether that be speaking, gestures, a device, writing, art, or dance.

Sholeh has always prioritized family, and shortly before starting her speech and language therapy practice, she supported her cousin by attending her son’s speech therapy appointment with him. Through her participation at that one session, Sholeh realized that she longed to help children — and instantly decided to focus her expertise and ability to nurture on giving families the tools to grow together through connection.

A registered yoga teacher who’s also fluent in Farsi, Sholeh has an innate ability to create calm and promote mindfulness. When she’s not furthering her education outside of office hours, you can find her out in nature or at the beach with her pup Kobe.

Sholeh holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) and is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist.

Her practice is deeply rooted in the belief that we’re all connected. And that only through our connectedness can we reach and impact children to uplift their voices in the world.

ASHLEY TAYLOR

MSEd, CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist
Speech Sound Disorder Specialist
Child Communication Specialist

Ashley has always had a love and passion for supporting others to reach their goals. Being given the opportunity to help others every day brings Ashley a tremendous amount of joy and excitement. Ashley received her Master’s degree in science from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. There she was able to work with a wide range of clients in helping them reach their goals.

Ashley enjoys customizing her therapy approach to fit each client. She has a passion for clients that use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and clients with Speech Sound Disorders. Ashley enjoys problem solving and adapting each therapy session to help her clients. She has a deep love for helping give others a voice! Ashley is a new mom and enjoys going to the beach, reading, and cooking.

TAYLOR LASKY

M.S. CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist
Early Intervention Specialist
Child Communication Specialist

As a speech-language pathologist, Taylor finds purpose in empowering her clients and their families. Taylor’s priority is to create an upbeat, welcoming, family-focused environment for clients to build confidence as they grow. Taylor holds a Master of Science degree from Chapman University and feels grateful to use the knowledge gained through her educational, clinical, and personal experiences to touch the lives of others daily.

With a passion for early intervention, Taylor loves to utilize the power of play to maximize communication and social development! She blends fun with functionality to design dynamic and purposeful sessions for each of her clients. Taylor believes that there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach to speech therapy, so she always strives to harness each client’s unique set of strengths and areas of interest.

On the weekends, you can find Taylor at the beach reading a book, on a long walk with her dog Sadie, at the gym trying a new workout, or in a coffee shop planning her next road trip.

SARAH GAUSEPHOL

M.S. CF-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist
Child Communication Specialist

Sarah attended the University of Southern California where she received her undergraduate degree in neuroscience. She then obtained her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders at Chapman University, where she was distinguished as one of the top students in her class and received the Outstanding Student Clinician Award.

Sarah enjoys working with both adult and pediatric populations. She customizes therapy for individuals by utilizing the client’s strengths and passions to target their goals. Sarah strives to create a fun, positive, and safe atmosphere which is crucial to maximizing progress.

In her spare time, you will find Sarah gardening, playing pickleball, cooking at home with her friends and family, or caring for her cat.

On the weekends, you can find Taylor at the beach reading a book, on a long walk with her dog Sadie, at the gym trying a new workout, or in a coffee shop planning her next road trip.

KATHY TIEN

B.A. SLPA

Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
Child Communication Specialist

Kathy is a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant. She attended California State University Long Beach, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders in 2014. After graduating, she worked as an SLPA within the clinical setting throughout most of her career, and has recently gained experience in the school district.

Her passion is early intervention and facilitating functional communication through play-based therapy. She focuses on building a language rich environment that supports each individual and their families. She loves seeing her clients make progress and thrive in therapy!

During her spare time, Kathy enjoys riding her bike, going to the beach, game nights, and traveling to new places.

KAELYN GREEN

M.A. OTR/L

Occupational Therapist
Certified Sensory Integration Therapist

Kaelyn is a licensed occupational therapist who is passionate about working with children and their families in order to best address their needs and work towards their goals. She believes that occupational therapy is best conducted when the therapist is a partner who works with the child and family and looks to carryover that approach into her practice. She received her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton. She is certified by the University of Southern California in Sensory Integration and is an advocate for addressing underlying sensory functioning in order to improve occupational performance. She has extensive training working in pediatric outpatient clinics and in Her goal is to create a fun atmosphere that makes working towards a child’s goals and improving their occupational performance seem like playing games. When she is not working, you will find Kaelyn taking care of her two golden doodles, working in her garden, or taking trips to the Central Coast.

CLAUDIA KOCH

COTA/L

Occupational Therapist Assistant

Claudia is a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant who has a passion for helping others reach their goals. She received her Associates of Science degree at Stanbridge University, Irvine. While there, she had a great deal of training which included an emphasis in the training of the pediatric population in outpatient clinics.

Claudia’s goal is to provide the tools needed to help children bring out the best in themselves during each therapy session. She believes children can learn best by teaching in a fun setting through positive and meaningful activities.

As a new mom, her parenting experience validates her soft spot for children and creating a better environment for the new generations to come. Outside of work, Claudia enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, hiking, and eating at the best restaurants

GENNA HENDERSON

Administrative Director

Genna has been with Valued Voices since 2019, she joined the family after graduating with her bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in communication sciences and disorders from Pacific University in Oregon. Genna has always been passionate about helping give opportunities to others and believes all children have a joyous light inside them that deserves to be shown to the world. She knows that giving people the chance to express themselves allows them to reach new heights internally and in their communities.

As our administrative director, Genna is responsible for effectively implementing administrative procedures, maintaining a welcoming and organized environment, and most importantly making our families feel welcomed and supported.

As a former collegiate volleyball player, Genna stays active with regular exercise. She loves spending her time outside, doing ceramics, and trying new food.

JESSICA FABBRI

Office Assistant

Jessica is passionate about helping people and human development. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Human Resources, she has a wide variety of experience working for several years in different companies from around the world.

Jessica is originally from Brazil and has lived in Ireland and Italy. She loves to travel, experience new food, and new places. Jessica spends time reading and savoring good coffee. She also enjoys physical fitness and being close to nature.

For Jessica, mental health is an important topic. She cares about other people’s opinions, is a great listener, and is always willing to help others. Jessica is assisting with administrative tasks and helping to maintain the great environment at Valued Voices.

I appreciate the strong communication and flexibility provided. My son always leaves with a smile and continues to make progress each week.

Lindsay T

Sholeh is dedicated to helping her clients. She loves them and never gives up, even when, as in the case of our son, we were told nothing could be done.

Cheri F

We have been so impressed and we are truly grateful to have found Sholeh! Not only is she highly trained and educated, she is genuinely kind and patient! We cannot recommend her enough!

Missy D

My three year old son has been going to Valued Voices for about one year. He has made incredible progress.

Agnes D

Our son has been attending Valued Voices for about 6 months. He has made tremendous progress in the time that he has been working at Valued Voices.

Danielle C

We are so pleased to be part of the Valued Voices family. We appreciate the professionalism, the patience, and best of all, the genuine care you all have with my child. I look forward to all of Daisy’s accomplishments!

Teresa H

Valued Voices has been a blessing to us. Sholeh and her staff are exceptional. They are so sweet with my 3 year old boys, understanding when they have their meltdowns while gently pushing them to excel! I have seen their language and speech develop so much in a short period of time.

Sara

Sholeh is amazing and really helped my child. I have been going to her for a year. I love how she implemented her yoga teaching into my child’s session.

Cameron O

I am a seasoned speech language pathologist and I refer to Valued Voices. Sholeh goes beyond traditional therapy and incorporates breathing techniques to relax children, pet therapy with her dog Kobe, and talent/creativity.

Angela M

I’d say our son is probably the “worst case scenario” and Sholeh has gotten results, so we wholeheartedly recommend her for your loved one.

Cheri F

The staff is very knowledgeable, supportive, positive, and kind. I am very fortunate to have found such a caring place for my child. I highly recommend Valued Voices to anyone looking for amazing speech pathologists.