Meet Our Therapists

Emilie Straka McLeod, MS CCC-SLP

Emilie S. McLeod opened Straka Pediatric Therapies Castle Rock in 2014. She received her B.S. from CU-Boulder and her M.S. from Towson University in Maryland. Emilie has received specialized training in P.R.O.M.P.T; Beckman Oral Motor Therapy; Talk Tools: A Sensory Motor Approach to Apraxia and Motor Speech Disorders, DIR/Floortime; Hanen “It Takes Two to Talk”; SOS Approach to Feeding; Melanie Potock’s Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Masterclass; and Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing; as well as the incalculable knowledge she’s gained working alongside many other fabulous speech language pathologists, occupational therapists and early childhood special educators. Emilie’s therapy style is motivating and fun, and she loves to hear she’s made therapy a positive experience for her patients. Emilie lives in Castle Rock with her husband, Tripp, their son, Bode, and a sweet and wild wheaten terrier named Finley. It is a true joy in her life to make speech and occupational therapy an easy, happy experience for Straka Pediatric Therapies families.

To contact Emilie, email emilie@strakatherapies.com.

Amber Rea, MA CCC-SLP

Amber Rea joined the Straka Pediatric Therapies family in 2015. She earned her B.S. and M.A. degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and has built her clinical experience working with children with Autism, Down syndrome, stuttering difficulties, receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation impairments and social communication delays. She enjoys providing early intervention for infants and toddlers and has received specialized training in The Social Thinking Methodology and Fun with Fluency. Amber has developed a passion for working with children and adults who stutter and has co-presented at several conferences on topics related to assessment and treatment of preschool and school-age stuttering. She is the President of the Colorado-Speech-Language-Hearing-Association and co-founder of Hunter’s Hope Soaps, a local organization that employs young adults with developmental disabilities. In her free time, Amber loves curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee, exploring and traveling with her husband, Dalton, and their rescue pups, June and Sage.

To contact Amber, email amber@strakatherapies.com.

Kalen Niedling, MA CF-SLP

Kalen received her Bachelor of Science with a minor in Special Education, along with her Master of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She also played collegiate soccer for 5 years while obtaining both degrees. Prior to graduation, her internship experience consisted of working with adults and pediatrics in outpatient, inpatient, and school settings. Kalen’s areas of interest include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), feeding, gestalt language processing, parent coaching, receptive/expressive language, and working with children with Autism and Down Syndrome. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, playing pickleball and various outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends!

To contact Kalen directly, email kaniedling@strakatherapies.com

Nicole Metzendorf, MS CCC-SLP

Nicole grew up on the east coast for most of her life starting out in New Jersey then moving to New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, until recently moving to Colorado! She Received her Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from Ithaca College and her Master’s from SUNY Cortland. Nicole enjoys working with the Early Intervention age group as well as receptive/expressive language disorders, motor speech disorders, articulation/phonological disorders, and social pragmatic language. Outside of the office, Nicole enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, reading and watching funny dog videos! She loves hanging out with family and friends and cheering her husband on behind the Air Force men’s basketball bench! Go Falcons!

To contact Nicole directly, email nmetzendorf@strakatherapies.com

Lori C. Genrich, MA CCC-SLP

Lori attended Colorado State University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and then went on to University of Colorado-Boulder where she earned her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology.  Lori’s areas of interest include articulation/phonological development, receptive and expressive language development, stuttering and social communication. She loves working with all ages, but has a particular heart for early intervention. Some of the things she enjoys when Lori is not at work include spending  time with her husband and three growing children, visiting family and friends, hiking, skiing, walking her pup, and cheering her kids on at their volleyball and baseball games. 

To contact Lori directly, email lori@strakatherapies.com.

Stephanie Cormier, MS OTR/L

Stephanie Cormier received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2015 and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in Austin, Texas in 2018. Stephanie began her pediatric OT career in the school setting, serving elementary and middle schools. There, she had the opportunity to work with a variety of children, both in general education and those in specialized classrooms. She also has experience working in a pediatric home health setting. Stephanie is a Certified Infant Massage Coach and has received formal training in Handwriting Without Tears and Ready Bodies, Learning Minds. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, David, and their two energetic dogs, Tenzin and Maya. 

To contact Stephanie, email stephanie@strakatherapies.com.

Jamie Warner, COTA

Jamie Warner graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in 2009 with a degree in Psychology and Sociology. She spent several years working with children of all ages while working for Celebrity Cruises as a Youth Program Manager. Jamie went back to school at Pima Medical Institute and earned her degree and certification as an Occupational Therapy Assistant and has been working in pediatric settings since 2015. Her continuing education has included coursework on NDT, Sensory Integration, Early Development and Intervention, motor learning, and sensory-based feeding intervention. Jamie worked as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Children's Hospital Colorado working in the inpatient rehabilitation unit, NICU, Oncology, and Developmental Therapy teams for 4.5 years prior to joining the Straka Pediatric Therapies team. She loves working with patients of all ages and has a special interest in medically complex children and babies. Her favorite part of working with children is helping them master new skills and explore, learn and grow! Jamie is a Colorado native who loves hanging out with her husband, daughters, and huge dog Hank. She also enjoys baking, reading, and eating desserts in her free time. 

To contact Jamie, email Jamie@strakatherapies.com.

Ashley Collins, MOT OTR/L

Ashley received her Bachelor of Science in 2022 and Master of Occupational Therapy in 2024 from Quinnipiac University. Ashley’s passion for OT began as a teenager, when she began working with adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) through an integrative dance program. She has experience with populations across the lifespan in both outpatient and inpatient settings. She believes in using each child’s unique strengths and interests to promote progress toward their individual goals. Ashley is originally from Maryland and moved to Colorado in 2024. In her free time, she loves to hike, crochet, read, and explore Colorado with friends!

To contact Ashley, email Ashley@strakatherapies.com.

Nikkia Wheeler, MS OTR/L

Nikkia received her Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation at Central Michigan University and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Saginaw Valley State University. Since graduating in 2022, she has gained experience working with primarily pediatric populations in both school and outpatient clinic settings. Prior to becoming an OT, Nikkia found her passion for helping children while working as a Registered Behavior Technician and Preschool Teacher.  It was in those roles that she developed a desire to work with children and their families to help foster growth, independence, and confidence in their daily lives and routines. As a child’s primary occupation is play, Nikkia believes in learning and growing through fun and engaging interventions that are meaningful and relevant to a child’s life and goals. Prior to moving to Colorado in 2023, Nikkia lived in Michigan and spent several summers working in Big Sky, Montana. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, camping, and swimming and loves to explore local coffee shops and bookstores on her days off!

To contact Nikkia, email Nikkia@strakatherapies.com

Jaclyn Horchen, PT-DPT

Jaclyn received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and then continued on to earn my Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She began working in pediatrics right out of school. She's had the privilege of working with children of all ages and with various diagnoses including developmental delays, torticollis, idiopathic toe-walking, cerebral palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, orthopedic injuries, and many genetic disorders. She has a special interest in working with infants with torticollis and gross motor delays, with her continuing education coursework focusing on these areas. Jaclyn loves coming up with creative and fun interventions to keep kids engaged and to help them achieve their goals. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and running with her German Shepherd Arlo.

To contact Jaclyn, email jaclyn@strakatherapies.com.

Sarah Holtsclaw, PT-DPT

Sarah attended Western Michigan University where she earned her bachelor's degree in Exercise Science in 2019. She continued on to Regis University where she earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in 2024. She has always had a passion for working with children, dating back to her first job at a summer campground where she coordinated family events. This experience, coupled with many others throughout undergraduate and graduate schooling, has fostered her passion for working in pediatric therapy. Her special interests include working with and helping families with children and infants experiencing gross motor delays, torticollis, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and traumatic brain injuries. In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time hiking, camping, and Nordic skiing with her husband, Gabe, and Siberian Husky, Tikaani. She also enjoys reading, crocheting, weightlifting, and playing pickleball when she's not exploring the mountains.

To contact Sarah, email sarah@strakatherapies.com.

Lori Fangue, MA LPC

Lori received her Licensed Professional Counselor certification in 2015 while residing in Texas for nearly forty years.  Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Lori recently moved to Colorado with her husband to return to the majestic mountains and enjoy this next chapter in life.  Prior to coming to Straka, Lori worked within the welfare system as a Pediatric Trauma Therapist for children and families in foster and adoptive care for 15 years.  Her professional certifications include trauma-informed care, specifically TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention); attachment-focused therapy via Theraplay; and treatment of PTSD and anxiety/depression utilizing EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). 

Lori has a deep passion to educate parents and children regarding the importance of social-emotional health, equip them with tangible tools to create secure and nurturing connections, and ultimately empower families to take the next step towards hope and healing.  Her overseas consultation practice with humanitarian agencies and orphanages has provided her with a diverse worldview of human rights, equality, and social justice in a myriad of cultures.  Lori’s areas of discipline include in utero experiences, brain development in infancy and early childhood, creating cohesion within the family dynamic, attachment and connection, complex developmental traumas, grief and loss, and mental/emotional health. 

Lori enjoys spending her free time hiking in the mountains, camping along a lake, cuddled up with a good book, or celebrating life with her husband and three wonderful adult children. 

To contact Lori, email lofangue@strakatherapies.com

Britinni Rodrigues, Intake Coordinator

Britinni loves helping with any front desk needs and client questions. She has worked at Straka since August 2021 and adores the families she works with. She is the mother of two wonderful boys, including a special needs toddler. She has been a client at Straka since October of 2020 since moving here from Utah. Her hobbies include exercising, playing with her St. Bernard, and spending time with her family.

To contact Britinni, email intake@strakatherapies.com.

Ellie Muniz, Receptionist

Ellie just moved to Colorado from Texas; she is originally from Houston. Ellie moved here with her fiancé and beloved cat to be closer to family and experience a new state to live in. She is very excited to work with and get to know all of our families. You will see Ellie at the front desk mostly in the afternoons. Ellie has about 3 years of experience working with kids in the special needs community. Children with special needs have a special place in her heart. At the moment, she is working towards a Bachelors of Psychology. Ellie's favorite things to do are spend time with her family and explore her new state.