Who We Are

Amy Kuhl, MSOT, OTR/L
Owner & Founder

Amy has been working with children as an Occupational Therapist since 2014. She received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Ithaca College in 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of New Hampshire. She has since pursued advanced training and specialization in feeding therapy. Amy has also pursued training in holistic approaches to treatment including aromatherapy, mediation, nutrition, and craniosacral therapy.

Amy has experience in private practice, early intervention, and in schools. She has a deep passion for out-patient private practice and a strong belief in individualization for each child. She has observed the benefits of working closely with the family to achieve the most carryover from private sessions in the clinic into the home environment. Experience has taught her that this approach provides the best opportunity for the child to progress more quickly. Amy has had her own struggles in life and perceives that those experiences have brought an extraordinarily deeper perspective on life, broadening her skills and allowing for a profound understanding and empathy for the kids and families that she works with.

Amy chose to start Kuhl Therapies in 2018 because she wanted to develop a place where a unique and holistic approach is welcomed. Kuhl Therapies was founded to provide an environment for children and families that enriches the innate intelligence of each child, and supports those who care for them.

Kuhl Therapies is a place where each family member is heard and treated individually. Amy enjoys partnering with caregivers, and forming a team to empower the whole family. In this way, the child and family enter into a trusting relationship that forms a community of support.

Andrea Raffensperger, MSOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Andrea is a nationally board certified and Maryland state licensed occupational therapist. She received
her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Elizabethtown College in 2013, and came to Maryland from
Pennsylvania to begin her professional career.

Andrea has experience working with both adults and children, although pediatrics has always been her
true passion. She has experience working with children with physical and developmental disabilities,
with specialized experience in mental health. After working in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools,
and outpatient clinics, Andrea is so excited to join the team at Kuhl Therapies.

Andrea believes in a holistic approach to evaluation and treatment, and finds great joy in helping
children and families achieve their goals. Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family,
friends, and dog!

Rachel Moon, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Rachel is a Maryland and Virginia-licensed, nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist with experience working with the pediatric population in early intervention and outpatient settings. She received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Misericordia University in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Rachel has experience treating and assessing children with a variety of diagnoses, including Autism, Down Syndrome, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Fluency disorders, Language delays and disorders, and various other speech-related diagnoses. She has had experience completing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluations and treatment sessions using LAMP. Rachel’s favorite part of therapy is getting to collaborate and educate families on a daily basis. She loves to watch her patients grow and make progress toward their goals.

She currently lives in Alexandria VA with her two puppies and has been enjoying getting to know the northern VA and MD areas.

Jessica Yoon, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist

Jessica is a physical therapist who graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Andrews University in 2019, after completing her Bachelor of Health Science at the same university. She has spent the following years working with kids in the outpatient, home, and school setting. She has experience providing therapy for children who may have a diagnosis of developmental delays, autism spectrum, neurological diagnoses, vestibular dysfunctions, concussions, and orthopedic injuries. She is currently working on getting her board certification in pediatrics.

Jessica loves creating fun activities and exercises as well as coming up with innovative ways to boost children towards their goals and progress gross motor development. She loves incorporating individual interests and getting the whole family involved. On her off time, Jessica enjoys exploring the outdoors and traveling.

Nina Gallelli, PT, DPT
Physical Therapist

Nina is the Department Head of Physical Therapy at Kuhl Therapies. She graduated with her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Arcadia University in 2017, after completing her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Penn State. While at Arcadia University, Nina participated in research conducted at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia regarding physical activity trends in children with Down Syndrome. She later spent three years in the outpatient orthopedic treatment setting (Pivot Physical Therapy), but her true passion is treating pediatric patients. She has experience optimizing movement and function in children with developmental delay, autism spectrum, neurological diagnoses, torticollis, concussion, and sports injuries.

Nina believes that with the right balance of therapeutic exercise, family education, and fun, that we can empower children to participate fully in home, school, and extra-curricular activities! Nina is currently living with her husband Nicholas and cat Biscuit in Annapolis, MD and in her off-time she enjoys traveling, dance, and cheering on her favorite Philadelphia and Penn State sports teams!

Stephanie Crowley, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Stephanie is a Maryland-licensed, nationally-certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) from Silver Spring. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Spanish from Gettysburg College in 2009 and her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from The George Washington University in 2012.

Stephanie has worked as an SLP with children and adults in private practice, public school, and hospital settings. She has experience assessing and treating individuals with needs in all areas of communication and is trained and/or certified in a number of interventions, including: Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and Phono-Graphix Reading Program. Stephanie aims to make therapy personalized and fun but also as intrinsically motivating as possible, helping children to feel proud of their communication milestones and excited to accomplish more. She speaks Spanish and loves the opportunity to work with bilingual children and their families.

Stephanie recently moved to Crofton with her husband and 5-year old son; they love exploring the county on family bike rides! She is excited for this new opportunity to work closely with children as they improve their speech and language and with families as they support the process!

Rachel Blaustein, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Rachel is a Maryland-licensed, nationally-certified Speech-Language Pathologist with experience working with the adult and pediatric population in clinical and outpatient settings. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Family Studies in Human Services from Towson University. Following earning her Bachelor of Science Degree, Rachel obtained her Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Loyola University Maryland.

Working at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) solidified Rachel’s passion for pediatrics. She has experience providing therapy for children who may have diagnoses of Autism, Language Disorders, Speech-Sound Disorders, as well as other related disorders impacting speech and language. Rachel is passionate about providing naturalistic, functional, individualized, and engaging speech-language therapy involving caregiver collaboration to facilitate and enhance speech and language skills. Rachel also has experience in using/implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices such as GoTalk Now and TouchChat (iPad application equivalent of Novachat). Rachel is honored to join Kuhl Therapies and to be a member of the multidisciplinary team.

Angelina Pavlich, MS, CCC- SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Angelina is a Maryland licensed, nationally certified Speech Language Pathologist with extensive pediatric clinic based experience. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas, where she was able to participate in fieldwork in a variety of settings with patients ranging from toddlers to adults. While at UTD, she was able to do an independent study at the Center for BrainHealth, where she did a comprehensive review of data from a research study focusing on optimizing children's learning using a specific program.

Her passion for pediatrics emerged early and Angelina has spent years learning and completing training in the areas of Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Autism, and AAC devices. She has worked in private practices in Texas, South Carolina and now Maryland. One of the things that drew Angelina to Kuhl Therapies was the collaborative environment, as well as the focus on play based therapy and parent involvement in treatment and goal setting.

In her free time, Angelina enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and exploring the DMV area.

Kaitlyn Kirby, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Kaitlyn is a nationally board certified and Maryland & Nevada state licensed occupational therapist. Kaitlyn received her Bachelors of Health Science from Mercy College in New York in 2017, and her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Touro University Nevada in Nevada in 2020.

She has experience working in pediatric outpatient therapy treating a variety of children including those with diagnoses of Autism, Down Syndrome, developmental delays, and sensory processing difficulties. As a doctoral capstone project, Kaitlyn developed a sensory-based developmental class for children in low-income families at a non-profit facility in Southern Nevada.

Kaitlyn enjoys the creative side of occupational therapy, incorporating the unique needs and interests of each patient into each session. During her off time, she enjoys baking, cooking, gardening, and snuggling with her cat.

Rachel Crist, MSOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Rachel is a board-certified occupational therapist licensed in Maryland and Virginia. She received her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University and her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from Vanderbilt University.

After graduating from Vanderbilt, Rachel continued her work at Vanderbilt Medical Center as coordinator of a research study seeking to understand mechanisms of rumination and perseverative thinking in autistic adolescents with depression. At this time, she also had the opportunity to co-lead Vanderbilt’s first social group for autistic adolescents, a group focused on building confidence and relationships with like-minded peers in a supportive setting.

Rachel has experience working with individuals with physical, developmental, and neurological disabilities across school, hospital, outpatient, and community settings. She is passionate about helping children and families discover and capitalize on their strengths and interests to overcome challenges and pursue a greater quality of life. She recently moved to Washington, D.C. with her fiancé, dog, and cat where she is enjoys hiking and exploring her new city.

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