Meet our neuroBridge Staff Members
Knowledgeable, Professional, and Committed to Excellence
CO-FOUNDERS
Margaret Hopping | OTR/L
Margaret received her degree from the Medical College of Georgia (now Georgia Regents University) in 1992. With over 30 years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, she has worked in a range of settings, including physical rehabilitation, home health, and pediatrics. Pediatrics is her joy and led her to pursue a business that allowed her to work with children in independent schools in the Chattanooga area. She completed her Sensory Integration Certification through Western Psychological Services in 2012, and is certified in the administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT). Margaret has her Handwriting Certification from LWT and is certified to administer The Print Tool. She has pursued and completed training courses and certification in the SOS approach to feeding, Therapeutic Listening, Handwriting Without Tears, The Astronaut Training Program, NeuroNet Learning™ Provider: Early Learners - Program 2, Primitive Reflex Integration Training, Interactive Metronome Provider, Executive Function coaching, Cognitive-Function (Cog-Fun)Intervention, Cogmed Provider and Autism courses focused on a strengths based approach. Margaret is passionate about using a team approach and loves working with children, families, teachers and administrators.
Margaret and her husband, Hank, have two dogs and four wonderful adult children—a son and daughter-in-law, and a daughter and son-in-law. In her free time, Margaret enjoys traveling, walking outdoors, spending time with family and friends, watching college football in the fall, gardening, and reading on her porch.
Sarah Powe | OTR/L
Sarah has degrees from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center - Memphis in Kinesiology and Occupational Therapy. Sarah has over 25 years of experience as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist in a variety of settings. Sarah has served children and families as a pediatric clinician in burn care, intensive care, inpatient care, outpatient care, in-home therapy, school therapy, and as a school administrator. Her presence in these areas over the years has continued to ignite Sarah's passion for serving the whole child in partnership with the multidisciplinary team. Sarah received her certification as an Executive Function Certified Tutor in 2022 from the Cliff Valley Institute. Sarah has also completed certifications in and pursued continuing education in Cogmed, Exceptional Learning Styles: Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia, Interactive Metronome Provider, NeuroNet Learning™ Provider: Early Learners - Program 2, The Therapeutic Listening Program, The Astronaut Training Program, Primitive Reflex Integration Training, and Play Based Therapy Interventions for Emotional Dysregulation and Challenging Behaviors.
Sarah and her husband Jeff have three children and a doodle. Each is wildly entertaining and a constant source of wonderment. Sarah enjoys spending time with her people, practicing yoga, gardening, reading, and the outdoors in her free time.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Brooke Baker | MSOT, OTR/L
Brooke earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2012. She completed a clinical rotation in pediatrics and has spent the past 11 years providing school-based therapy services to children. Throughout her career, she has completed continuing education through Learning Without Tears and Social Thinking, and has led in-service trainings for teachers and paraprofessionals on fine motor development, handwriting, and self-regulation. Brooke enjoys helping children build confidence and develop the skills they need to thrive in their daily lives.
Brooke and her husband, Daniel, have two wonderful children and two dogs. She enjoys being outdoors, going to the beach, reading, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
Lizzie Moore | MOT, OTR/L
Lizzie received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with concentration in Health Promotion from College of Charleston in 2010. In 2013, Lizzie graduated from University of Tennessee Health Science Center with her Master of Occupational Therapy. Lizzie was led into the field of occupational therapy because of her passion and love for children. Lizzie has experience working in a variety of settings including home health, post acute rehab, inpatient rehab, and early intervention. Lizzie is committed to enhancing student participation, promoting social engagement and academic success at school for every child.
Lizzie lives on Lookout Mountain with her husband, Michael, and their two children. She enjoys outdoor activities, sports, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Anna Hardin OTD, OTR/L
Anna received her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2023. Prior to OT school, she attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where she majored in Exercise Science. Anna has over 1 year of clinical experience in outpatient pediatrics and early intervention, working with children under 3, as well as additional experience in hospital-based OT with adults and outpatient mental health, working with adults with serious mental illnesses.
Anna and her fiance, Reid, have one dog named Maui. Outside of OT, you can find her at CrossFit, hiking with Maui, traveling, and reading.
Nicole Foreman OTD, OTR/L
Nicole received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2019. She then continued her education at UTC and received her Occupational Therapy Doctorate in 2022. Nicole has experience working in inpatient rehab, as well as outpatient pediatrics, working primarily with children with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, sensory processing difficulties, and fine motor delays. Nicole is passionate about helping children unlock their full potential in any setting by building new skills and providing tools to help them achieve their goals in fun and creative ways.
Nicole and her husband, Cooper, have one beautiful daughter and goofy pup named Brad. Together they love tackling DIY home projects and spending time with their family and friends.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE
Andrea Tuttolomondo, M.C.D. | SLP-CCC
Andrea received a Bachelor's of Science in Communication Disorders in 2016, and a Master's in Communication Disorders in 2018 from Auburn University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a concentration in Special Education. She received and has maintained a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) through the American Speech- Language-Hearing Association following the completion of her clinical fellowship. Andrea has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including the public school setting, a developmental center, and most recently private practice. In these settings she has worked with children aged birth to 22 with a wide range of diagnoses including receptive and expressive language delay, developmental delay, articulation and phonological impairments, stuttering, Autism, genetic differences, and feeding disorders.
Andrea lives in Chattanooga with her husband, Cody, and their two dogs, Paisley and Honey. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the lake, being outdoors, gardening, and reading.
Lanie Keyser, M.A. | CCC-SLP
Lanie received her Bachelor's degree in 2004 in Speech Pathology from the University of Tennessee. In 2006, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee with her Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology, with a concentration in Aural Habilitation. Since 2006, she has had the opportunity to work with a variety of pediatric populations in the school setting, and private practice. Throughout her career, she has maintained a Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association by continuing her education and studies in speech and language. Lanie believes that parents, caregivers, and teachers play a vital role in a child's success in therapy. She strives to foster positive, and meaningful relationships with each child and family that she works with.
Lanie and her husband have two children, and live in the Ooltewah area. They enjoy being outside, going to the beach, playing with their dogs, hiking, and camping as a family.
Karen Long, M.A. | CCC-SLP
Karen has an undergraduate degree with a double major in Psychology and Human Services from Mercer University and an M.A. degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Karen has enjoyed working with children for 25+ years in a variety of settings including home, school and clinic locations. She believes it is essential to identify each child’s unique strengths in order to utilize their areas of interest and success in helping them engage in sessions while building trust and connection. Over the years, Karen has worked with students with a wide range of diagnoses, implementing multi-sensory techniques to facilitate whole-brain learning and strengthen communication skills. Her area of passion and emphasis of continuing education has been supporting children who have difficulty with behavior and emotional regulation, sometimes due to ADHD, Autism, anxiety and/or sensory processing difficulties. She teaches concepts and strategies that improve regulation skills, social cognition, executive functioning and social communication. Karen considers family education to be one of her primary roles in serving children and she appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with caregivers.
Karen and her husband have three daughters, two in Chattanooga and one in New York City. They all share a love of pets, good books, hiking, movies, traveling and musical theatre!
Abbey Morgan MS, CCC SLP
Abbey received her Masters of Science in 2021 from East Tennessee State University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a concentration in pediatric speech/language disorders as well as pediatric feeding disorders. Throughout her career, she has maintained a Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association by continuing her education and studies in speech and language. Abbey believes in treating the child holistically and involving the parents, teachers and other medical personnel in the child’s plan of care. She has a variety of experience in the pediatric population ranging from birth to 18 years old.
Abbey and her husband love spending time outside with their daughter, Amelia, and their cat. She also loves traveling to the beach, cooking and running.
COACHING/ SUPPORT
Rachel Blanton M.Ed | MCC, Empowerment Coach
Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Auburn University in 2014 and a Master of Education in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia in 2016. She has completed additional training in the Seeing My Time approach to supporting executive functions and received certification as an online executive function specialist. Supporting executive function and social-emotional skills is a passion for Rachel. She has worked as a school counselor in elementary schools, both public and private, for the last 7 years. She believes the best way to support students is strengths-based and through a team approach. In her free time, Rachel loves to spend time with her husband, daughter, and pets, preferably outside either going for a stroll or working in our garden. She also loves to be in the kitchen, baking treats or experimenting with new recipes.
Dr. Julie Gersch | Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Julie Gersch is a Clinical Psychologist and Health Service Provider licensed in the states of Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas. Julie completed her Doctoral degree at The University of Akron in Ohio with pre- and post-doctoral training in St. Paul, Minnesota. She completed an additional postdoctoral fellowship in health psychology in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Julie has enjoyed a diverse professional work history as both a provider and a healthcare leader/administrator. Her varied career has allowed her to gain expertise in a wide range of psychological assessment and intervention services spanning all age ranges (children to older adult). She has worked in varied treatment settings including schools, private practice, hospitals, residential care settings (subacute rehab and long- term care), and in small and large businesses/organizations, including nonprofit. Julie is passionate about the intersections of psychology and career/vocation. She holds deep experience working with individuals to better understand how their thinking, feeling, and behaving translates to stellar performance and best possible outcomes in academics and work life. In addition to working locally in Chattanooga, Julie is currently the national Chair of the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee of Psychologists in Long Term Care.
Outside of work, Julie and her husband have raised three children who are now young adults creating their own exciting educational and work-life adventures. In addition to traveling out of state to unite with family, Julie spends her free time volunteering, gardening, and sailing on the Tennessee River.
Lauren Gilbert Ph.D. | Developmental Psychologist
Dr. Lauren Gilbert is a Developmental Psychologist and a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lauren completed her doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky, where she specialized in a range of topics, including parenting, emotion regulation, stress, and sleep, amongst others. Following graduation, Lauren worked as an Assistant Professor in a private, liberal arts college in Nashville before moving with her family to Chattanooga.
Lauren is passionate about translating science to general audiences in ways that are engaging and easy to understand. She believes that empowering individuals through education in psychology can help them live with greater intentionality, connection, and well-being. Lauren is particularly passionate about supporting and educating parents, teachers, and school administrators in the day-to-day work of raising happy, healthy, and well-adjusted kids.
Lauren and her husband, Blake, have two young daughters: Josie and Penny. When she is not working, Lauren enjoys yoga, reading, hiking, and exploring in and around Chattanooga with her family and their two golden retrievers.
Kim Hays | Empowerment Coach
Kim received a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from Vanderbilt in 1980 and a Masters in Special Education from UTC in 2001. Kim has worked as an Exceptional Educator, Social Emotional Learning Coach, Diversity Trainer, Technology Coordinator and Department Chairperson with Hamilton County Department of Education. In her role as Exceptional Educator, Kim was integral in the establishment of the partnership for preschool inclusion between the Hamilton County Department of Education and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Children’s Center. In recent years, Kim’s work has focused on educational consulting, SEL group work, and parent advocacy. Kim’s life mission is to help kids.
Kim lives in Chattanooga with her two dogs. Kim enjoys gardening, birdwatching, and photography. She loves spending time with her traveling great nephew.
Angie Burns | Empowerment Coach
Angie is an empowerment coach with over 30 years of teaching experience in the Atlanta area. A 1991 graduate of the University of Alabama, she holds a dual degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Trained in Orton-Gillingham and Handwriting Without Tears, Angie specializes in one-on-one support that helps children build confidence and essential skills. Known for her compassion and dedication, she is passionate about helping every child feel capable, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Angie is new to Chattanooga and has 3 grown children, a son in law, 3 step children, and a dog named Ollie.
OUR PARTNERS
Dr. Tamyra Edwards Psy.D
Dr. Tamyra Edwards has extensive experience serving children, adolescents, and adults through counseling and assessment in a variety of settings including private practice, primary and secondary schools, and non-profit. She has worked in private practice for the past several years, specializing in comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational evaluations for ADHD, Autism, and Learning Disability. Over the course of her career, she has completed over 150 ADHD Evaluations, 110 Autism Evaluations, and 50 Psychoeducational/Learning Disability Evaluations.
A Mississippi native, Dr. Edwards received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Alcorn State University, a Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Lorman, Mississippi. She was awarded her Doctorate of Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and completed an APA-approved predoctoral internship in Health Service Psychology at Texas A&M Counseling and Psychological Services. She completed postdoctoral training in psychological assessment in Athens, GA where she provided psychological and psychoeducational evaluations, parental fitness evaluations, and many more.
