Meet Hana!

Hana earned her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon in 2021.  She worked at Two Trees Physical Therapy and Wellness, a multidisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation and private practice in Ventura and Oxnard following graduation to earn her CCC while working with pediatrics, adults, and geriatrics. While in graduate school, she worked as a student clinician in many settings including Cottage Hospital for 3 months. Hana also studied Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences to earn her Bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU Boulder) in 2014.  After earning her Graduate level certificate from CU Boulder that same year, Hana went on to work as a speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) for 3 years in the public school district in Bend,  Oregon and a private practice in Colorado. ​ Hana is a neurodivergent SLP and is passionate about neurodiversity-affirming, holistic approaches to speech therapy services.  As a member of the neurodiverse community, she strongly believes in strength-based services to empower patients and their families. She has completed continuing education on neurodiversity-affirming practices, trauma-informed practices, AAC, gestalt language processing and natural language acquisition. Hana is 200-hour registered Yoga teacher (RYT) and completed 20 hours of additional training to earn her certification in the LoveYourBrain yoga program for health professionals. This training qualifies her to instruct adaptable yoga and mindfulness practices for individuals and groups of people who have experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBI). ​ In her undergraduate career, Hana studied abroad for a semester in Ecuador with the Student International Training (SIT) program. She lived with host families around the country and completed cultural and language immersion courses. Hana spent the last portion of her program in Cuenca and wrote her thesis on the disability community and educational system while volunteering at a local school for children with disabilities, ADINEA. She speaks conversational Spanish and continues to study the language to improve her fluency so she can provide fully bilingual speech language services in the near future. ​ Hana's name comes from her German and Norwegian heritage but she was also lucky enough to be named after the beautiful Kaua'i town of Hanalei where she spent time growing up. She feels a deep connection to the place and its natural healing waterfalls and mountains which has inspired her pursuit of holistic practices. Hana has deep gratitude and acknowledges the culture and language of the native people of Hawai'i for her name and their land. Hana moved around the midwestern US throughout her childhood and now lives in Santa Barbara, CA with her two cats, Luna and Michi. In her free time, she practices yoga and is an avid outdoor adventurer who loves to surf, snowboard, hike, and mountain bike.