Theresa became Clinic Director in 2020, but her first love remains direct interaction with her young clients. A true child at heart, Theresa brings an infectious sense of joy and playfulness to her sessions. She has a gift for seeing the world through the eyes of her young clients, which is the key to her effectiveness as a licensed pediatric occupational therapist.

Theresa has had the great privilege of traveling the world with her profession, completing her undergraduate degree in OT at Curtin University in West Australia, then pursuing OT roles in England, Sweden, Canada, and Bermuda before eventually settling in San Jose with her family in 2011. In 2014 she earned her Masters in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University. Theresa has pursued advanced training in Sensory Integration, completing her certification in Sensory Integration Praxis Test (SIPT) in 2019 with additional training on the latest EASI assessments in 2021. While sensory integration is often a key aspect of her interventions, she is also professionally trained in and experienced with a wide variety of other specializations including development of the hand and handwriting and various self-regulation curriculum. In 2018, she completed a level 1 mentorship at the Star Center, which reinforced the importance of encouraging a family-centered practice.

Throughout her career, Theresa has deeply appreciated the importance of play in a child’s development. In addition to this she has a knack for tuning into each child’s unique qualities and capabilities. She is passionately committed to encouraging each child to find their path to success through playful participation. As a mother of two, Theresa understands and appreciates the joys and challenges of family life. She works with both the child and their whole family to achieve optimal outcomes.

Lisa is a dedicated and compassionate occupational therapist who finds joy in discovering each child’s unique strengths/interests and effortlessly weaving them into her treatment sessions. With a blend of creativity and analysis, Lisa creates just-right challenges that are fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. Rooted in her belief of meeting each child at their unique point of need, she is a steadfast advocate for neurodiversity-affirming care, ensuring a nurturing and inclusive environment for every child she works with. In her past clinical roles, she has worked closely with speech therapists, showcasing a commitment to collaboration and respect for all levels and forms of communication.

Lisa earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Social Behavior from UC Irvine. She is very committed to ongoing education, ensuring that her treatments are up-to-date and evidenced-based. In 2023, Lisa completed USC’s Sensory Integration Continuing Education Certificate Program. She is also trained to administer the Evaluation in Ayres’ Sensory Integration (EASI). In addition to sensory integration, Lisa is experienced at providing interventions for: fine/gross motor development, handwriting, self-regulation, praxis and motor planning, executive functioning, activities of daily living (ADLs), and social/community participation.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Lisa enjoys powerlifting, painting, playing video games, and spending quality time with her husband and her dog, Jojo. She is also learning to longboard and play the drums.

Molly earned her bachelor’s degree in Child Development at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University. Before becoming an occupational therapist, Molly worked with children in a variety of settings including early childhood education, respite care and early intervention. In her previous work doing mobile occupational therapy, Molly supported parents and children in finding ways to engage their sensory systems, and develop their fine and gross motor skills within their own homes and communities.

Molly is a thoughtful, empathetic and playful therapist who is passionate about developing strong relationships with children and providing a safe environment for them to challenge themselves to try new things and develop skills needed to participate in all areas of occupation. Outside of her work at PlaySteps, Molly also enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and soccer, reading good books and cuddling her cat, Henry.

Calm, patient, and empathetic, Jeff brings over 40 years of experience to our clinic, having worked with children and young adults in hospitals, group homes, home-health, schools, home-based early intervention and clinic-based settings. He graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelors of Occupational Therapy and has participated in further coursework developing his expertise in Vision Screening and Therapy, Praxis Intervention, Sensory Processing Disorders and developing Sensory Diets, Therapeutic Listening, Vestibular – Visual Training, Handwriting Without Tears, SOS Approach to Feeding, as well as autism spectrum disorders.

Jeff served for 28 years as Executive Director for a local nonprofit agency providing a family-like group home and respite care for children with physical and developmental disabilities. He provided overall leadership for the agency, while using his skills as an OT to plan the children’s developmental programs and to train the staff and volunteers. He was also instrumental in launching the Special Needs ministry in his church and continues to volunteer there weekly as another way to support children with special needs and their families.

He lives in Palo Alto with his wife, Jean. They have two adult children and more recently became the proud grandparents of two grandchildren.