Laura Park Figueroa, PhD, OTR/L
OKOT Founder, CEO, & Occupational Therapist
In 2015, after 15 years as a pediatric occupational therapist, I began taking small groups of children outdoors for therapy sessions and started Outdoor Kids OT. The natural world inspired children to be more self-motivated during therapy sessions, and I saw profound changes in the children as a result.
The ConTiGO Approach has grown out of our work at OKOT, driven by the values of connection with friends & family (Con), and transformation through therapy (T), in the great outdoors (GO). I developed the ConTiGO Approach throughout my PhD work and conducted my dissertation research on nature-based pediatric OT.
I lived with my husband José and 3 children in the East Bay for 14 years until 2021, when we moved to Madison, Wisconsin to help José's aging parents. I continue to manage the OKOT team remotely and am currently getting a branch of OKOT started here in Madison.
Eva Resnick, MS, OTR/L
OKOT Occupational Therapist - California branch
I have always loved working with kids, even when I was a kid myself. I especially loved working with kids with different challenges who thrived on creative, caring, warm, friendly, and fun interactions. I went to OT school at University of Florida and have been a pediatric OT for over 18 years. During that time, I’ve worked in various types of schools, private practices, hospitals, and early intervention settings where I’ve used skills in feeding, sensory integration, self-regulation, social thinking, reflexes, and other areas. Since running OT outdoor groups in Marin, it has been very difficult for me to return to an indoor setting. Everything is so much more motivating, approachable, interesting, and exciting when you’re outside! One of my favorite things to do is watch my 9 year old daughter and 6 year old son frolic around in the mud and water, working together to make sculptures or “dig for clams”.
Hannah Manning, OT, VA
OKOT Admin Assistant
Hannah is hard at work behind the scenes at OKOT. She is a qualified Occupational Therapist with a huge love for all things nature & outdoors, currently travelling the world living the nomad lifestyle. Amongst other roles, Hannah takes care of our wonderful team of volunteers, ensuring they have a smooth onboarding to the team and settle in well with their new OKOT group.
Gabbi White, OTD, OTR/L
OKOT Occupational Therapist - California branch
I am a nature loving pediatric Occupational Therapist born and raised in the Bay Area. I earned a B.A. in Public Health Policy from the University of California, Irvine and a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University. I have held several roles as a pediatric occupational therapist including inpatient, outpatient, school based, early intervention, mental health, and community-based settings. I have advanced training in sensory integration, social emotional learning, and trauma informed care. Helping children reach their fullest potential + being outdoors = my happy place. In my free time you can find me outside surfing, doing yoga, hiking, or camping.
Nicole Storms, COTA, OBM
OKOT Operations and Financial Manager
Nicole is the super-organized, planner here at OKOT who job it is to stay 10 steps ahead of us at all times. She is a Certified OT Assistant with decades of pediatric experience as well as an Online Business Manager. She specializes in providing top-notch customer service, keeping track of all the details, and helping our OKOT business operations run smoothly. It is because of her hard work that OKOT is able to serve our clients well and provide the high level of personalized support that we give to each family.
Chloe Muntefering, MS, OTR/L
OKOT Occupational Therapist - Madison, WI branch
I received my M.S. in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University and my B.S. in Kinesiology from Mississippi State University. I have worked in multiple pediatric settings including hospital, outpatient, and home health. I have received training in Sensory Integration, DIR Floortime, and Social Skills. I am passionate about the opportunity to work with children and their families to find tools and approaches that help the entire family unit thrive. I have seen the benefit of engaging with nature for many of my patients and am excited to provide services for families in Madison.
Elisabeth Meikle, MS, OTR/L
OKOT Occupational Therapist - California branch
I received my M.S. in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University and my B.S. in Kinesiology from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. I’ve worked in a variety of pediatric occupational therapy settings including private practice, early intervention, and school-based OT, with children with neurodevelopmental delays, gross and fine motor delays, visual motor and perceptual difficulties, and sensory processing differences. I have continuing education in sensory processing and self-regulation, Therapeutic Listening, visual perception, the Zones of Regulation, Social Thinking, and more. I’m looking forward to using my skills as an OT in the great outdoors with children!
Atchie Bernstein, MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist - California branch
Two things I’ve loved for as long as I can remember are nature and kids. In fact, I believe we can’t separate the two; we ARE nature! My first taste of OT can be traced back to when I volunteered for a therapeutic horseback riding program in Oakland and saw how powerful being outside and with animals was for all the kids participating. This always stuck with me and I began pursuing work with kids, primarily on the autism spectrum, throughout college and through grad school. While I’ve weaved my way through many occupational therapy settings, I’ve always felt that working with kids in the great outdoors is some of the most impactful, soul nurturing work there is. In addition to my OT education through Samuel Merritt University, I’ve also trained in trauma informed yoga for kids, sensory integration, Tensegrity Medicine (how experiences or movements in the body impact the entirety of the system), reflex integration, and pelvic health for adults and kids! I really believe being outdoors provides the best medium for growth, transformation and connection to occur and I couldn’t be more excited to support your kiddo(s) out in nature!