Our Staff

 Caitlyn is a licensed occupational therapist who brings passion, energy, and a deep commitment to helping children thrive. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, she earned both her Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitative Sciences and her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the College of Saint Mary.

Caitlyn has experience in a variety of settings, including outpatient pediatrics, aquatic therapy, hospitals, and inpatient rehabilitation centers. She is especially passionate about mentoring students and supporting new professionals entering the field, with experience as a Level II clinical instructor.

Now proud to call Texas home, Caitlyn is excited to be part of the Playhaus team. She lives in New Braunfels with her husband, three dogs, and one cat. In her free time, she enjoys singing, reading, and paddleboarding. 

 Kathryn "Kat" Carrillo is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). She has 5 years of experience working in the pediatric field with a variety of ages and diagnoses. 

Kat has a passion for helping children reach their fullest potential while following their lead through play and movement. She loves to bring the energy and creative ideas to her sessions. 

Kat's greatest joy and accomplishment is her husband, daughter, and pup. 

 Madysen is a licensed occupational therapist who brings enthusiasm, compassion, and a strong dedication to helping children reach their fullest potential. A Seguin, Texas native, she recently earned her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and is excited to begin her career serving children and families in the community she calls home.

Throughout her educational journey, Madysen gained valuable experience working with children in a variety of settings. She completed one of her clinical rotations at Playhaus Pediatric Therapy, where she developed a passion for the clinic’s play-based approach and family-centered care. After completing her rotation, she knew Playhaus was the perfect place to begin her professional career and was thrilled to return as a member of the team.

Madysen is passionate about helping children build confidence, independence, and the skills they need to succeed in everyday life. She enjoys creating engaging, meaningful therapy experiences that support each child’s unique strengths and goals.

Elizabeth “Liz” is a practicing bilingual speech-language pathologist (SLP) with over 12 years of experience. She grew up in South Texas and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Liz is passionate about serving the bilingual community and is dedicated to educating and empowering families to feel confident in supporting their child’s speech, language, and feeding goals. Since beginning her career in 2011, Liz has gained experience in hospitals, outpatient clinics, early intervention, and home health settings.
 

Liz lives in New Braunfels and enjoys spending time outdoors, relaxing at the spa, and thrifting. Her career goals include mentoring other therapists to foster collaborative relationships with colleagues and families while expanding access to evidence-based care in underserved communities.

Yesenia Yee is a licensed speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA). She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Arizona in 2018 and her master’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Grand Canyon University in 2021.

Yesenia has seven years of experience as a bilingual SLPA, including nearly six years in a pediatric clinic in Arizona. Before joining Playhaus, she worked in home health in New Braunfels, primarily serving Spanish-speaking children and families.

Her connection to speech and language is personal—Yesenia received speech therapy herself in elementary school, an experience that left a lasting impact and inspired her to give back to her community. She strongly believes that every child deserves to have a voice.

Yesenia lives in Seguin, Texas, with her husband, daughter, and two Shih Tzus.

Janell is a Clinical Fellow Speech-Language Pathologist (CF-SLP)  who began her career as a pediatric speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) in 2022. She later returned to school to earn her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, further advancing her clinical knowledge and skills in serving children and their families. 

Janell has experience working with a wide range of pediatric communication needs, including expressive and receptive language, articulation, fluency, pragmatics, and cognitive-communication skills. She believes therapy should be fun, functional, and engaging—using play, creativity, and real-life routines to help children build skills they can actually use in their everyday lives.

Outside of the therapy room, Janell enjoys trying different coffee spots, shopping at Target, and spending quality time with family, friends, and her dogs, Jax and Kiwi.

 Miranda Pena is a Clinical Fellow Speech-Language Pathologist (CF-SLP) who earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is passionate about helping children develop the communication skills they need to connect, learn, and thrive in their everyday lives.

Miranda enjoys working with children of all ages and is dedicated to creating fun, engaging, and individualized therapy experiences that support speech, language, and social communication development. She believes that every child learns best when therapy is meaningful and motivating, and she strives to build strong relationships with both her patients and their families.

Miranda is committed to providing family-centered care and collaborating closely with caregivers to promote progress beyond the therapy room. She values celebrating each child’s unique strengths while helping them build confidence and independence in their communication skills.

Emily will be joining us in July!

Emily Smith is a pediatric speech-language pathologist originally from Wisconsin. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Troy University and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Abilene Christian University–Dallas in 2024.

Emily has experience working with children across a variety of settings, including early intervention, private schools, public schools, and private practice. She has supported children with a wide range of communication needs and is especially passionate about helping children with language delays in the early intervention population, phonological and speech sound disorders, and voice disorders.

Emily believes that children learn best through meaningful relationships and engaging, play-based experiences. She enjoys incorporating each child’s unique interests, passions, and movement into therapy sessions to create motivating opportunities for growth and communication. She is dedicated to partnering closely with families and empowering them with strategies to support their child’s progress beyond the therapy room.

Emily feels honored to be a part of each child’s communication journey and is committed to helping children build confidence, connection, and success in their everyday lives.

Emily lives in New Braunfels with her husband. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at the lake, taking Pilates classes, and getting lost in a good book. She is excited to be part of the Playhaus Pediatric Therapy team and looks forward to helping children and families thrive.

Cindy will be joining us in July!

Cynthia “Cindy” is a licensed physical therapist with over a decade of experience helping children develop the strength, mobility, and confidence they need to explore their world. She is passionate about supporting children and families through early intervention, believing that timely, individualized therapy can have a lasting impact on a child’s development and independence.

Throughout her career, Cindy has worked with children with a wide range of motor, developmental, and neurological needs. She specializes in creating customized treatment plans that address each child’s unique strengths and challenges, with particular interests in early detection of developmental delays, adaptive equipment fitting, and promoting functional mobility through meaningful play.

Cindy values a collaborative approach to care and enjoys working alongside occupational therapists, speech therapists, physicians, and other professionals to provide comprehensive support for each child. She also partners closely with parents and caregivers, helping them incorporate therapeutic activities into daily routines so progress can continue beyond the therapy session.