Janet Courtney

Lighthouse Therapy’s Founder and CEO, Janet Courtney, MS, CCC/SLP, has been a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist since March, 1994 with a Master of Science from Purdue University. Her passion has always been people. Helping them to become the best they can be in whatever avenue of life their paths cross.

Lighthouse Therapy™ is an online therapy company specializing in telepractice for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and mental health counseling.

As an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist, Janet has a demonstrated history of working in the e-learning industry for over 13 years. Her skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Hearing Impairment Disorders, Language Disorders, Articulation Disorders, Customer Service, Pediatrics, and Public Speaking position Lighthouse with a leader who understands the needs of our school partners and the clinicians we hire.

Michael Courtney

Michael Courtney has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Baker College of Jackson Michigan. Mike is a certified IBM Professional and previously worked as a lead application developer for EBUSINESS STRATEGIES. Mr. Courtney has helped with the company since its inception and came on full-time in April of 2020. As Chief Technology Officer, Mike helps schools succeed by implementing and overseeing technology that allows students to receive online therapy services in the safest and easiest ways possible.

Carissa Courtney

As Comptroller, Carissa understands that schools need more therapists, and students deserve the care that will help them thrive. She is the heart of the day-to-day operations of Lighthouse Therapy, keeping things running smoothly for everyone: schools, therapists, and students.

When asked what she likes most about her position, Carissa's sense of service becomes clear: "I enjoy all the people I get to help on a day-to-day basis." Ms. Courtney has worked with Lighthouse Therapy since it was founded. Under Carissa's leadership, Lighthouse Therapy has grown by more than 4,400%, allowing more schools to have the therapists they need and students across the United States to thrive.

Erin O’Connell

Erin O'Connell, Director of Clinical Services for Lighthouse Therapy, is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) who has been serving students for over 20 years. She received her B.A. degree in Elementary Education/ Exceptional Student Education from Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida in 1999. She earned her Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida in 2003. Erin also completed a continuing education advanced series in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) through the Florida Institute of Technology from 2009-2011. Erin is licensed and/or certified as a School Psychologist in Florida, California, and South Carolina.

In 2016, Erin began utilizing teletherapy to provide social, emotional, and behavioral counseling to individual and small groups of students in grades K-12, administer psycho-educational assessments, collaborate with teachers and staff regarding student's Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and consult with parents in regards to educationally relevant student concerns. Working online has enriched Erin's career and demonstrated that rapport can be built and services can be delivered worldwide with an internet connection and a secure therapy platform. Erin strives to help you (whether you are the teacher, school administrator, therapist, or parent) help your student!

Shelly Kaufman

Shelly Kaufman, OTR/L, has been a practicing Occupational Therapist since 1995 with a B.A. in Occupational Therapy. Shelly graduated from St. Catherine University and moved from Minnesota to Missouri to practice as a rural therapist for four years, servicing the community for any O.T. needs, including pediatrics, hospital, and schools. Shelly moved back to Minnesota and continued to practice predominantly in pediatrics, servicing hospitals, clinics, home health, schools, Early Childhood Special Education, and Early Childhood Family Education, to name a few. In 2003, Shelly focused on a large school district and worked there for 13 years. Four years ago, she decided to focus solely on pediatric telepractice.

Amanda Tinkle

Amanda Tinkle previously worked as a Human Resources and Operations Coordinator for a community college before joining Lighthouse Therapy in 2020 as Director of Human Resources. Amanda makes it a priority to always be available to answer questions or be a listening ear. As the Director of Human Resources, Amanda oversees employee benefits, compensation, personnel document management, and the onboarding process for new therapists and employees. When asked what she likes best in her position, Amanda said, "Solving problems and taking care of our therapists and employees so they can, in turn, help the students that we are all here to serve."

Mark Wallenwine

Mark understands that making vendor decisions can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be this way. Mr. Wallenwine loves empowering school leaders to understand the benefits of online therapy. Mark has worked in the marketing industry for over a decade. Before working at Lighthouse Therapy, he helped non-profit organizations raise millions of dollars through major donor events. He is a former StoryBrand Guide and Copywriter. StoryBrand is a proven framework to help simplify complex issues and make clear messaging. In the modern, fast-paced world of education, Mark enjoys using his training to make complex topics easy to understand so educators can make the best decisions possible.

Julie Bending

Julie Bending, MS CCC/SLP, received her bachelor's and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She first began working at Lighthouse Therapy in July of 2020. Julie specializes in Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) evaluations and presentations. Julie supports our clinicians and students in AAC, autism, down syndrome, language and speech, and sound disorders. Before working at Lighthouse Therapy, Julie had an extensive background working in brick-and-mortar schools and private practices. Julie enjoys putting students first to help them meet their academic needs.

Melody Benson

Melody Benson, CCC/SLP, received her Bachelor's degree at Southwest Texas State University and her Master's in Communication Disorders at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX. Melody has been a speech-language pathologist for over 20 years, primarily focusing on children and adolescents in the clinic, home health, school, and teletherapy settings. She is passionate about helping students improve their communication skills, which are vital in everyday life, so they can experience happy, successful lives.

Gila Cohen-Shaw

Gila received her Master's Degree from CUNY Queen College. Gila is a highly experienced Ed-Tech Leader, with a proven ability to foster community, who prides herself on her clinical acumen, integrity, and compassion.

Gila began her teletherapy journey in 2010. Before becoming a teletherapist, Gila worked with students from birth through high school in the school system in N.Y. Gila's passion as an SLP is empowering clinicians to maximize learning differences and performing assessments, helping to problem solve the needs of students.

Melissa Richards

Melissa Richards, MS/CCC-SLP, received her Master's Degree from Miami University in 1991 and has specialized in teletherapy since 2012. Before working in teletherapy, Melissa worked in outpatient therapy at All Children's Hospital for ages zero - 21, the public school system for grades k - 5th, home health for birth - senior citizens, and inpatient therapy in a nursing facility for stroke victims and people suffering from traumatic brain injury. Now working as a Clinical Supervisor for Lighthouse Therapy, Melissa enjoys helping students communicate better. So they can successfully interact with the world around them.

Perri Waisner

Perri Waisner, CCC/SLP, has worked with Lighthouse since October 2021. Perri received her Bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology at Kent State University and her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Ohio University. When speaking about her time at Lighthouse Therapy, she said, "Even though I've never met anyone in person, I feel a connection with lots of my colleagues. The same goes with my students - I've never met any of them in person, but I truly do feel I am able to connect with them on an individual level as well as help them make progress towards their communication goals." When asked what she loves best about being an SLP, Perri said, "Getting to know my students and their interests. I love to create digital materials that are related to their interests that also can be used in speech-language therapy. I think there is way more buy-in from students (and parents) when you can work towards their goals while also tying things into their interests. One of the best parts of my job is watching my students' communication skills grow throughout the school year/s and hearing from parents about improvements in day-to-day life. I'm excited to work more closely with other therapists this year to help them help their students grow as well."