Learn About Our Team

Let the healthcare providers at Palmetto SpOT help find the right solution for you. Our commitment to better communication through speech and occupational therapies is enhanced with our team's dedication to developing strategies based on your needs. A convenient location in Summerville with exceptional services adds to the effectiveness of the care we offer you, your family and loved ones.

The Palmetto SpOT Team

Dr. Kristen Bish

Audiologist / CEO

Dr. Kristen Bish is a board-certified Doctor of Audiology. She received her master's degree in Audiology in 1998 from the University of Buffalo. After practicing for five years, she continued her education and received her AuD. degree in 2005. She had been practicing in a small, private office in Mount Pleasant for four years prior to opening Palmetto Audiology and Speech Therapy, now Palmetto SpOT, in 2006.

Outside the office, Dr. Bish enjoys spending time with her husband Darin, her Children Brianna, Connor and Katie and her grandchildren Asher and Josephine.

Andrea Pilch

OTR Occupational Therapist

Andrea is a certified occupational therapist and has practiced since 1998. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where she earned two bachelor's degrees in Biology and Psychology. She gained her master's degree in Health Sciences and Occupational Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina.

She has worked in multiple settings to include acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, home health, and outpatient care. Andrea enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.

Emily Brain, MA

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Emily received her undergraduate degree from Kent State University in Ohio, with a major in Human Development and Family Studies. After working as an Early Intervention Service Coordinator for three years, Emily returned to school to complete a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology at The University of Akron. During this time, Emily participated in the Graduate Consortium in Listening and Spoken Language, which focused on auditory-verbal therapy for children and adults who have hearing loss. Upon graduation, Emily moved to Charleston and began her career as a clinical fellow at Palmetto Audiology and Speech Therapy. In her free time, Emily enjoys going to the beach, and she is looking forward to winters with much less snow!!

Lindsey Burkey

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Lindsey is a licensed speech and language pathologist under the American Speech and Hearing Association. Lindsey is originally a New Englander but moved down south two years ago after receiving her master's degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She attended undergraduate school at the University of Vermont, where she enjoyed hiking, snowboarding, and learning how to make maple syrup. Lindsey has always had a passion for working with children of all ages and loves the diversity within the field of speech therapy. She has experience working with children from various backgrounds with different communication needs. She especially loves treating those who utilize alternative augmentative communication, including low and high-tech modalities. In her free time, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her fiancé and dogs, going on boat rides, and exploring new areas around Charleston. Lindsey is excited to continue her career with Palmetto SpOT and get to know each of her families more!

Dr. Katherine Jones

OTD, OTR/L

Katherine is a board-certified occupational therapist who received her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from Methodist University in North Carolina after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Winthrop University. Katherine’s graduate research was focused on maternal wellbeing, lactation, parental inclusion in pediatric therapy, and NICU care. She has experience working with children with various diagnoses in both outpatient and school-based settings, as well as adults in acute and home health settings. A Charleston native, she returned to her hometown to help children of all ages and diagnoses learn, play, and grow to their greatest potential. In her free time, Katherine enjoys raising her daughters, traveling to baseball cities for her husband’s job, and doing DIY projects around her house.

Amanda Matsumoto

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Amanda Matsumoto is a Chicago native and moved to South Carolina to attend Charleston Southern University for college while also playing Division 1 softball. She received her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Louisville in Kentucky. There she completed various adult and pediatric clinical placements while also completing a Master's thesis on hearing loss in children. After graduation, she completed her clinical fellowship in Indiana at a pediatric clinic specializing in autism and developmental disabilities. Amanda is certified nationally by ASHA and the state of South Carolina. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, visiting MLB parks, playing sports, paddle boarding, and coaching baseball for children with special needs.

Ashley Patton, MS

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Ashley was born and raised right outside Nashville, TN. She earned her Bachelors as well as her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee. Ashley gained experience in evaluating and treating patients of all ages in schools, geriatric outpatient, and pediatric outpatient settings during her studies. Ashley has a special interest in working with children who stutter, and attends stuttering support groups. In her free time, Ashley enjoys traveling, walking on the beach, doing DIY gifts on her Cricut, and reading. Additionally, Ashley is a big fan of all Tennessee sports teams, especially the Tennessee Vols.

Amanda Steelman, M.S.

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Amanda is a licensed speech-language pathologist under the American Speech and Hearing Association. Amanda is originally from Long Island, New York, and still takes pride in being a New Yorker. In 2014, she moved to the D.C. metro area to attend the University of Maryland-College Park for her undergraduate degree. She remained in the area to participate in Gallaudet University for her Master of Science. In her studies, Amanda discovered her passion for working with the stuttering population and the Deaf/hard-of-hearing population. She continued to live outside of D.C., working in the public school setting with a specific focus on Deaf/hard of hearing early intervention, until 2021, when she and her husband moved to Charleston. Amanda has focused on early intervention via home health for the past two years. She hopes to continue doing early intervention and jumping back into working with stuttering and Deaf/hard-of-hearing clients. Amanda enjoys baking, sewing and discovering new coffee shops downtown in her spare time.

MacKenzie Cameron, MS

CFY-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

MacKenzie was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida and is currently in her clinical fellowship at Palmetto SpOT. She received her bachelor's degree from Florida State University and her Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Kentucky. After spending a few years in Kentucky, MacKenzie recently moved to the Charleston area to be closer to family and the beach. She has graduate clinical experience in treating and evaluating patients of all ages and backgrounds in outpatient clinics, public schools, and rehabilitation hospitals. In her free time, she loves exercising, spending time on the water, and playing with her golden retriever, Russell!

Jodie Foy

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Jodie Foy is an ASHA certified and state licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She moved to the Summerville area for her husband’s job in 2021 with their daughter. In her free time, she enjoys reading, finding great coffee, and being outside with her family. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Communication Disorders with a minor in Linguistics. She then earned her master's degree from Alabama A & M University in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She has been practicing since 2012 and has worked in multiple settings to include director of rehab in skilled nursing, acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, schools, and private practice. She is most passionate about early intervention, geriatrics, and language disorders.

Briana Schell, M.S.

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Briana Schell, M.S. Ed., CCC-SLP is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist. She has worked in multiple settings, including home health, tele-practice, and private practice. However, the majority of her experience has been working in outpatient pediatrics. In the early part of her career, Briana worked at a residential school for children presenting with moderate to severe Autism Spectrum Disorder, extensively focusing on providing therapy to enhance the students’ functional and social communication. Her most recent certifications include TOTs (tethered oral tissues) and Natural Language Acquisition (NLA), providing functional communication to children with ASD and delayed echolalia. Briana married her husband, Ryland, an active-duty member of the United States Navy, in 2016. By traveling with him to his various overseas duty assignments, Briana was able to experience working with diverse cultures, including Inuit Tribes of Alaska, Polynesian, Chamorro, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and Micronesian.

Briana gained her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from St. Joseph’s College in Long Island, New York. Subsequently, she received a Master’s of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. Through her experiences, Briana has become PROMPT trained and has received a certificate of clinical competence from American Speech-Language-hearing Association.

Briana enjoys exploring new places with her husband and her two rescue dogs, Jaxson and Darla, when she is not practicing speech therapy. Briana also enjoys volunteering at local animal shelters and shopping to relax!

Haley Wilson, M.S.

CFY-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Haley is a Speech-Language Pathologist who received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia (Go Gamecocks!). Born and raised in the Lowcountry, Haley is passionate about providing patients with evidence-based intervention to maximize their gains and reach their potential. Currently completing her clinical fellowship year, Haley enjoys supporting clients with feeding and swallowing difficulties, social communication needs, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. In her free time, Haley enjoys spending time with family, coaching her niece in softball, and being on the water!

Alexandra Kretsinger

CFY-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Alex was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She received her bachelors degree from Truman State University and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. After graduation Alex moved to Charleston to start her clinical fellowship at Palmetto SpOT. Alex gained experience in graduate school with treating and evaluating a variety of patients of all ages through her on-campus clinic, public schools, and at children and adult hospitals. In her free time Alex enjoy traveling, spending time outside, binge watching shows, and reading!

Carlie Roessle

CCC-SLP Speech
Language Pathologist

Carlie is an ASHA certified and SC state licensed speech language pathologist. Originally from New Jersey, she received her bachelor’s degree from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and received her Master of Science from Seton Hall University. Carlie has experience in clinical, medical, and educational settings. After moving down to Charleston in 2019, she found her niche working with a diverse range of pediatric populations to assess and treat a variety of articulation disorders, language delays and disorders, and fluency disorders. Additionally, Carlie is certified in Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) which focuses on providing individualized support for children with autism who use echolalia. She is passionate about incorporating relationship-based and child-led approaches to foster authentic connection and communication development. In her free time, Carlie is usually spending her time with friends and family, enjoying food, listening to music, and playing games.

Monica Russell

COTA-L

Born and raised in South Carolina, Monica was first introduced to pediatrics through ABA. After working in Behavioral therapy for eight years and co-treating with Occupational Therapy, she decided to pursue a career in this field. She completed the OTA program at Trident Technical College in 2017. She enjoys family movie nights with her son and nephews and crafting and DIY home projects. "My goal in life is to aid as many children as I can in finding their way in the world!”

Morgan Serwat

Speech Therapist

Originally from Chicago, Morgan is a northerner turned southern when she received her undergraduate degree from Clemson University and Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Georgia. She has always had an interest in helping others and became a speech pathologist to achieve that goal. Before joining Palmetto Spot, she worked in private practices, schools, and hospitals outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Morgan's passion lies with supporting clients with Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices, feeding difficulties, and complex communication needs. However, she has experience in treating both pediatric and adult clients with a variety of diagnoses. Morgan holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence and is licensed by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology. Morgan is also Beckman Oral Motor Training certified. On her time off, Morgan enjoys trying new recipes in the kitchen, reading, traveling to new cities, and running. She looks forward to meeting and supporting the families at Palmetto Spot to meet their communication and feeding goals!

Angel Sherrod

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Angel Sherrod is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and a South Carolina native. She earned her degree from Trident Technical College in 2022. She has worked in multiple settings including outpatient and acute care. In her free time, Angel enjoys reading, cheering on the Clemson Tigers, and spending time with her family.

Charlene DeJoseph

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Charlene DeJoseph 'Char' is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, graduating from Trident Technical College in 2018. She came down to Charleston from the Philadelphia area to study at the College of Charleston, where she received her Bachelors in Physical Education with a concentration in Health Promotion. Char has experience in multiple settings, including acute care, outpatient, and home health. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, playing soccer, reading, working out, and spending time with friends and family.

Amanda Snyder, MOT, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Amanda Snyder is a registered occupational therapist under the National Board of Occupational Therapy and licensed in SC. She received her bachelor's degree in Science of Kinesiology, emphasizing Exercise Science at Georgia Southern University. She continued her education by receiving her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. It has always been a passion of Amanda's to work within the pediatric population and help conquer any difficulties. She has experience working with children of all ages with many diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, stroke, sensory processing disorder, attention deficit disorder, and many more. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking, and walking the beach with her dog, Eleanor.

Savannah Fletcher

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Savannah is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, graduated from Tirdent Techincal college here in South Carolina. Originally from West Michigan, Savannah has lived here in Summerville since 2018. She has experience in both Pediatric Outpatient and School settings, as well as Geriatric inpatient rehabilitation. Outside of work, Savannah enjoys spending time with her family outside, creating new sewing projects, and searching for good gluten free restaurants around CHS.

Kathryn Kolaczynski

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Originally from Miami, Kathryn has a B.A. in Studio Art and minor in Psychology from the University of Miami. She graduated from State College of Florida with her degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant, and become a COTA in July 2019 and began working in home health pediatrics while living in Saint Petersburg, FL. She enjoys working with children, spending time with her family/niece and nephew, spending time with her lab/husky/cattle dog pup “little bear”, enjoys nature, being near water, being physically active, and engaging in sports activities (tennis, volleyball, and softball) as well as watching hockey, soccer, and football. Kathryn is an artist, and has been involved in art from a young age; loves to paint and do photography. Kathryn plans to continue providing care and services for several years, and is looking to advance her education in the field of therapy with expressive/art in the future.

Lydia Walker

COTA

Lydia Walker was born and raised Mississippi! She is a certified Occupational Therapy Assistant and a recent graduate. Lydia loves working with her pediatric caseload. She is a huge fan of the Ole Miss Rebels!

Mel Powelli

Front Office Manager

Originally from California, Mel and her family relocated to the low country in 2020 to expand their horizons. From the early age of thirteen, she was blessed with an ever-growing education solely based on ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapies, that lead her to utilize her talents in a private school setting in Arizona. She later learned that her second and third born would be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. With her strong skill set and advocacy for Early Intervention, her youngest children would become mainstreamed in their early years in education, leaving little remnants of their diagnosis. She also furthered her career in Human Resource and Accounting, leading her to become Palmetto Spot's first ever Front Office Manager. Mel loves spending time with her family on weekends, camping and travelling to waterways near and far. With her love and devotion to improving the lives of others, we think she is an amazing addition to our Palmetto Spot family.