Providers & Staff
 

Mary L. Nel, M.S., CCC/SLP

Owner and Managing Director of ABG Therapy & Wellness Center, LLC
Speech-Language Pathologist

A53a85d1 0817 4a9f 9d13 30b5234e7b26
Mary has degrees in Communication Disorders and Education. Before her studies in Communication Disorders at Colorado State University, she spent several years working in administration, project development, and teaching for Stimulus, a program for gifted children in Stellenbosch, South Africa. She has been working as a speech-language pathologist since 1992 in medical and educational settings, working with both children and adults. She is the founding member of Fort Collins Therapy Services, LLC doing business as ABG Therapy & Wellness Center, LLC.

Mary is experienced in working with a wide range of pediatric and adult clients. Her practice focuses mainly on autism, Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) for non-verbal clients, and aphasia. She has training in both TEACCH and Verbal Behavior methods for working with autism.

Personal experience in sharing life with a disabled family member has given Mary a good understanding of the impact of disability on the daily routines of differently-abled individuals and the people they share their lives with. One of her favorite parts of managing a therapy practice is being able to work with clients to create programs that work well to enhance the lives of both her clients and their families. 

Kathleen FitzGerald, M.S., CCC/SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

17c8d13f 024b 42d7 b154 aa69e9764d1e
Kathleen has almost 20 years of experience in working with children with learning disabilities and language comprehension deficits. She is trained in the use of Lindamood-Bell language processing programs, as well as in decoding in remedial reading and reading comprehension, spelling, and math.

Kathleen enjoys working with children of all ages who exhibit language processing deficits. She is able to help them improve their ability to maintain auditory attention, follow oral and written directions, and improve reading skills. She uses well-researched and scientifically-verified interventions and her success-based therapy methods boost confidence, build skills, and change lives.
 

Jane Metz, M.S., OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Jane final20180220 7203 1668vvw
Jane studied at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, completing her undergraduate degree in psychology in 2009 and her Master of Science degree in occupational therapy in 2011. Her experience as an occupational therapist is varied and includes early childhood, assisted living, orthopedics, rehabilitation, and school-based therapy for children from preschool through high school. Special interests and training include sensory integration, neurodevelopmental treatment, craniosacral therapy, myofascial release, feeding, and cognition.

Jane enjoys working as part of a team to address the needs of various populations from developmental delays to more serious diagnoses. She enjoys learning from colleagues as well as participating in more formal continuing education courses. 

Deana Munoz, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Deana
Deana was born in Chicago, raised in Pittsburgh, and moved to Fort Collins, CO in 2017 to pursue her graduate degree in OT at Colorado State University. She is the fifth OT in her family and is thrilled to be following in her mother's footsteps working in pediatric care to support children and their families in living life to the fullest.
As an OT,  Deana has worked in memory care, inpatient psychiatric care for adults, children, and adolescents, and community group programs before landing in outpatient pediatrics. With a background in psychiatric care,  she continues to bring an interest in pediatric mental health to her current work. She is experienced in using trauma-informed practices to support children from non-traditional or foster homes in addressing emotional and behavioral challenges.
Deana has advanced certification in sensory integration (SI) informed approaches from the STAR Institute and is committed to continuing her certification in SI theory and practice. She is working towards becoming a Certified Autism Practitioner to ensure best practice in social, emotional, and behavioral health for children on the spectrum and their families. Special interests include responsive feeding therapy and executive functioning coaching. She finds great joy in collaborating with children and caregivers to identify needs and solutions as a team.
When she's not in the clinic, you can find Deana traipsing the trails with her dog, tending her plants, or biking around FoCo to her favorite river spots. 

Heather Michaud
Office Coordinator 

B7787e10 f6b2 40bd be0a 493f22c7895b
Heather joined ABG in October 2014 and, for most people, she is their first contact with the office. If you come in as a client, Heather will make you feel welcome, help with your paperwork, and work with you to schedule your first appointment. If you’re part of another medical office, she will work with you to coordinate referrals and reports. Heather has had years of experience as an office manager in multiple settings and now especially enjoys loves working in a setting where she feels she can contribute to the well-being of the people she serves.

Heather grew up in Fort Collins and takes advantage of every opportunity for spending time with family and friends while soaking up the Colorado sunshine. Having raised four children of her own, Heather loves kids and enjoys being with them. She also knows what organization looks like and how to achieve it.  She makes a huge difference in how the ABG office runs and is an essential member of our staff.

Gordon Gilstrap
Billing/IT Manager

Gordon final20180220 1504 1nnanjc
Gordon is the owner of YNI Business Support LLC, a company, which provides contract support to ABG Therapy for computer, billing, and bookkeeping services. His initial link to ABG Therapy was through his wife, who is a speech therapy patient with ABG Therapy.

Gordon values his relationship with the clinic not only for the therapy provided to his wife but also for the excellent therapy it provides to so many children.  While providing operational support to a therapy clinic is very different from his previous roles as an executive at Hewlett-Packard, he considers it very rewarding to have even a small part in helping patients achieve their goals that are so important to coping with the challenges in life.