Ayat Cardani, MS, OTR/L

Ayat is a Charlotte native and is thrilled to be serving children and families in the community she calls home. She earned her Bachelors in Psychology from Wofford College and her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Her love for working with children began long before becoming an OT. As a teenager and through college, Ayat spent her summers working at camps for children with special needs. She worked alongside various therapy disciplines and quickly knew she had found the career she wanted to pursue. Ayat began her OT career in hospital acute care and inpatient rehabilitation, where she developed a strong clinical foundation, but working with children has always held a special place in her heart. She loves helping children build confidence, gain independence, and develop the skills they need to feel successful in their everyday lives. Outside of work, Ayat’s favorite role is being a mom to her 2 children. In her free time Ayat enjoys pilates, traveling, and spending slow, quiet weekends with her family at the lake.
Ayat Cardani, MS, OTR/L
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Meet The Rest of our team

Ayat Cardani, MS, OTR/L
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Ayat Cardani, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Monica Rodriguez, COTA/L
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Monica Rodriguez, COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Meredith Laney, M.Ed. CCC-SLP
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Meredith Laney, M.Ed. CCC-SLP
Lead Speech Language Pathologist

Lindsey Stack, MS, OTR/L
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Lindsey Stack, MS, OTR/L
Operational Therapist

Bio coming soon

Kylie Mcgee
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Kylie Mcgee
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Liz Earley, MS, OTR/L
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Liz Earley, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Madeline Rousseaux, M.A., CCC-SLP
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Madeline Rousseaux, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist

Nikki Heasley, MS, OTR/L
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Nikki Heasley, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Emma Kilstrom COTA/L
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Emma Kilstrom COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Addie Taylor, M.A., CCC-SLP
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Addie Taylor, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist

Anne Lawrie, OTR/L
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Anne Lawrie, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Anne Lawrie is a pediatric occupational therapist with over 29 years of experience in early childhood and school-based settings.

Irene Salema
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Irene Salema
Patient Care Coordinator

Bio Coming soon!

Genie Tucci, MS, OTR/L
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Genie Tucci, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Genie graduated from Milligan University with a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and has dedicated her career to supporting children in reaching their full potential.

Alexis Aldridge, MS, OTR/L
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Alexis Aldridge, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Alexis is a pediatric occupational therapist with a Bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and a Master’s from Lenoir-Rhyne University. She specializes in sensory processing, fine motor skills, emotional regulation, and feeding therapy, with an SOS Feeding certification earned in 2023.

Tori Southerland, M.S., OTR/L
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Tori Southerland, M.S., OTR/L
Owner & Occupational Therapist

Tori is the owner and primary Occupational Therapist at Thrive Therapy. Tori has over 10 years of clinical experience in various pediatric settings.

Michelle Pelletier, B.S., OTR/L
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Michelle Pelletier, B.S., OTR/L
Lead Occupational Therapist

Michelle has a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a master's degree in Education, and a post-baccalaureate certification in Occupational Therapy from Xavier University.

Susan Waters, COTA/L
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Susan Waters, COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Susan is an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Thrive Therapy with 25 years of OT experience.

Logan Tafur, COTA/L
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Logan Tafur, COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Logan is an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Thrive Therapy.

Christine Giesbrecht, COTA/L
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Christine Giesbrecht, COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Christine is an Occupational Therapy Assistant at Thrive Therapy. She earned an A.A.S in the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at CPCC in 2018.

Emily Cliber, CPC, CPB, CPPM
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Emily Cliber, CPC, CPB, CPPM
Billing/Insurance Specialist

Emily grew up in CT but now lives outside of Richmond, VA. She has her bachelors in Business Administration and certification in coding, billing and practice management.

We're Hiring!

We are always looking to add to our dynamic team of therapists. See our open positions and apply today!

Ready to Join the Thrive Family?

We specialize in helping children develop essential skills for daily life, including communication, language, and social interaction; sensory processing and emotional regulation; fine and gross motor coordination; self-help skills like feeding and dressing; and visual-motor abilities such as handwriting—all through engaging, play-based therapy.