The Story of
Happy Hearts Therapy, LLC was founded in 2019 by a pediatric occupational therapist in Charleston, South Carolina. Our focus is to provide families the support they need to ensure their child is fully developing at their greatest potential. Many families struggle with how to best help their child; Happy Hearts Therapy is here to provide guidance, reassurance, and skilled therapy. With experienced and competent therapists, we work directly with the family and all other integral members of the child's life to create an appropriate and individualized treatment plan.
State-of-the-Art Sensory Gym
A child's sensory system is the backbone of their development. If there is a disconnect in how they process, register, modulate, or discriminate any sensory information, it can interfere with a child's ability to participate in daily life. Happy Hearts Therapy worked directly with Fun Factory Sensory Gym, LLC a leading manufacturer of custom sensory gyms and equipment. Through their collaboration and the knowledgeable sensory background of the owner of Happy Hearts Therapy, we are thrilled to provide a customized sensory gym to specifically meet the needs of children.
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Feature videos about Happy Hearts Therapy
Lindsay Kale, M.S., OTR/L
Founder & Owner of Happy Hearts Therapy
Lindsay is a licensed occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics and sensory processing disorders. Embarking on 12 years of practicing within the profession, it was time to follow her passion and dreams to create a pediatric private therapy practice. Lindsay graduated from Towson University in Maryland after completing her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. She began the first three years of her career as a school-based OT also working within early intervention and the home environment. Lindsay then discovered that the private practice/outpatient setting was her true calling; being able to work directly with the families and children to help the overall daily functioning of the family unit. She completed the University of Southern California Chan Sensory Integration Continuing Education (CE) Certificate Program, which provided extensive training of over 100 hours in sensory integration and related areas (certificate #861). Lindsay has also participated in various courses to enhance her knowledge in feeding disorders, executive functioning and self-regulation, integrating primitive reflexes, ADHD and anxiety-based disorders, ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) and the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
Lindsay's journey brought her to Charleston, South Carolina in 2018 from Baltimore, Maryland. She enjoys sharing in life's adventures with her family and friends, and spending time relaxing on the beach and water.
Lindsay is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the South Carolina Occupational Therapy Association (SCOTA). After serving on the SCOTA board as the Lowcountry District Chair for 3 years, Lindsay was elected as President of the SCOTA where she currently serves. In addition, Lindsay also maintains active accreditation with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
Alexandra Wease, M.S., OTR/L
Clinic Manager and Lead Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Alexandra “Lexie” is a licensed occupational therapist who earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Food and Nutrition at The University of Alabama. She completed her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina. She has experience working with a diverse population of pediatric diagnoses in pediatric outpatient settings. She is looking forward to growing her knowledge and education as a part of the Happy Hearts Therapy team.
Lexie knew she was passionate about the field of Occupational Therapy, specifically with children, when she was able to see the benefits of changing not only children’s lives, but the lives of families and others who were all affected. She has a huge heart for all children and dedicates herself to building strong therapeutic rapport with her families.
Lexie grew up in Columbia, SC. She enjoys spending time with family and exploring all the treasures of Charleston, especially the beaches and restaurants. She also has two mini Australian labradoodles named Floki and Rollo that she maintains hope will someday become therapy dogs.
Lexie maintains active accreditation with the NBCOT and is a member of the SCOTA.
Haley Franklin, COTA/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant
Haley is a certified and licensed occupational therapy assistant who earned her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she then completed her Associate of Science degree in Occupational Therapy Assisting from Southeastern College in North Charleston, South Carolina. During her time at Southeastern College, Haley served as a student representative and a SCOTA student representative and member. Through her Level II fieldwork experiences, she gained hands-on training in providing therapeutic interventions to diverse, complex patient populations across outpatient pediatric and inpatient acute rehab hospital settings. Mrs. Haley completed a portion of her training as a student here at Happy Hearts Therapy in the summer of 2023, where she discovered her love and passion for the pediatric population.
Now as a certified and licensed therapist, Haley enjoys providing pediatric OT services across home, daycare, and clinic environments. Mrs. Haley enjoys the uniqueness of being a pediatric occupational therapy assistant. She understands child development is not linear, therefore each child’s needs are unique and her sessions are highly individualized. Her ambitious and caring personality is evident through her work with patients and their families.
Haley is originally from Manning, South Carolina, a small town near Lake Marion. She currently resides in Moncks Corner, South Carolina with her husband and two dogs, Lizzie and Willie. Haley enjoys traveling, being outdoors, and spending time with her friends and family. Haley maintains active accreditation with the NBCOT and is a member of the SCOTA.
Lilly Riley, OTD, OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Lilly is a licensed occupational therapist who earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Auburn University. She completed her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree at the Medical University of South Carolina. As part of her OT Doctoral Capstone Project and in collaboration with HHT, she created sensory development modules for caregivers to utilize in the home environment. She hopes to improve the continuum of care in pediatrics beyond the clinical setting by providing caregivers with educational resources. Lilly looks forward to learning and growing in her professional career with the Happy Hearts team!
Lilly found her passion for occupational therapy when she observed the major impact OT had on a family friend with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Throughout her experience with children in the home, at camp, and in school settings, Lilly has learned to love working with children from a variety of backgrounds.
Lilly grew up in Columbia, SC. She has loved being in the Lowcountry for the past few years, spending time with her family and friends in IOP and Edisto Island. In her free time she loves to go to the beach, run, and cycle in all the beautiful places Charleston has to offer!
Lilly maintains active accreditation with the NBCOT and is a member of the SCOTA.
Logan Colwell, M.S., OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Logan is a licensed occupational therapist with a Bachelor's degree in Special Education, focused on Adapted Curriculum, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Before studying OT at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Columbia, South Carolina, she taught a therapy-based Kindergarten class in Charlotte, NC. During her time in OT school, Logan also provided tutoring services using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.
Since high school, Logan has been dedicated to becoming a pediatric OT, gaining experience in outpatient Neurological Rehabilitation and pediatric clinics across the Carolinas and Georgia. In the summer of 2024, Logan made her goal of living by the beach a reality when she relocated to Charleston from her hometown in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Logan’s expertise includes Sensory Integration, total body development, and feeding therapy. She is trained in DIRFloortime, Neurodiversity-affirming care, Orofacial myofunctional therapy, low vision rehabilitation, and vestibular rehabilitation. She has also completed continuing education in the SOS Approach to Feeding, TOTs E3 Model of Care, Get Permission, and Beckman Oral Motor Protocol.
Logan maintains active accreditation with the NBCOT and is a member of the SCOTA.
Katie Childrey, OTD, OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Katie is a licensed occupational therapist who earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education with a concentration in Child and Family Health, along with a second major in Exercise and Sport Science, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Katie grew up in Raleigh, NC, where she was a competitive swimmer, which led to coaching summer league swim teams and teaching numerous swim lessons with children of all abilities. She realized her passion for working with children and their families through these experiences over the past 9 years. Katie discovered occupational therapy by observing the various pediatric therapy disciplines while completing her undergraduate studies. She became fascinated by the OTs therapeutic use of everyday activities to help children participate in tasks they need and want to do, ultimately improving their quality of life. Pediatric occupational therapy integrates Katie’s passions of helping others and working with children!
Katie completed her OT fieldwork experiences in several pediatric settings including outpatient clinics, early intervention, acute care, schools and a day treatment program. For her doctoral capstone project, she developed educational resources for clinicians and caregivers to increase attention, awareness and accessibility of aquatic-based therapy in OT. This capstone experience blended Katie’s love of the pool and OT as she implemented aquatic therapy treatment sessions with the pediatric population to promote sensory processing, developmental milestones and participation in meaningful activities.
Katie loves living in Charleston and exploring all the beautiful places that the Lowcountry has to offer. In her free time, Katie enjoys going to the beach, staying active with pilates and swimming, spending time with family and friends, and cheering on the Tar Heels!
Katie maintains active accreditation with the NBCOT and is a member of the SCOTA. Katie looks forward to learning and growing in her professional career by serving children and their families with the Happy Hearts team!
Shaelyn McNeil, M.S., OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Shaelyn is a licensed occupational therapist who received her Bachelor's degrees in Allied Health sciences from Radford University, VA. She completed her Master’s of Science in occupational therapy from Shenandoah University, VA. She recently moved to Charleston, SC looking for a fresh start and is excited to continue her journey of being a pediatric occupational therapist.
She has experience in outpatient adults and pediatrics, however, following her Level II fieldwork experience she fell in love with the pediatric population. Shaelyn has experience working with the pediatric population with diverse diagnoses in the outpatient setting. She looks forward to growing with Happy Hearts and growing with all of the kiddos and families she works with.
Shaelyn grew up in Gloucester, Virginia. She loves being with friends, family and spending time shopping, going to the beach, and working out.
Shaelyn maintains active accreditation with the NBCOT and is a member of the SCOTA.
Julia Johnson, M.S., OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Julia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management with a minor in Professional Outreach and Development from Rutgers University while simultaneously competing on the D1A All Girl Cheer Team. She graduated a semester early and was driven by a passion for helping others. She transitioned directly into graduate school to pursue a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Her interest in the field of occupational therapy began at a young age, inspired by the impact home health therapy had on the lives of her own family members. While attending a technical high school, Julia was introduced to the allied medical program, where she gained early hands-on experience and earned credits that solidified her desire to pursue a healthcare career focused on making a difference.
During her clinical fieldwork, Julia discovered a true calling in pediatric therapy while working in a family-centered outpatient facility. Her passion for working with children continued to flourish through additional experience in both school-based settings and Telehealth environments. She has had the privilege of working with children and young adults from birth through age 21 across a wide range of developmental and physical diagnoses. Julia is especially drawn to the creativity and personalized care that pediatric therapy allows, and she thrives on building meaningful connections with each child and their family at Happy Hearts Therapy.
Originally from a small beach town in New Jersey, Julia enjoys soaking up the sunshine whenever possible. Outside of work, she is an active member of her local gym and is always starting a new hobby or craft including sewing, reading, baking, candle making, air dry clay, and more! She’s also a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles fan - Go Birds!
Harper Winicov, OTD, OTR/L
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Harper is a licensed occupational therapist who achieved her Bachelors of Science degree in Public Health at the University of South Carolina. She completed her Doctoral Degree of Occupational Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Amy Seymour, M.S., PT
Pediatric Physical Therapist
Amy is a physical therapist who earned her Master's of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. She has experience working in outpatient pediatrics, as well as the natural environment.
Amy has especially enjoyed working in pediatrics as her own children prepare to leave the nest. She gets joy out of seeing children and their families lives bettered with improved functional mobility.
Amy grew up in the Chicagoland area. She has lived in Charleston for nearly 15 years. She enjoys all the amenities and beautiful weather that the low country has to offer. She lives locally with her husband, four children, and 2 dogs, and their exchange student.
Lindsey Draugel
Administrative Assistant, Therapy Support Coach at BrightBridge, LLC
With over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, Lindsey has dedicated her career to fostering inclusive learning environments and supporting young children’s development. As a mother of three boys, one of whom is neurodivergent, her personal experiences have greatly influenced her professional journey. After serving as a preschool director, she developed a passion for creating spaces where both neurotypical and neurodivergent children can thrive together.
Through her close collaboration with her son’s occupational therapists, Lindsay Kale and Lexie Wease, Lindsey identified a need to bridge the gap between therapy sessions and everyday life. This led to the creation of BrightBridge LLC, where she focuses on empowering families to seamlessly incorporate therapeutic progress into their daily routines, helping children reach their full potential both inside and outside the classroom.
