The Instructors

Lauren Meffen

MA CCC/SLP, CLT

Lauren Meffen is a speech language pathologist and certified lymphedema therapist with a passion for working with voice and swallow disorders. She has remained local to Gainesville after receiving her schooling with Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Florida. Lauren has worked in a variety of settings including hospital, skilled nursing, home health and has now found her heart belongs in the outpatient setting. Here she can provide a high level of individualized and quality care for each patient and family.

Over the years, she has developed a love and specialization in working with the oncology population. She has advanced training in management of lymphedema of the head and neck, trismus therapy, muscle tension dysphonia, and myofascial release techniques. She strongly champions a comprehensive approach toward treating the whole patient, with the involvement of a skilled, multi-disciplinary team.

Brad Smith

MS CCC/SLP, CLT

Brad is a speech-language pathologist and certified lymphedema therapist. He graduated in 1988 and became one of the earliest SLP-certified lymphedema therapists in the U.S. in 2006. He now has 20 years of experience specializing in head and neck lymphedema.

Brad helped build one of the busiest head and neck lymphedema programs in the country at MD Anderson and continues to mentor clinicians nationwide.

Bryan Spinelli

CLT-LANA, PT, PhD

Bryan A. Spinelli is a physical therapist and associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy in 2000 and a Master of Science in 2001 from Northeastern University. He received his Doctorate of Philosophy from Drexel University in 2016. He is a Lymphology Association of North America - Certified Lymphedema Therapist with over 20 years of experience caring for individuals affected by head and neck cancer.

He has lectured, published, and/or presented at conferences in the areas of cancer rehabilitation, lymphedema, physical activity and exercise, and shoulder pain and dysfunction in cancer survivors. Bryan’s research interests focus on physical activity and exercise in cancer survivors and on the assessment and management of cancer-related lymphedema.

Laurie Wennerholm

MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLT, PhD candidate

Laurie Wennerholm is a clinical specialist in swallowing and swallowing disorders with over 27 years devoted to medical speech pathology. She has gained extensive experience in evaluating and treating speech-language, voice and swallowing impairments, with a specialization in head and neck cancer.

Laurie received Specialty Certification in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders in 2006 and maintains her specialty recognition through leadership, education and scholarship. She is a Board Member of the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Laurie also serves as an adjunct professor at New York University -- teaching the Dysphagia course at this institution. She has mentored and supervised many students completing clinical internships in medical speech pathology.

Currently, she is employed at NYU Langone Health. Her focus is in evaluation and treatment of speech, voice and swallowing impairments in patients with head and neck cancers. Much of her clinical focus involves evaluation and management of head and neck lymphedema as this is a critical component of comprehensive care for these patients. She is nearing completion of a PhD where her research aims to create a framework of care for individuals with laryngectomy. Her focus has always been the provision of evidenced-based, optimal care for the patient to maximize his/her/their quality of life.

The Admin

Maria Ferrer

Operations Coordinator of Head & Neck Rehab and Wildflower Therapy

Provides executive and administrative support to the practice owner and administrative team
Manages patient scheduling, inquiries, and administrative coordination for Wildflower Therapy
Provides administrative and billing support for Head & Neck Rehab
Develops and maintains internal processes, workflows, SOPs, and administrative systems to improve operational efficiency
Manages websites, online platforms, and digital business resources
Oversees social media platforms
Creates, edits, and coordinates educational and promotional content for social media, websites, courses, and digital resources
Maintains trackers, databases, forms, and other operational documentation
Supports continuing education reporting, course administration, and participant communications
Email: [email protected]

Sydney Friedt

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Content editing and development across Head & Neck Rehab platforms
Develops marketing and communications strategies to grow brand awareness, engagement, and sales
Manages website, social media, email, and other marketing communications
Supports public relations, media outreach, and promotional opportunities
Promotes courses, resources, handouts, and educational content
Email: [email protected]

Janice Cuesta

Education Administrator Assistant

Supports the planning and coordination of educational programs.
Manages course registrations and learner communications.
Provides customer support.
Email: [email protected]

Karim Hussien

Oncology Physical Therapist

Education & Clinical Support Assistant

Oncology Physical Therapist
Education & Clinical Support Assistant
Providing educational support, assisting in developing, organizing, formatting, and enhancing existing clinical content across multiple formats for both clinicians and patients.
Integrating physical therapy insights into educational content to support a multidisciplinary approach to clinical education.