The Team
Who We Are
Dr. Mallory Pinocchio
Founder
OTD, MOT, OTR/L
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
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775-360-3206
Dr. Amanda Jenkins
OTD, OTR/L
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Dr. Amanda received her bachelors of science from the University of Nevada, Reno in Community Health Sciences and minored in Developmental Disabilities. From a young age Amanda has had a passion for children with varying abilities. Amanda moved to Arizona to complete her graduate program, where she further strengthened her passion for pediatrics and occupational therapy. She graduated with her Doctorate Degree in Occupational Therapy from Northern Arizona University. She has experience with treating a variety of diagnoses and her passion in the field includes sensory integration, physical impairments, and feeding. Dr. Amanda is certified in Therapeutic Listening Programing, a sound-based intervention that was developed to support people of all ages who experience difficulties with sensory processing. Now being back in Reno, Dr. Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband, their two dogs, close family, and friends.
775-386-2715
Elise Ongaro
COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Elise’s many years of experience in pediatric development has prepared her for a profession in occupational therapy. She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in English Creative Writing from The University of Colorado at Boulder in 2013, while teaching tennis to the Denver Special Olympics team. Soon after, Elise received her associates degree from Pima Medical Institute of Denver in 2018. During that time, Elise completed an internship program at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado further developing her occupational therapy skills.
Elise currently lives in Lake Tahoe with her husband and labrador retriever. She enjoys hiking, cooking in the kitchen, and spending time with family and friends!
Elise’s passion in pediatrics stems from being a self employed nanny for many years, working in the California public school system, and teaching tennis. Elise has now been with Dr. Pinocchio Wellness Center for over a year, works with children of all ages with a variety of diagnosis, and looks forward to growing as a therapist!
415-419-6343
Hailey Corthell
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Hailey has worked with children of all ages as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) since 2016. She earned her Bachelors in Anthropology from Wagner College on Staten Island, New York and her Masters in Clinical Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She then completed her Clinical Fellowship to earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). Hailey has worked in elementary and middle school, early intervention, private practice, in-home, and outpatient settings with children with a variety of impairments and disabilities. She enjoys integrating art and play into her therapy and individualizing treatment for each child with functional goals to best improve overall communication skills. Hailey specializes in speech sound production, speech fluency (i.e., stuttering), receptive and expressive language, social skills, preliteracy skills, and gestalt language processing (i.e., working with delayed echolalia or scripting). In her free time, Hailey enjoys adventuring outdoors, especially on her bike, skis, and snowboard.
(775) 964-8557
Taylor Baldry
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Taylor was born and raised in Sonoma County, CA and was led to the field of Speech Pathology through her love for working with children and her passion for singing. After completing her undergraduate and graduate studies with honors at San Francisco State University, she entered the world of being a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in private practice! Taylor spent the first six years of her career working as an SLP and eventually a clinical supervisor in Santa Rosa, CA. She has experience working with clients across the lifespan with a variety of diagnoses, and her passions in the field include early intervention, parent education, and small peer group instruction. She made the move up to Reno in 2021 and has loved working at Dr. Pinocchio's in such a collaborative environment! In her free time, Taylor loves to travel, travel, travel! She’s always planning her next adventure.
775-977-0240
Tanya Wellman
MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Tanya received her Bachelors of Science in Neuropsychology from The University of New Hampshire in 2019 and her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 2021. She is a registered member of the National Board Certification in Occupational Therapy and has worked and completed fieldwork in a variety of settings including outpatient pediatrics, school-based, mental health, and acquired brain injury community centers. Prior to her Occupational Therapy degree, she worked as a Mental Health Worker for the State of New Hampshire aiding both children and adults with psychiatric and behavioral challenges. In her free time, Tanya enjoys walking her dog along the Truckee, skiing in the wintertime, and paddleboarding through the summers.
603-303-4949
Katie Lewis
COTA/L
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Katie was born and raised in Southern California. She found her passion for pediatrics while
pursuing a degree in early childhood development.
Katie knew she always wanted to work one-on-one with kids, which led her to pursue an
Occupational Therapy degree. She completed an internship program at Cleta Harder
Developmental School in La Habra, California, where she found her passion to work in the
school setting. Soon after, she received her associate's degree from Stanbridge University in
2020.
Katie spent the first year of her career working in the school setting for Springs Charter Schools
in Riverside County, California. She specializes in fine motor development and handwriting
skills.
Soon after completing her first year in her career, Katie and her fiancé decided to move to Reno,
Nevada. She has been at Dr. Pinocchio's for a year and is excited to continue growing her skills
as a therapist.
In her free time, Katie loves exploring the Reno/Carson City area with her family and has found
her happy place in Lake Tahoe.
(775) 241-8123
Erica Nicholas
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Erica was born and raised in Nevada, where she completed her Bachelor of Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno and Master of Sciences at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Erica has worked in various settings including, private practice, school teletherapy, and home health with specialization in early intervention in San Diego, CA. She later moved to the east coast, where she worked within the hospital with adults specializing in voice and traumatic brain injury therapy. After moving back to the west coast, Erica joined Dr. Pinocchio at the Pediatric Wellness Center and is loving the fun, family and child-centered approach. In her spare time, Erica enjoys traveling with her children, husband and cocker spaniel.
775-771-3173
Carly Blane
MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Carly received a masters of Occupational Therapy from Brunel University in London, England and a Bachelor's of Science in Public Health from The University of Nevada, Reno. During time living abroad Carly learned Spanish and is happy to communicate with families in Spanish as needed. She has always had a passion for working in pediatrics and believes in using a holistic and whole family approach and strives to create a warm and supportive environment for families she works with.
775-440-7636
Alyssa Bannister
M.S., CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Alyssa Bannister, M.S., CF-SLP received a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is currently in her Clinical Fellowship Year and is passionate about working with pediatrics and their families. Alyssa believes that using a naturalistic play-based approach is fundamental for supporting language and communication development.
Alyssa loves dogs, flowers, and traveling. In her free time she enjoys paddle boarding with her golden retriever, going to new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.
530-392-8010
