Children’s Therapy Services (CTS) is a community of highly qualified, like-minded, self-employed pediatric therapists who share a harmonious work-space environment and professional culture.
Amy Gray, MA, OTR/L, earned her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from University of Southern California (USC) in 1999, and has been working in pediatrics ever since. She currently works at the Child Development Center at CPMC, a multidisciplinary clinic for children and families, and has been there for 15 years. Amy has worked in a variety of pediatric settings, including several schools, sensory processing clinics, home health, and hospital settings. She has experience with a variety of developmental and behavioral challenges, as well as early intervention (babies to 3 years old). Amy is certified in administering the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT), and has taken extensive continuing education in sensory processing. In addition, she has completed coursework in Therapeutic Listening, The Alert Program, Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), Perceptual Enrichment Program (PEP), NDT/Sensory processing, Handwriting without tears (HWT), SOS Approach to Feeding, Astronaut Training, and Social Thinking. Amy lives with her husband and son in San Rafael.
Tonya Zimring, MA, OTR/L, founder of Thrive Baby Therapy graduated from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado with a degree in Early Childhood Education and went on to receive her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 2002 from Pacific University in Oregon. She has immersed herself in the pediatric world ever since. With over 20 years of experience working with children ages 0-15 in a variety of settings from children’s hospitals, outpatient sensory clinics, schools, and early intervention, she draws from a wide range of therapeutic approaches to determine what is going on for your child and how best to guide you to support them in their growth and development. She has done extensive continuing education to allow her to work with children with a wide range of ages and diagnoses. Tonya’s advanced training areas include Feeding and Oral-Motor development, Masgutova Reflex integration, Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation, Visual-Motor and Visual Perceptual Development, Therapeutic Listening, HWT’s, NDT, Interventions for Toe Walking, School Moves and Polyvagal theory, DIR Floortime, Zones of Regulation, Astronaut Training, Michele Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking Curriculum and Executive Functioning development. She combines her skill as a therapist with her experience as a parent to find the best path forward for each family. Tonya lives locally with her husband and is a dedicated mother raising two young daughters. Her true passion is helping every child reach their full potential.
Karen Kovac Norman, OTR/L is a licensed Occupational Therapist. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University. She began her career in adult inpatient rehabilitation focusing on neurological injuries, then worked in outpatient rehabilitation where she was also involved with hand therapy. Karen currently works at CPMC’s Kalmanovitz Child Development Center. She enjoys being part of the management team leading the department, supporting the creation of three separate locations with multiple child development professionals and is the OT student facilitator for the program. Program development, fundraising and community outreach continues to be a core value for Karen. Concurrently, she joined the CTS community in private practice to expand her expertise in supporting children with developmental needs. Karen has received training in the Perceptual Enrichment Program (PEP), Handwriting Without Tears, How Does Your Engine Run, Social Thinking with Michelle Garcia Winner, Upper Limb/Manual Skills (MNRI) with Svetlana Masgutova, Visual Rehabilitation for Pediatrics, Bal-A-Vis-Ex, Anxious Eaters with Marcia Dunn Klein and Yoga for the Special Needs Child With Anne Buckley Rein. Karen lives in Corte Madera. She has a daughter who recently graduated from CU Boulder and a daughter who is a junior at the University of Oregon. Karen’s personal interests include hiking, biking, yoga, skiing and travel.
Tona Wheeler, M.A., OTR/L, began Children’s Therapy Services, Inc. in 1996 as a way of serving children in Marin. Tona, currently retired and not seeing clients personally, continues to provide mentoring as needed, to support the high quality for care for the children and families at CTS. Tona’s extensive background in advanced trainings include skills in SI; NDT; DIR-Floortime; SOS Feeding Training; IM; MNRI; PEP; various Therapeutic Listening methods; HWT; various Self-Regulation and Social Skills programs; VPPS; Wilbarger Technique; Kawar Interventions; Bal-A-Vis-X, and S’Cool Moves. She graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Occupational Therapy and from San Francisco State University with an MA in Education of Exceptional Children. She has enjoyed working with children as a Special Education teacher, as a High-Scope trained preschool teacher and as a Pediatric Occupational Therapist. As an OT, she has worked for CCS; for local school districts; Oak Hill School; Marin Head Start; and enjoyed 20 years at CPMC’s Child Development Center. Tona and her husband raised four children in a mini-farm setting in West Marin.