ABOUT
Getting To Know Our Team & Our Philosophy
ABOUT ME
Stacy Panetta, OTR, CLC
Feeding Specialist
I knew from a young age that I wanted to be in the rehabilitation field. I have always loved helping others and being with children. I also knew I wanted to work within pediatrics. Occupational Therapy was the ideal fit for me. I started my career at Michigan Medicine, and worked alongside some of the most inspiring team members, who lead me to my passion of Feeding Therapy. I have been a pediatric OT for 16 years, with most of the past 10 years focused on feeding & swallowing.
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Shooting Star Feeding & Swallowing Therapy came from that passion and love of helping others. I wanted to create a space that allowed for a variety of options to help families and to truly put patients and families first.
MY APPROACH
Going Above & Beyond for Your Child
Feeding and eating are a part of all our lives, and when something disrupts this, it becomes stressful for both the infant or child as well as the family. I believe that together, we can work to improve the quality of your mealtime and bring the love back into feeding and eating within your home. Whether the disruption is from stress around your infant gaining weight, your toddler eating limited foods, or your child having difficulty with swallowing, there is hope and opportunity for change. I believe in a team approach and will be your coach to help guide you and your family along your journey.
Courtney Engel, MSOT
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Courtney has been a pediatric OT for 5 years and is passionate about helping children and their families gain the skills and confidence for independence in their daily routines. She received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at The University of Wisconsin-Madison. After working for several years in a pediatric outpatient setting in Chicago, Courtney recently moved to the metro Detroit area with her fiancé. She is so excited to join the Shooting Star team!
Courtney discovered her passion for feeding therapy early on as one of Stacy's clinical students. She has experience working with children of all ages and specializes in feeding, sensory processing and emotional regulation. Her practice is neurodiversity affirming and family-centered, with a strong focus on supporting both the child and their caregivers as they implement new skills and strategies into mealtimes and other daily routines.
Outside of her time as an OT, Courtney loves spending time with her family, being outdoors, cooking, and playing with her sweet yellow lab!”
Tara Swodzinski, MSOT, CLC
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Tara has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist for 9 years with children of all ages and abilities in school, camp, and outpatient settings. During her fellowship in Oregon, she found her passion for feeding therapy. Since that time, she has spent the last 6 years expanding her knowledge of feeding and swallowing. She is a Certified Lactation Counselor as well as a certified VitalStim provider. She loves helping children become more successful eaters and families feel more confident during mealtime. She believes that feeding can, and should be, a fun and positive experience.
Outside of work, Tara enjoys spending time with her growing family, traveling, and hiking anywhere that takes her to a mountaintop!
About Nicole Martin
Office Manger
"I realized my love for helping children while working for Plymouth Canton Schools in their preschool classroom for children with Autism. Being able to help and be a part of their growth made me feel like I was a part of something bigger. I felt like I was doing what I was made to do."
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Nicole is a mom to three girls, which keeps her busy and is her most cherished title. Her girls are "her world".
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She is excited to be a part of Shooting Star because it combines two things that she loves most, family and being able to help others.
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About Elise Garza
Therapy Technician
Elise is a prospective Occupational Therapy student completing her Bachelors in Psychology. She started off as an ABA technician and soon found the wonderful world of Occupational Therapy. She spends her weekends working at Michigan Medicine with adults in Inpatient Rehabilitation.
"I knew Occupational Therapy fit for me when I looked around and saw the positive impact it had on each person."
She loves working at Shooting Star because of the great educational and personal growth that is attained.
