Our Staff

Lisa Haverly, MA/OT  Occupational Therapist & Owner of Rainbow Tree Therapies, LLC
Lisa has worked as an Occupational Therapist in the school setting since 1998.  She has a Master’s Degree in OT from St. Catherine's University in, St. Paul, MN and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD.  Lisa’s passion is working with children and supporting them in their development.  Lisa was inspired to be an OT when she watched a cousin benefit from therapy.  Lisa has experience working with a wide range of disabilities with a specific interest in supporting children who have self regulation concerns related to sensory processing and mental health.  Lisa has extensive knowledge in motor development and how to best support those underlying motor skills that are required for more complex skill development such as handwriting.   Lisa worked for CESA #11 in Wisconsin for several years working in various school districts.  Currently, Lisa works in the Somerset School District in Somerset, WI.  Lisa has training in Kids Yoga/Yoga Calm Wellness I, Kawar Protocol, Therapeutic Listening, Reflex Integration, Mindfulness, Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation along with an interest in looking at alternative ways to support kids such as diet changes and creating a healthy space in which to live and play. Lisa’s passion for kids has evolved into exploring new and creative ways to support kids at a holistic level.  Nature is the perfect stress-free environment where kids can be encouraged to not only discover the wonder of nature but develop lifelong skills.  Lisa is grateful for the children she continues to learn from.  She is honored to support them in their development and recognize them as a gift to the world.

 Independently Contracted Staff:

Michelle Paulisich, Speech & Language Pathologist
Michelle has worked as a speech language pathologist in both private and school settings since 1998 in California, Michigan, and most currently for the School District of Somerset, Wisconsin. She earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Michelle has interacted with families and students with a varying disabilities and needs.  Her niche and passion, however, is early childhood/early elementary age-groups. She enjoys introducing speech and language skills through active play, music, movement and hands on activities. Michelle strives to make instruction motivating, engaging and meaningful which will allow children to be more successful and support a positive self-concept. She is extremely excited to be given the opportunity to work alongside a respected colleague and friend in an environment where these types of interactions and skill acquisition can be fostered with children through experiences with nature and animals! Michelle brings a wealth of experience and passion for the campers she supports at Rainbow Tree.  Rainbow Tree is grateful to have Michelle as an integral part of the therapeutic team!   

 

Rachel Everson-Fink, Speech & Language Pathologist
Becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist was not an A to B journey for me.  I discovered this career later in my 20s.  In fact, I thought I was going to be a school counselor and even started my graduate coursework in that field.  Then my oldest sister had her second child, Logan.  Logan was born with significant developmental delays.  It was through Logan that I learned about speech therapy.  It was watching his therapists work to unlock his potential that led me to this field.  I returned to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to pursue a career in Speech Pathology.  I have worked as a speech therapist in acute care hospital settings, in homecare, in the schools, and as an online speech therapist.  In each setting, my overriding goal has been to reach each person, young and old, to find not only their greatest potential, but to give them a voice so that they may be understood and honored for who they truly are versus being seen solely as a person with a disability.   My greatest personal joys are being a mother, a wife, sister, and friend.  My interests outside of work include weaving, natural dyeing, hiking, camping, animals, yoga, and cooking.  Working at Rainbow Tree Therapy has offered me the opportunity to combine many of my personal interests into one setting.  It is without a doubt a highlight of my year both personally and professionally to work with the children and other professionals at RTT.  Rainbow Tree is grateful to Rachel for bringing her many talents and love of supporting others to camp!  

 


                                                                                                                           

Sean Cudd  is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L).  Sean received his BA in History from the University of Minnesota in 1999 and graduated from WITC in 2016. Sean is the father of three boys. He initially discovered occupational therapy thorough the services his own children received.  Inspired by the changes occupational therapy brought to his own family, he decided to return school to be able to share what he has learned with others. In his free time he enjoys spending time    with his family, trail running, kayaking, and paddle boarding. Sean also enjoys using his creativity in a wide variety of activities including wood working, carpentry, painting, drawing, ceramics, metal sculpture, and making music as well as making musical instruments. He is very excited to have the opportunity to be part of Rainbow Tree Camps.  Sean supports Find Your Rhythm and the Drumming opportunities as Rainbow Tree.

 Heather Germain, Occupational Therapist
Heather, a recent graduate of St. Catherine    University’s graduate program for      occupational  therapy, has worked as an    occupational therapist  since 2018 in various school districts.  She worked River Falls School district and more recently in the Somerset School District in WI where she supports children at the early childhood, preschool and the elementary levels. Her early occupational therapy career budded at Rainbow Tree Therapies-  a time where she fell in love with play-based therapy (double points for being in nature) and spontaneous learning that takes place at RTT.  As an occupational therapist, she strives to support the whole child as well as each child’s unique qualities through play and evidence-based practice. Recognizing that sensory exploration (our hands may get a little messy sometimes and that’s okay!) and developmentally appropriate approaches are foundation for a child’s growth and success. She’s passionate about recognizing each child’s potential, building on their strengths and motivations before guiding them to try a new challenge! In her free time Heather enjoys baking, gardening, running with her dog, Milka, traveling with her husband and repurposing furniture. She is thrilled for the opportunity to support and learn from children in this special environment with an incredible team of talented specialists.

 

Heather Sitz, COTA/L

My name is Heather Sitz and I’ve been a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant since 2019. My background and specialty is in school-based and clinical pediatrics. Since becoming a therapist I’ve had many amazing opportunities to serve a wide variety of clients in the Hudson area. One of the reasons why I love Occupational Therapy so much is that it allows me to connect on a personal level with my clients and their families and create lasting relationships. My goal is always to personalize therapy and create a fun, beneficial, and successful environment that can be carried over into my client’s daily routine. 

I was born and raised outside of the Ellsworh area and yes I do love the squeaky Ellsworth cheesecurds, they’re the best! Now my family and I live outside of River Falls on a small farm with way too many chickens. Other than being a daughter, sister, and wife, my biggest role to date is being a mom to my busy son Sawyer (3 years) and my sweet daughter Laney (7 months). Most of the time you’ll find me outside enjoying quality time with my family either on our farm or exploring the many parks or waterfronts in our area. I thoroughly enjoy all of the seasons and the activities they bring from kayaking and biking to hiking and gardening. I’ve always been drawn to nature and truly appreciate all of the many benefits it brings especially in the midwest.  

I’m so excited and grateful for this opportunity to be a part of Rainbow Tree and carry out its mission to empower children and create a natural healing space for them to thrive. I look forward to meeting you all~

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” –Alice Walker