Meet Our Passionate Tidal Therapy Solutions Team

At Tidal Therapy Solutions, our team is the heart of what we do. We are a group of passionate and experienced professionals dedicated to helping individuals achieve their communication and functional goals. Get to know the talented individuals who make our therapy services exceptional!

Meet the Occupational Therapy Team

  • Occupational Therapist Meredith Gallagher Tidal Therapy Solutions

    Meredith Gallagher

    OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

    Meredith is a 2025 grad of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, and is very excited to join the team at Tidal!

    Meredith grew up in Connecticut and New Jersey, and relocated to Wilmington in 2018. It was during her time studying psychology for her undergrad at James Madison University that she discovered a passion for Occupational Therapy and decided to pursue this interest following graduation. She received her associates degree in occupational therapy in 2020 from Cape Fear Community College, and hasn't looked back since.

    Meredith has had several years of experience as an OTA, both in outpatient and school-based settings, and was eager to return to pediatrics after her masters program. Her main areas of interest include interdisciplinary collaboration, primitive reflexes, family centered care, and all the ways to facilitate play! 

    When she is not working, Meredith enjoys visiting new places, reading, trying out new coffee shops, and quality time with family and friends.

  • Christina Needham

    OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

    Christy graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2001 with a degree in Occupational Therapy and began her 25+ year career working in pediatrics. She has had the opportunity to work in a variety of pediatric settings including early intervention, NICU/PICU, outpatient and schools throughout the country. She appreciates all the valuable experience and knowledge she has gained from colleagues and the families and children that she has worked with along the way. She continues to have passion for working with children and families with developmental delays, sensory processing differences, feeding challenges, neurological deficits, cognitive delays and genetic disorders in order to help develop and foster independence and improve functional performance. Christy continues to enjoy learning and building her therapeutic repertoire for the benefit of her clients. Christy and her family (husband, two children, dog) moved to North Carolina about 4 years ago and is excited to continue her journey as a pediatric OT and team member here at Tidal Therapy Solutions.

  • Lina, one of our Occupational Therapy Assistants with long, curly brown hair smiling outdoors, wearing a black T-shirt and a silver pendant necklace, with greenery in the background.

    Lina Lawson

    OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT

    Lina has lived in Wilmington for 14 years, prior to that she lived in Chicago, Costa Mesa and the Dominican Republic. She has been a COTA for 3 years working with both adults and pediatrics in home health, public schools, and assisted living facilities. Sheena obtained her degree from Cape Fear Community College and am is currently enrolled to earn her Occupational Therapy Masters at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences. Lina and her husband love to travel and surf abroad. In her free time she loves to cook, skate, surf, do DIY home renovations and eat Britts Donuts.

  • Alli, one of our Occupational Therapy Assistants smiling with long wavy hair, standing in front of a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and lights.

    Alli Sutton

    OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT

    Alli is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with 10 years of experience supporting individuals across the lifespan, from early intervention and pediatrics to adults and older adults. Over the past decade, she has worked with a wide range of diagnoses and functional needs, and prides herself on adapting intervention creatively to support meaningful participation and success for every child and family.
    Originally from Henderson, NC, she moved to Wilmington 10 years ago and has loved growing both personally and professionally in this community. Her passion lies in thinking outside the box- using creativity, play, sensory exploration, and individualized approaches to help children build confidence, skill, and independence.
    Alli began her OT journey at Cape Fear Community College, where she completed her OTA degree. Alli is currently advancing my education at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, working toward her Occupational Therapist (OT) degree to continue expanding her skills and clinical impact.
    Outside of work, Alli enjoys spending time with her two dogs, cat, and family, reading, doing yoga, and crafting.

  • Meet Rachel one of our Neuro focused Occupational Therapists for Tidal Therapy Solutions

    Rachel Presti

    OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

    Rachel is a dedicated occupational therapist and neuro-specialist with over 28 years of experience graduating from Concordia University of Wisconsin.  Rachel treats patients with a variety of  orthopedic and neurological disorders however specializes in stroke rehabilitation and other neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and vestibular deficits. She has demonstrated her dedication to community support by spearheading four stroke support groups across the Charlotte metropolitan area and Hampstead, offering guidance to individuals who have had a stroke and neurological challenges. 

    Living in the beautiful beachside town of Hampstead, Rachel enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle that includes biking, swimming, yoga, and soaking in the calming atmosphere of the beach with her husband and two daughters.

    Rachel is thrilled to be a part of the Tidal Therapy  team, where she embraces an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to wellness, working to improve her clients’ quality of life.

Meet the Speech Language Pathology Team

  • Meet Makenzie Stutzman one of our amazing Speech Language Pathologists on our Tidal Therapy Team

    Makenzie Stutzman

    SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

    Makenzie was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania. She graduated from Bloomsburg University with her Bachelor's degree in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology in 2016 and earned her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2018. Makenzie has experience with various settings and ages, but working with the pediatric population is her favorite! She moved to Wilmington in the summer of 2021 with her dog, Sully, and loves living on the coast! In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her dog, and traveling.

  • Speech Language Pathologist Tyler

    Tyler Vincent

    SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

    Tyler was born and raised in a small town right outside of Chattanooga, TN. She recently relocated to Wilmington after getting married. Her love for speech pathology grew after her Mimi was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and she witnessed how amazing speech therapy was!


    She graduated with her Bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She then worked as an SLP-A for a year prior to obtaining her Masters degree in 2025 from Samford University in Birmingham, AL.


    Tyler has worked in various settings, with a variety of ages, however has a passion for working with adults on cognition and swallowing!


    In her free time, she enjoys reading, going to the beach, going on walks, finding good coffee shops, and cheering on the Vols!

  • Tracy, one of our Speech Language Pathology Assistants smiling with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes.

    Tracy Kost

    SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY ASSISTANT

    Tracy grew up in Upstate New York, where she received her Bachelor's of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Cortland State College. Tracy decided to pursue a career in
    Speech-Language Pathology, after spending much time with her Autistic cousin, leading her to wanting to be a part of helping that population of children.


    After graduating, Tracy accepted a position in the schools in Binghamton, NY, working as a Teacher of Speech and Hearing-Handicapped for 3 years. Tracy then relocated to the Charlotte, NC area, where she worked as a speech therapist for the schools in Lancaster, SC for 6 years, and then transitioned to a pediatric, private clinic in Fort Mill, SC for 6 years, working with a diverse population of children, birth to 21 years of age.


    Tracy currently resides in WIlmington, where she has lived for 8 years, working with children in the pediatric setting, for over 20 years, in the homes, schools, daycares, clinics, and as well as telehealth. Tracy loves spending time walking her dog on the Riverwalk, downtown, exercising, cooking, going out to dinner and spending time with her “toes in the sand” at the beach
    Favorite Quote: "I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." - Jimmy Dean

  • Portrait of Kelly one of our Speech Language Pathologists for our team at Tidal Therapy Solutions

    Kelly Walker

    SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

    Kelly graduated from the University of Akron with her masters in Speech- Language Pathology. She recently moved to coastal Carolina from Ohio with her fiancé. She has a passion for working with the pediatric population and believes in a play-based, patient centered approach to treatment. When she is not working, she is playing with her new puppy, hanging out at the beach, or reading!

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