Meet the Juniper Team
At Juniper Speech Therapy, every therapist on our team shares the same belief: lasting progress happens when we look at the whole child and get to the root cause. Our team brings experience across myofunctional, feeding, and speech therapy, and we work together so every family gets care that fits their life.
Get to know the people who will be cheering your child on every step of the way.
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Julie Mercadante, M.A., CCC-SLP
Founder & Owner | Speech-Language Pathologist
Julie is the founder and owner of Juniper Speech Therapy. With more than 25 years of experience, she specializes in speech, feeding, and orofacial myofunctional therapy for children and adults. She has advanced training in orofacial myofunctional disorders and feeding therapy, including Understanding the Orofacial Complex.
Originally from the Midwest, Julie attended Northern Illinois University and has worked in a wide variety of settings, including hospitals, home health, schools, and private clinics. These experiences helped shape her belief that meaningful, lasting progress happens when clinicians look at the whole person and address the root cause rather than focusing only on symptoms.
Julie founded Juniper Speech Therapy to provide thoughtful, individualized, and family-centered care. As the practice has grown, she has built a team of clinicians who share her holistic approach and her commitment to supporting families throughout the therapy process.
When she isn’t working, Julie can usually be found baking sourdough, learning to play tennis with her husband, homeschooling their four children, or snuggling their chug, Oliver.
Kori Hixson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kori supports children and adults with complex communication needs. She specializes in articulation, receptive and expressive language, fluency and stuttering, social and pragmatic language, AAC, and orofacial myofunctional therapy. She believes therapy should be collaborative, individualized, and functional, using evidence-based strategies to support meaningful outcomes.
Kori values building trust with clients and their families, and wants every client and caregiver to feel motivated, understood, and empowered in each session.
When she’s not working, you can find Kori testing out a cozy recipe, cracking open a book, or traveling somewhere new. Fun fact: she studied abroad in Ireland in college. She loves spending time with her loved ones and her sweet pup, Arlo.
Becky Acklin, RDH
Myofunctional Therapist
Becky is a Registered Dental Hygienist with 5 years of experience in myofunctional therapy and training in orofacial myology through AOMT. She works with clients ages 5 to 95 and addresses breathing, sleep, eating, and swallowing. She can also help with TMJ concerns and breaking oral habits.
Becky found myofunctional therapy through her daughter, whose health improved significantly after treatment. Training as a therapist then started Becky’s own journey, and it has been life changing for both of them. She tailors therapy to each person, keeps sessions fun, and loves watching clients feel proud of what their hard work has accomplished.
Off the clock, Becky loves camping, off-road riding, and catching local bands around the Valley. Her favorite city is Krakow, Poland, and her family is originally from Warsaw. Surprising fact: she has gone skydiving seven times!
Julie Koumelis, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Julie earned her master’s in Communication Disorders from ASU and works with children from age 2 through high school. She specializes in expressive and receptive language, articulation, and phonology.
Julie loves helping clients communicate better and gain confidence in themselves. Her approach is individualized, collaborative, and flexible, and she brings each child’s interests into sessions to keep therapy fun and engaging. Her favorite part is building relationships with families and celebrating every little win along the way.
Outside of therapy, Julie is mom to a young son and a cat named Kiwi. After college, she spent six months traveling through Australia and New Zealand. Her guilty pleasure snack is Flaming Hot Cheetos.
Leticia Holly, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Leticia earned her master’s from Northern Arizona University, where she received the 2021 Summers Track Outstanding Graduate Clinician award. She works with young children through teens and specializes in speech sound errors, early childhood language, and orofacial myofunctional disorders. She also has additional training in tethered oral tissues, airway, and the whole body connection.
Myofunctional therapy connected speech, feeding, breathing, and development in a way that changed how Leticia practices. Becoming a parent to a child with airway concerns deepened that passion. Her sessions are play-based and child-led, and she partners closely with parents and with airway-focused dentists, ENTs, and pediatricians.
Outside of work, Leticia enjoys baking sourdough, hunting for a great thrift store find, and creating educational content.
Michelle Seeling, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Michelle earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Central Michigan University. She currently works with children ages 1 to 8 and provides pediatric speech and language therapy.
Michelle fell in love with speech therapy during her senior year of high school, when she job shadowed a classmate’s mom. She knew instantly it was what she wanted to do. Her approach is client-led, with lots of games and activities built around each child’s goals. She loves that families can watch sessions and be as involved as they’d like, all in the comfort of their own space.
On her days off, you’ll find Michelle with her husband and two daughters, whether they’re having a cozy day at home or an adventure around the Valley. Her favorite children’s books are the Junie B. Jones series!
