Meet the Kindering CHERISH Team

Julie Fisher
Julie FisherCHERISH Program Director

Julie is originally from IN, but has lived in the Seattle area for most of her adult life. She got her start in Seattle doing crisis intervention work and then outreach and engagement in homeless shelters. After receiving her MSW from the University of Washington in 2001, Julie has focused her work on trauma-exposed children and families. She worked with foster children in Snohomish and Whatcom Counties as a Connections Specialist on a project that assessed child well-being when parent and caregiver relationships are supported and encouraged. After studying under attachment therapist Deborah Gray and others, Julie earned a certificate in Foster & Adoption Therapy from Cascadia Training. Since 2006, she has been part of the CHERISH™ program and currently serves as its director. Julie, with the help of Kindering’s amazing team of clinical social workers, is involved in replicating CHERISH in other Early Intervention settings. Since 2013, she has been humbled and awed by all that she’s learned from other therapists (OTs, PTs, SLPs, and Educators) who have trained with her to provide CHERISH services at their agencies. Julie is always eager to talk with anyone who feels passionate about improving the lives of foster children and impacting systems and policies. In her spare time, Julie can be found laughing and playing with her family and friends. She’s especially engaged when playing scrabble or euchre (a Midwest card game), eating tasty food, or exploring something or somewhere new.

Mara Calhoun
Mara CalhounCHERISH Program Manager

Mara has lived most of her life in the Northwest and is deeply committed to supporting the lives of young children and their families in the community. She began her early intervention career at Kindering as a paraeducator and FRC, later returning as a CHERISH Clinical Social Worker after completing her MSW at the University of Washington. Since receiving her MSW in 2006 she has worked in educational, medical, mental health and child welfare settings providing her a cross-systems perspective helpful in her CHERISH role of program development and systems advocacy. She has been Clinical Faculty at the CHDD, holds graduate certificates from the University of Washington in Infant Mental Health and LEND (Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) and is an Equity Facilitator for King County. In her spare time, she enjoys coaching soccer, volunteering in the neighborhood, spending time with family and friends, and raising two great kids.

Jennifer Gears
Jennifer GearsCHERISH Community Engagement Specialist

Jennifer received her MSW from the University of Hawai`i, after studying Social Work and Psychology for her Bachelor’s degrees at the University of Washington in Seattle (where she was born and raised). Through school, volunteering, and work experience, Jennifer values the countless opportunities to learn from a variety of organizations that offer services to families, supporting the unique challenges and valuing the incredible strength of children and their caregivers. Jennifer has found passion for working with families who care for children with special needs, and supporting caregivers as they nurture the next generation. She is also passionately committed to confronting inequities in services and opportunities for systemically oppressed communities in order to create a more inclusive network of support that comprehensively addresses challenges and acknowledges the incredible strengths of families and individuals that make up our community. Now with CHERISH at Kindering, Jennifer enjoys connecting with families in the dependency community and providers, and the many opportunities for learning and growth this provides. While practicing mindfulness, she tries to incorporate humor and music into all aspects of life.

Dianna Zaorski
Dianna ZaorskiCHERISH Clinical Social Worker and 3-5 Program Manager

Dianna is originally from the East Coast but has called the Pacific Northwest home for the last 20 years. She began her professional career in the for-profit sector which enabled her to travel extensively and experience an array of cultures. Dianna’s passion for social justice and volunteer work with homeless women and children ultimately led her down the path of social services. Dianna has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and graduate degrees in communications and social work. After obtaining her MSW from the University of Washington in 2007, Dianna spent ten years at a private child-placing agency as a social worker, clinical supervisor, and social services director, where she served children in foster care and their families. She has completed the Attachment and Trauma Focused Certificate Program and is a Bringing Baby Home Certified Gottman Educator. Eager to return to direct service work with families, Dianna joined Kindering in 2018 as a CHERISH Clinical Social Worker and Manager of the CHERISH 3-5 program. In her spare time, Dianna enjoys spending time with family and friends, cheering her son on at soccer games, traveling, reading, and listening to music.

Tracy Kaplan
Tracy KaplanCHERISH IMH Therapist/Trainer

Tracy Kaplan, M.S. (Master of Science), CCC-SLP (Certificate of Clinical Competence-Speech-Language Pathologist), CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor), IECMHS (Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist)

Tracy is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master of Science in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences from the University of Arizona. She has been practicing for over 16 years, working in various settings (i.e., community/home health, schools, hospitals, clinics) and with people of all ages. Tracy is a Certified Lactation Counselor, she has an educational background and training in maternal child health, and she was a LEND Fellow through the UA College of Medicine, Dept. of Pediatrics.  She has also completed an Infant-Parent Mental Health fellowship through the University of California-Davis, the Phase 1 NMT training/certification with Dr. Bruce Perry through The Child Trauma Academy, and she has been working as a CHERISH™ Infant Mental Health Specialist in the field of early intervention since 2015. Most recently, Tracy has been enrolled in a 15-month Reflective Supervision Fellowship Program. Tracy enjoys blending her work in Speech-Language Pathology, child development, and infant-early childhood mental health principles into an interdisciplinary approach to optimally serve children and families, professionals, and communities. Her areas of interest and specialty include: communication and feeding disorders, infant-early childhood mental health, and reflective supervision and consultation. Outside of her local endeavors, Tracy volunteers internationally to support feeding and infant mental health practices for underserved populations. She also adores being outside and soaking in beautiful vistas with her hubby and two furry friends, Ira and Sal.

Kaya Wynn
Kaya WynnCHERISH Clinical Social Worker

Kaya grew up in the Seattle area and did her undergraduate studies in Educational Theater at New York University. She then worked for two years as a second grade teacher in both general and special education while earning her Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Special Education in New York City. Kaya’s work as a school teacher illuminated her passion for the developmental, social, and emotional needs of youth. As a result, she chose to transition into the field of Social Work and earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work (MSW) from Smith College. During her MSW training she had the opportunity to work with families at Sound Mental Health Child and Family Services in Tukwila. Kaya then worked with troubled youth and families on the Child and Adolescent Inpatient Units at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut. It was in her internship in Hartford that Kaya found her calling to work with families and support caregiver-child relationships. Kaya enjoys integrating play into her work and through her training has developed a love for working with children and their caregivers.

Sarah Branson
Sarah BransonCHERISH IMH Therapist/Trainer

Sarah was born and raised in Wisconsin and has been passionate about caring for marginalized groups and catalyzing systemic change for over a decade. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in Psychology with a minor in At-Risk Child and Youth Care. Throughout internships and early jobs, Sarah began working as a teacher and paraeducator with children and adolescents who had behavior challenges due to histories of trauma and developmental delays. After working overseas with women and children who had been trafficked and sexually exploited, Sarah moved to the PNW to pursue a Masters in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. She has since worked as a mental health counselor with children, teens, and adults in school and office-based settings in South King County. Through years of further study and working as a nanny for infants and toddlers, she developed an interest in fostering resilience and healing through the Caregiver-Infant dyad. Outside of CHERISH, Sarah enjoys visiting family, cooking tasty food, discovering new places, and reading in her hammock.

Carmen Rodriguez
Carmen RodriguezCHERISH Clinical Social Worker

Carmen Is a native of the North West and received her MSW from the University of Washington in 1992.  Carmen is passionate about providing clinical services to families utilizing a culturally relevant, racial equity lens. Prior to receiving her MSW she completed a BFA at the Cornish Institute in Visual Art. Carmen is certified in Child Parent Psychotherapy and is an endorsed Infant Mental Health Therapist.  Carmen has worked in Early Childhood Education, Mental Health and Medical Social Work settings. Carmen also enjoys mentoring students and has been a Practicum Instructor for University of Washington, Seattle University and Washington State University. Carmen likes to spend time with family (especially fur babies and human grandson) and friends and enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, exploring new restaurants, making jewelry and traveling.

Emily Edmiston
Emily EdmistonCHERISH Program Planner

Emily grew up in the Puget Sound area, and attended Seattle University for her undergraduate studies. After serving as an AmeriCorps member, she obtained her MSW from the University of Washington in 2007.  Within her graduate studies, Emily focused on administration practice and also, more recently, completed a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Washington. She has worked in program administration at health advocacy and affordable housing nonprofits and spent many years working in academic program management and operations at the University of Washington.  With an interest in developing, implementing, and supporting systems and processes for greater impact and functionality as well as approaching work with an equity lens, Emily joined Kindering in 2019 as the CHERISH Program Planner.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, getting lost in a good book, cooking, and traveling to new places.

Paige Singhose
Paige SinghoseCHERISH Family Resource Coordinator

Paige grew up in Vancouver, Washington until she moved to Pullman, Washington to complete her undergraduate studies at Washington State University (Go Cougs!). Paige has spent her entire professional career supporting children and families. She has spent multiple summers as a camp counselor in New York, worked at an elementary school supporting children in Kindergarten to Third Grade, spent time supporting homeless youth, and then made her way over to Kindering as a Family Resources Coordinator. Paige joined Kindering in March 2020, and joined the CHERISH team in January 2021. In her free time, Paige enjoys reading fantasy series, listening to pop-culture podcasts, watching The Bachelor franchise, and getting on planes at SeaTac.

Gretchen Stewart
Gretchen StewartCHERISH Clinical Social Worker

Gretchen grew up in the California Bay Area and has called Seattle home for the past 20 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Pomona College in southern California, and her MSW from the University of Washington in 2006. Gretchen’s career has been focused on serving children and families. She began working with families in hospital settings, first in graduate school at Seattle Children’s in the Oncology Department and following graduation at UWMC where she worked mainly with mothers and their newborns. Gretchen spent over 10 years working at a private child-placing agency in Seattle where she supported foster families. She completed Deborah Gray’s Attachment and Trauma Focused Therapy Certificate Program in 2021. Gretchen is humbled by the strength and resiliency of her clients and appreciates the opportunity to partner with families to help children thrive. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two kids, husband, and dog, running, thrifting, taking walks with friends, drinking large mugs of coffee, and noticing the beauty in everyday things.

Savannah Slone
Savannah SloneCHERISH Family Resource Coordinator

Savannah was born and (mostly) raised in a small town in Washington, with a handful of relocations throughout the country with her spontaneous adventurer of a mother. She has held various roles at Kindering, such as Part C Family Resources Coordinator, Assistant Educator, Behavior Technician, and parent. Her son is on the autism spectrum and spent nearly two years receiving a variety of services from Kindering, where she felt positively impacted to the point of wanting to return as a staff member to help other families feel held, seen, and represented in their experience with early intervention. Savannah earned her A.A.S. while in high school, shortly before becoming a single mom, and went on to get a B.A. and M.F.A., with an Infant Mental Health endorsement and a Ph.D. in Psychology currently in progress. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys spending time with her wife and kiddo, writing poetry, volunteering as a full-spectrum doula and childbirth educator, editing her literary magazine by and for marginalized individuals, and intending to go hiking (yet usually ending up snacking from within her porch-bound hammock). She is passionate about equity, autonomy, self-advocacy, and inclusion. When approaching the families she works with, Savannah comes to the table with a trauma-informed lens, a love for human connection, and an unconditional sense of non-judgmental compassion.

Rachel Cheyovich
Rachel CheyovichCHERISH Program Coordinator

Rachel grew up in Southern California but considers Seattle her home now. She received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Family Development and Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Sciences. Her life has been centered around children and their families. From an early age, she volunteered at local hospitals, Habitat for Humanity, and is currently a family law CASA and participates in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access and Strategic Planning committees for a school in Madison Valley. She has worked at public and private schools in California and Washington. She loves being able to interact with families and make connections throughout her community. She lived in Europe as a teenager where she was able to travel extensively. When she can find free time, she enjoys baking, creating harmonious spaces in her home, and being in the garden.