Our Team
PHYSICAL THERAPIST/ Co-Owner
Crystal Sumner, PT
Crystal is a co-owner and a physical therapist at Play with Purpose Therapy. Crystal’s interest in physical therapy began in high school when she started volunteering in a local clinic. She then worked as a PT tech while getting her undergraduate degree. Crystal obtained a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Kennesaw State University. She then went on to obtain a Masters of Physical Therapy. Crystal has always had a desire to work with children, which is where she started following graduation in 2004. She has worked with pediatric population for over 17 years. She is trained in the use of TASES (estim), Total Muscle Release (TMR), NICU care, and torticollis. When not in the clinic, Crystal enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys going camping with the family and attending her local church. She enjoys reading, designing and listening to music.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST/Co-Owner
Melanie Silvers, OTR/L
Melanie is a co-owner and an occupational therapist at Play with Purpose Therapy. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Georgia; later she attended Brenau University and graduated with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. Melanie has worked in early intervention and with the pediatric population in a professional capacity for over 20 years. She has received specialized training in primitive reflex integration, sensory integration, SOS Approach to Feeding, Feed the Peds, and Beckman Oral Motor Protocol. She has clinical training in the NICU, treating preterm infants with feeding difficulties. She enjoys working with all children, but her primary interest is with infants and children with feeding and swallowing difficulties. Melanie resides with her husband and 3 sons in Adairsville. She loves summer time and trips to the coast, the hotter and sunnier the weather… the better! She enjoys camping, running, and watching Georgia football. Go Dawgs!
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
BethAnn , OTR/L
BethAnn has been practicing as an occupational therapist for 4 years now. She always has had a passion for working with kids but fell in love with pediatrics while on her fieldwork during graduate school. She is originally from Pennsylvania and attended Gannon University for her bachelor and masters degree. After graduating she moved to Georgia and began working as an occupational therapist. She has been working at Play with Purpose for 3 years and love the collaborative, fun and supportive environment we have! In her free time you can find her drinking coffee, playing soccer, reading, and spending time outdoors with her husband and two dogs!
Speech Therapist
Natalie Mathis, SLP
Natalie Mathis received her Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Georgia in 2022. During her graduate career, she was a PIPS scholar which focuses on providing interdisciplinary practices to young children with complex, multiple disabilities and their families. There, she also completed her master’s level thesis entitled, Understanding College Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions About Early Language Environments under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Brown. Her clinical experiences include extensive hours working with pediatric articulation, language, feeding, and alternative augmented communication clients in a variety of settings. Natalie prides herself her ability to implement natural, play-rich environments during therapy and establishing rapport with her clients. Principles of evidence-based practice, natural environments, and functional outcomes are pillars in her personal speech-language pathology practice. In her free time, you can find Natalie baking for her loved ones, reading, quilting, hiking, or drinking coffee from one of her many, many mugs.
Speech Therapist
Kara Knowles, SLP
Kara has been a speech pathologist for over twenty years. She has practiced in various settings, including outpatient clinics, schools, and home health. Her area of expertise is working with children from birth to three years old, providing early intervention and education. Besides hanging out with her adult children, Kara enjoys outdoor activities, including paddle boarding, hiking, and running with her husband, David.
Speech Therapist
Vonda Fielder, SLP
IVonda is a seasoned therapist who first started her career in the field of Human Services. Thinking she would eventually go into social work, Vonda became interested in speech-language pathology when her first job out of college led her to interact with a family in need, in which the youngest child of the family was partially Deaf, needed hearing aids, and required the services of a speech-language pathologist. After Vonda watched the child thrive upon receiving speech and language services, she knew that becoming a speech-language pathologist was something that she would love to do. So two years after graduating from college, Vonda returned to school to get a master's degree in speech-language pathology. In her career, she has been trained in ABA therapy as well as TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention), and specializes in working with children of all ages who have speech and language deficits that may sometimes present as behavioral challenges and/or inappropriate social skills. When Vonda is not working, she enjoys spending time with her immediate family (husband, 2 sons, pet potbellied pig) and extended family members. Her hobbies include camping, roller skating, arts & craft projects, planning events, and binge watching shows and movies that other people think are weird.