About
Your Space to Flourish
As a Whole
Fresh Bloom offers a space to grow and flourish! As an innovative healthcare company, we specialize in therapeutic and educational services, intentionally designed to nurture personal growth across the lifespan!
Mission Statement
Fresh Bloom offers a space for people to be planted, build nourishing environments, grow their strengths and resources, and bloom into their purpose with passion! We believe that every human being is born whole, creative, and personally resourceful. At Fresh Bloom, clients boldly dream & design their best future selves, with our mission being to provide innovative healthcare and educational services that create and support this level of dreaming, designing, and personal thriving!
Our Team
Sarah Norris
Austin/Marble Falls, TX Area
Sarah Norris loves her practice as a Recreation Therapist, Aquatic Therapist, Wellness Coach, as well as being the Owner and Founder of FRESH BLOOM! She’s wonderfully passionate about helping people of ALL abilities to GROW, find JOY & MEANING, and FLOURISH in their own lives!
She earned a master’s degree from the University of North Texas in 2008 and is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, CTRS. As a CTRS, she has experience in planning and facilitating activity programs for clients of all ages and abilities including but not limited to clients with developmental disabilities, orthopedic disabilities, neurological disorders, and general debility. She has also enjoyed presenting on topics related to Autism & Aquatics, Aquatic Therapy techniques, Stress Reduction Techniques, Therapeutic Recreation programming for people with Type 2 Diabetes, and a Leisure Education program she created to help people discover their inner, “Recre-Essence.”
For fun, you might find her paddling the lake, exploring the beautiful trails of Austin, cuddling her favorite furry friend, Gladys, cooking & dancing, doodling, learning the magical art of cello playing, and spending quality time with her cherished family and friends!
Taylor Nutterfield
AUSTIN, TX
Taylor Nutterfield is a Recreation Therapist and Aquatic Therapist for Fresh Bloom. After attending Texas State University and finishing with her Master’s Degree in Leisure and Recreation Studies in 2017 she was hired as a contractor by Fresh Bloom in 2018. She is also an Autism Fitness Level One Certified Coach where she incorporates therapeutic exercises and tasks to emphasize the importance of her clients moving with joy throughout their lifespan in order to meet their fitness and wellness goals.
Taylor spent several years playing professional beach volleyball and uses her experiences of goal achievement, determination and resilience while working with her clients, whose challenges range from developmental disabilities, addiction and recovery, to physical impairments. She facilitates therapy in both group sessions as well as “Taylor”-made one-on-one meeting. She still enjoys playing beach volleyball and has been working on becoming a better plant mom and cook!
Erin Acevedo, CTRS
Austin/Round Rock, TX
Erin graduated from Texas State University in May 2013 with a Master’s in Therapeutic Recreation. She completed her internship at Meridell Achievement Center working with adolescents with behavioral health needs. After graduating, Erin stayed on at Meridell until receiving her CTRS credential in 2014. From there, she remained in the behavioral health field and worked at Austin Lakes Hospital providing Rec therapy to adults. She then got the opportunity to work at Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute, a brand new behavioral health facility for adolescents and adults. Erin created the Rec Therapy program at GBHI from the ground up and developed a library for the patients as well as implemented the pet therapy program. While working at GBHI, Erin began working with adolescent clients in the YES Waiver Program through Internal Care. It was after working with YES Waiver clients that Erin decided to make a change from the behavioral health field and transition to working with individuals with developmental disabilities.
Erin began working at Fresh Bloom in August 2018 where she provides Aquatic and Recreation therapy. Erin has a passion for helping individuals improve their quality of life through their own personal recreation and leisure interests.
In her free time, Erin enjoys being outdoors whether it is running or tending to her garden. She has two dogs, Merle and Daisey, and a cat named Lola. She has a young daughter that keeps her on her toes and is always on the move.
Natalie Klinsky, MSRLS, CTRS
San Antonio, TX
CERTIFIED THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SPECIALIST
I graduated from Texas State University in 2019 with my Master of Science in
Recreation and Leisure Studies with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation. Before getting my masters degree, I graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management with a concentration in Camp Management & a minor in Entrepreneurship. I have gotten the opportunity to work with people of all ages in the physical medicine & rehabilitation, mental health, community, camp, & military populations/settings.
I also have a huge passion for aquatics and have been swimming for over 20 years! I get to provide both Recreation & Aquatic Therapy with Fresh Bloom! I like to meet my client’s where they’re at, help them meet their goals, and have fun. I love to do a little bit of everything with my clients including sports, swimming, board games & card games, hiking/exploring, art/crafts, writing & journaling, cooking/baking, going to local favorites (bowling, mini golf, amusement parks, museums, etc), & reading.
My background is in summer camp so I love spending time outside, swimming, hiking, backpacking, camping, & exploring. I love anything adventure based! I love to learn through experiential education & learning by doing. In my free time, I love taking my black lab pup to go explore new trails & parks, swimming, reading, painting, writing, game nights, knitting, going to the gym, cooking/baking, traveling, watching Smallville (for the 1000000000 time), & spending time with friends & family. I am always eager to learn new things & hope to get my PhD in Recreation Therapy!
Melissa Davis, M.A., LRT/CTRS
San Antonio, TX
CERTIFIED THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SPECIALIST
Melissa Davis is a Recreation Therapist and Recreation Therapist with over 8 years of experience in varying settings of RT. Melissa graduated from Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a bachelor’s in Therapeutic Recreation. A few months after graduation, Melissa attended the University of Toledo to receive her Masters of Arts in Recreation Administration. Melissa initially started her career in Parks and Recreation with M-NCPPC in Prince George’s County, Maryland supervising two after school programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After two and a half years of supervising individuals in the program and staff, Melissa decided it was time for a career shift. It was during her internship at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland she realized the clinical path was her calling.
Melissa made the grand move from Maryland to the Lone Star State to work in a psychiatric hospital and work in a new-to-her field of contracting. During her time in Texas, it was Melissa’s goal to gain exposure to as many settings as she could until she landed on an unlikely role that changed her life. An outpatient military rehabilitation facility, it was here that Melissa grew an undying love for service members and adaptive sports. Though this position was a great learning opportunity for Melissa she gained more knowledge about the inner workings of the military and the connection of recreational therapy. Melissa has been a long-time advocate for growing the RT profession and has held positions as a board member (2018-2021) and the first African- American Chair of the Board (2020-2021) of the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.
Outside of her accolades, Melissa enjoys spending time with family, friends, and people of the like. Melissa resides in San Antonio and enjoys crafting, learning something new, reading, walking with her dog, and enjoying any activity revolving around good food, beverages, being outdoors, and water! Melissa is grateful to be a part of a great team such as Fresh Bloom and to be able to provide recreational experiences within the community.
Lynda Lo Chau, CTRS
AUSTIN, TX
Lynda graduated with a Recreational Administration BS (Therapeutic Recreation concentration) from Texas State University and became a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) in 2015. She has experience working in senior living centers with a focus on whole brain fitness. As well as empowering youth to address behaviors in a public setting such as mastering social skills and developing coping mechanisms.
Lynda loves facilitating recreational joy in each session and works to improve the overall well-being for each and every one of her clients. Lynda focuses on her clients’ interests and assists them in finding a positive outlook through creative mediums such as crafting projects utilizing clay, paint, or yarn for sewing.
Lynda lives in Northeast Austin and is always delighted when she goes exploring and finds a new hiking spot or plant nursery. She enjoys upcycling thrift store finds to decorate her home, painting with watercolors, and baking apple fritters on special occasions.
Amelia Hill
New Braunfels, TX
I’m a Texas State graduate, holding a B.S in Recreation Administration with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. I have had the pleasure of working in multiple settings; from military to community recreation to memory care, helping amazing individuals of various abilities achieve their recreation goals, and improve their quality of life! A lifelong passion of mine is spreading knowledge of the positive impacts that leisure and recreation can have on each and every individual’s overall health. If I can help the ones I love, and the new faces I get to meet to know the joy of recreation, I have achieved my goal!
My most favorite thing is spending time with my family! My fiancé and I have a smart, spirited, loving, and creative son. We love all things outdoors and exploring! Live music cleanses the soul and is one of my own leisure passions. In my free time I work hard to keep up with my small wood burning business!
Kaci Brown
AUSTIN, TX
Hello! My name is Kaci Brown and I am a Recreation/Aquatic Therapist here at Fresh Bloom. I grew up in the wonderful city of El Paso and then decided to make my way over to Texas State University in San Marcos! I have bachelors degrees in Business and Therapeutic Recreation. While in school I had the opportunity to work at a residential treatment center for kids/adolescents with severe Autism and Traumatic Brain Injuries. That is where I fell in love with Recreational Therapy! I now have spent 8 years doing contracting work for CLASS clients and I must say I found the most perfect, rewarding career for me! In my free time you can find me outdoors (during warmer months you can find me anywhere with water), hitting some heart pumping workouts, and hanging out with my pup and loved ones.
Gabi Perlinger, CTRS
San Antonio, TX
Gabi is a Recreational Therapist for Fresh Bloom. Gabi completed their internship at Laurel Ridge Treatment Center in San Antonio, Texas. They graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s in Recreation Administration with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation in May 2019. Gabi worked at Laurel Ridge for the first two years of their Recreation Therapy career, and enjoyed learning about the benefits of Recreational Therapy in the behavioral health setting. Gabi has gained most of their experience working with youth outpatient services at Laurel Ridge.
Gabi loves to facilitate an activity and see the patient’s face light up with understanding of the activity, as well as the feeling of accomplishment when the activity is completed. Gabi mostly enjoys facilitating cognitive and competitive games because they love being able to watch people problem solve, watch them find healthy ways to express emotions, and teach people new games that they haven’t played before.
Gabi lives in Northwest San Antonio with their dog, Cooper. They love to relax and reset by watching movies and tv shows, going to concerts, hanging out with family and working on jigsaw puzzles. Gabi is a huge fan of the show New Girl and the singer Harry Styles. Gabi has found their passion in Recreational Therapy and is grateful to be a part of a wonderful company like Fresh Bloom to provide services for clients within the community.
Lilly Mendietta, LMT
San Antonio, TX
LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST
Lilly is an experienced Massage Therapist at Fresh Bloom with many years in her field. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at San Antonio. You may know Lilly from her work at Fresh Bloom but she also credits many of her contributions to time in the Medical field working with a Home Health agency as well as the Physical Therapy field.
Lilly is driven by her family and takes pride in being an amazing wife and mother. She spends her weekends running around being a mom of three fun and energetic girls while also taking them to all their extracurricular activities which include weekly rodeos. Lilly’s passion for helping individuals improve their quality of life is her top priority.
Nichole Boldt
Austin, TX
RECREATION AND AQUATIC THERAPIST
Hi! My name is Nichole Boldt and I am a Recreation and Aquatic Therapist with
Fresh Bloom. I have recently joined the Fresh Bloom team to share my knowledge and skills I have gained working in as a CTRS for 19 years. I am originally from Bloomington, Indiana and graduated from Indiana University in 2004. After graduating I accepted a CTRS position in Indiana at a nursing facility where I enjoyed providing meaningful and fulfilling activities that promoted health and restorative care. I loved getting to know my residents and their families and listening to their stories warmed my heart every day!
In 2006 my husband was relocated back to Texas and we have lived in the
Buda/Kyle area ever since. Moving to Texas opened up an opportunity to work in a specialized psychiatric treatment center and medical rehabilitation hospital in South Austin called Texas NeuroRehab Center. At TNC I primarily worked in the behavioral health program providing recreational therapy, aquatic therapy, pet therapy, and facilitated monthly special events and community outings for children and adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injuries, Autism, and other neuropsychiatric disorders that impacted behavior. I am also ROPES certified to provide adventure therapy that promotes teamwork, communication, and problem solving. Working with this population ignited a passion for Recreation Therapy I did not know existed and I worked at TNC for the last 15 years. For the last 3 years, I was promoted to a supervisor role and loved leading my team and sharing my knowledge of the program. I addition to the behavioral program, TNC also serves adults recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries, Strokes, and other medically complex conditions in their medical rehabilitation inpatient and outpatient hospital. I also gained the opportunity to work in this program providing 1:1 sessions helping patients regain functional and cognitive skills using leisure based activities that were not only purposeful but FUN! After much thought and emotional debate I found myself yearning for change and sought out new opportunities to further build my skills as a Recreational Therapist. Plus I wanted a flexible schedule to be able to spend more time with my boys as they are growing up way to fast. In my pursuit I learned about Fresh Bloom and immediately felt a connection with their mission and vision and knew this was the right place to transition my career. Working with clients in the community allows me more flexibility with my family and provides me the opportunity to expand on my skills as a well rounded therapist. I am grateful to join this team and excited to see how it helps me grow.
My leisure interests include cooking, gardening, dancing, swimming, playing with my friends and family,, camping, hiking, kayaking, collecting rocks, art, music, playing cards/board game, reading, and playing with my dog Sadie!
Rachel Klaus
Austin, TX
Rachel graduated with a Therapeutic Recreation degree from SUNY Cortland in 2012. She then moved out to Utah to do her internship at the National Ability Center. There she spent her days working with individuals of all abilities to find their love of recreation through, but not limited to, ropes courses, adaptive cycling, equine therapy, aquatics and adaptive snow sports. Since moving to Texas in 2015 Rachel has worked in the mental health field as well as doing contract work with CLASS Clients. Her passions are around physical fitness, health and well being as her journey has also led her to become a Yoga instructor. Rachel loves spending her free time relaxing with her two dogs, Daisy and Pepper Jack, and having dinner nights with friends.
Carlie Morris, B.S., M.S., CTRS, ATRIC
San Antonio, TX
Hello! My name is Carlie Morris, and I am a Recreational and Aquatic Therapist here at Fresh Bloom! I just moved from Oklahoma and graduated in 2022 from Oklahoma State University where I completed my Master’s in Recreational Therapy/Leisure Studies. Prior to getting my Master’s degree, I completed my Bachelor’s in Human Development & Family Science with a specialty in Child and Family Services. I have been blessed to work with a variety of individuals: summer camps, Child and Family services, home health, Children’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Research projects/presentations on individuals with Autism & Parkinson’s.
I continued school to obtain my Master’s in Recreational Therapy to be able to provide more hands-on help to those in the community. Recreational Therapy provides the opportunity to meet the client where they are in their home or community. I love that I can go out and provide therapy to families/clients! I am also specialty certified as an Aquatic Therapist and this is a true passion of mine. I grew up swimming and playing water polo competitively, as well as teaching swim lessons to those in my community and conducting research projects through aquatics for individuals with disabilities. To see a client smile and light up in the water when meeting their goals and that feeling of accomplishment in themselves is one of the many reasons why I became an aquatic therapist.
During my free time you can find me outdoors by the pool, floating a river, or playing sports. I enjoy spending time with friends and family and exploring new restaurants and things to do. I am so excited to be back in Texas and to join the Fresh Bloom team to provide Recreational & Aquatic therapy to those in the San Antonio area.
Brittany Riley
Austin, TX
Brittany is a Recreation and Aquatic Therapist for FRESH BLOOM since 2023. She loves the empowerment that community-based Therapeutic Recreation offers her clients! Brittany is also a Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor, certified at the 200 hour level by Yoga Alliance. She earned her initial teaching certification in 2015, and credits yoga with helping her find her way to Recreational Therapy.
In 2019, she completed her internship in physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) in the Houston Medical Center, then graduated with honors from Texas State University with a B.S. in Recreation Administration. Brittany has been certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) to practice Recreational Therapy since 2021. She has experience with several populations, including outdoor education, physical medicine and rehabilitation, acute behavioral care, recovery settings, and community-based Therapeutic Recreation. Brittany’s Recreational Therapy and Aquatic Therapy services are deeply informed not only by these experiences as a professional, but 10+ years of personal mindfulness and yoga practices, hundreds of yogic professional training hours, and an A.S. in Health and Kinesiology.
Although her toolbox is full of fun, interesting interventions, Brittany considers herself an adaptive gaming specialist! She often utilizes technology such as Nintendo Switch and Meta Quest VR to engage and challenge clients to achieve their goals in Recreational Therapy sessions.
Balance in life is important for anyone, but as a Recreation Therapist, play outside of work is absolutely essential. Though Therapist, play outside of work is absolutely essential. Though work is FUN and AMAZING, outside of her work as a Recreation and Aquatic Therapist, Brittany enjoys trying new foods and experiences, taking yoga classes, floating the many rivers of Central Texas, painting watercolors, doing LEGO projects, and playing ALL TYPES of games, of course!
