Engage . Enrich . Enable

We are Empowered for Life, a team of highly dedicated clinicians providing speech and occupational therapy services to help our clients live successful and fulfilling lives. Learn about our exciting career opportunities. We are always looking for amazing people to join our team.

Visit our beautiful clinic conveniently located less than half a mile west of the 57 freeway on the corner of Covina Blvd. and Lone Hill Ave in San Dimas, CA. Call or send a message to our office using the contact information below or by navigating to the contact page, to learn more about how you can schedule speech and occupational therapy services in our wonderful facility.

What we do

Speech and occupational therapy skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate, participate, learn, and engage in everyday life. We believe that meaningful, lasting progress extends beyond the therapy session and is strengthened through collaboration among clinicians, children, and their families.

 

Our parent-clinician approach places families at the center of the therapeutic process. We empower parents with the knowledge, strategies, and practical tools they need to support their child’s speech, language, communication, and functional development at home and in everyday settings.

 

What sets us apart is our commitment not only to the children and families we serve, but also to the continued growth of our clinicians. Through mentorship, clinical supervision, and hands-on preparation, we foster confident, knowledgeable therapists who are equipped to provide thoughtful, individualized, and effective care.

 

We believe education is an ongoing process—for children, families, and clinicians alike. By combining child-centered therapy, meaningful parent education, and intentional clinical mentorship, we strive to create lasting progress and build stronger outcomes for the families and communities we serve.

Vision

To foster a community where children and families are empowered with the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to support lifelong communication, functional independence, and meaningful participation in everyday life.

Mission

Our mission is to provide high-quality speech and occupational therapy services through a collaborative, parent-clinician partnership that places the child at the center of care. We believe that therapy extends beyond the clinical setting and that sustained progress is achieved when families are actively engaged in the learning process. By equipping parents with  practical strategies, education, and ongoing support, we empower them to reinforce therapeutic skills at home and promote continued growth. Parent education is a cornerstone of our philosophy and reflects our commitment to creating lasting, positive outcomes for the families and communities we serve.

Our staff

Managing Partners

Dr. Vasu G., Ed.D.,

M.S., CCC-SLP 

Clinical Director - Speech Language Therapy

& Managing Partner

Sharad David M.H.A.

Director of Operations 

& Managing Partner

Clinical Team

Speech Language Pathology Department

Crystal Olaerts, SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Joanna Reinders, SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Safoorah Hakim,

CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Sujal Pokharel, SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

RuthAnn Burke,

SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Yadira Lopez, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology Assistant

Consuelo Aguilar, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology Assistant

Trudi Surenok, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology 

Assistant

Natalie Lau, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology Assistant

Paulette Serrano, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology 

Assistant

Jasmine Henderson, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology Assistant

Esmeralda Leyva, SLPA

Speech Language Pathology 

Assistant

Occupational Therapy Department 

Michelle Agustin, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Echo Chung, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Rosa Galifi, COTA

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Danielle Ballard, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Hannah Hayes, COTA

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Operations Department

Elizabeth Villarreal

Client Services Manager

Tony Afanador

Client Services Coordinator

Daniela Sanchez

Client Services Coordinator

 

Who we serve

 

Empowered for Life is devoted to serving clients with a variety of special needs. We often see clients with the following, but not limited to, medical diagoses and clinical impressions:

 

  • Cerebral Palsy

  • Chromosomal abnormalities

  • Developmental delays

  • Down Syndrome

  • Emotional disturbances

  • Genetic disorders

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • Intellectual and learning disabilities

  • Orthopedic impairments

  • Sensory processing disorders

  • Speech and language disorders

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

  • Hearing Impairment

  • Oral Placement Therapy

 

What our families are saying

The speech therapist has worked with my child since 2008. He is creative in his approach, patient in his sessions, and instills confidence in his clients and their parents. My child has started with the speech therapist, armed with a vocabulary of only 200 words and no sentences...

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your hard work and all of the love and dedication that you have given to Tommy. This has led to a great improvement in Tommy's development. Your training will help us a long way to carry on the rest of our journey with him...