Katie grew up on the Outer Banks of NC and spent most of her formative years in the sun and on the sand. She decided to trade in the beach for the Blue Ridge Mountains in college, and it was there that she discovered her love for natural healing modalities. After graduating, she struggled with her skin due to sun damage and adult acne and found that a combination of lifestyle choices went a long way to healing both her inner and outer body.
After she’d had enough of the cold mountain weather, she accepted a job in the Panhandle for a year and decided she liked the area so much that she’d stay. She attended Soothing Arts Healing Therapies School of Massage and Skin Care in Miramar Beach, and has worked as an esthetician since. She has extensive experience in the medical skin care field, but it has always been her goal to work holistically with the skin in a setting like Growing Green Families.
Katie grew up on the Outer Banks of NC and spent most of her formative years in the sun and on th...
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Natalie is a Certified Life Coach and Somatic Experiencing Counselor who specializes in emotional wellness and trauma healing. She uses techniques like Somatic Meditations, Breathwork, EFT Tapping, Subconscious Reprogramming, Self Love Coaching and Somatic Experiencing to help you become free from the debilitating inner self critic, anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Natalie’s work began through her own struggles and experiences after her gymnastics career. After multiple doctor visits with no answers, her attention was brought to somatic healing. Healing her body and emotions first brought her freedom from the stomach pain, migraines, panic attacks and “worry wart” mind. Her pain now has became her purpose.
When off work Natalie loves beach time with the family, baby snuggles and a killer kitchen dance party!
Natalie is a Certified Life Coach and Somatic Experiencing Counselor who specializes in emotional...
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Dr. Karrie Thompson received a Bachelor’s in Health Science from the University of Florida and Doctorate of Physical Therapy from The University of St. Augustine for Health Science.
Karrie first became interested in physical therapy when she saw injuries as a dancer in high school and college. Helping people by preventing injuries was a major reason she decided to go into physical therapy school. Karrie was interested in the OB/ GYN field and found out about pelvic floor therapy and thought what a great way to treat pelvic conditions conservatively and assisting people with incontinence, prolapse, and pelvic pain conditions.
Karrie excitedly joined Growing Green Families in February 2022. As a mom of two, she has a passion to help other pregnant and postpartum moms get back to their normal lives without incontinence, prolapse, or pain holding them back. She also enjoys treating low back, knee, shoulder, headache/ neck, and elbow pain or injuries. Dr. Karrie completed her dry needling certification in May 2022 and enjoys using this tool with physical therapy.
When Karrie is not treating patients, she enjoys hiking sections of the Florida Trail with her husband and kids, kayaking/ paddleboarding, yoga, and vegetable gardening.
Dr. Karrie Thompson received a Bachelor’s in Health Science from the University of Florida and Do...
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Angela Penry is a pediatric occupational therapist who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in health studies and a minor in psychology from the University of Oklahoma in 2014. She followed on at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center graduating with a Master’s of Occupational Therapy in 2016. (Boomer Sooner!) She is licensed in Florida and certified by the National Board of Occupational Therapy.
As an active duty military spouse, Angela has continued to practice occupational therapy as she and her family move around the country. Their journey has taken them from Oklahoma to Maryland to Michigan to Florida. She has grown her skills and honed her craft in many different settings including various outpatient pediatric therapy clinics, inner-city HeadStart preschools, early intervention (ages 0-3), a private non-public school for children with special needs, as well as public school systems.
Career aside, the greatest learning experience Angela has had is becoming a mom herself. She and her husband Jeremy have two young daughters who brighten their days. It has been a growing experience to continually pursue evidence-based research in caring for their own children and the unique challenges they each have been presented.
With a holistic whole-person mindset and viewpoint, Angela is the first to seek out advice and expertise from other practitioners to learn and grow both privately, and professionally, for herself and for her family.
With a particular interest on the ‘littles’ Angela hopes to focus her career on toddlers and infants while at Growing Green Families. Angela offers a wide-array of expertise to benefit this age-group, from helping parents learn more about primitive reflex integration, sensory regulation, visual and fine motor skills, gross motor skills, strength, motor milestones, and more. Additionally, a special passion of Angela’s is feeding–helping parents navigate transitioning from bottle, introducing solids, difficulty with textures and increasing food repertoire. With extensive advanced training in both oral motor skills and sensory-based feeding, Angela is able to blend feeding techniques to best help your child grow and thrive.
Angela Penry is a pediatric occupational therapist who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in heal...
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Morakort (Morey) Maxwell grew up in Niceville in the 80’s and returned after experiencing life beyond Niceville. After realizing her calling in the healing modalities in 1998, she attended Phoenix School of Holistic Health for massage therapy in Houston, TX. In 2001 she attended school in Bangkok, Thailand for Thai massage. She attended Soothing Arts Healing Therapies School of Massage in Miramar Beach, FL to comply with Florida Department of Health for her massage license in 2016. Her therapeutic technique is a combination of all she’s learned since being licensed in 1999. She is also a certified Reiki Master, ThetaHealing, and Access Bars practitioner.
Morakort (Morey) Maxwell grew up in Niceville in the 80’s and returned after experiencing life be...
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Laiken is a certified FDN practitioner. As someone who dealt with anxiety, depression and several gut issues, she understands wanting to have a practitioner listen through concerns and helping guide to find the root cause to those symptoms.
Through the years, she has gained personal experience in non-toxic living, nutrition, and overall wellness and decided to pursue further education through the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition program. She considers her role as a practitioner as the health detective for her clients. In collaboration with Dr. Larissa, she helps clients reveal underlying causes of metabolic chaos by using functional labs and blood work and then using clinical correlation from those results to help coach up function. She helps do this by helping them through the a bio-individual approach to diet, rest, exercise, stress management, and supplement protocol they can use to help support their body through innate healing ability. She loves being able to help people feel better and loves the all encompassing approach that Functional Medicine provides!
Laiken is a certified FDN practitioner. As someone who dealt with anxiety, depression and several...
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Dr. Letitia Smith, also known Dr. Tish, was raised in Newport News, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. During her time as a student, she was introduced to chiropractic, and from there enrolled at Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, SC, where she earned her Doctor of Chiropractic degree with honors. She was awarded the Service Distinction Award at graduation for her exceptional commitment to servicing her community during her time as a student. She made her home in Okaloosa County in July 2018, after relocating with her husband, who serves in the United States Air force.
Dr. Tish believes that her patients should play an active role in their health journey. By committing to a healthier lifestyle, they can encourage loved ones to follow the same path. Her goal is to promote a community of healthier families and to share the importance of chiropractic care for all ages. Dr. Tish is certified in the Webster Technique and has complete post-graduate training in family wellness, including specialty studies and clinical competence for infants, children and pregnant women. She was granted Certification by the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics (CACCP) from the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA).
Everyone has the power to heal and the reality is that many complaints are smaller pieces of a bigger problem, and that problem is a decrease in your body being able to function optimally due to disturbance to your nervous system. Dr. Tish hopes to communicate a message of overall wellness to every person that she encounters because with a nervous system free of interference, there is no limit!
Dr. Letitia Smith, also known Dr. Tish, was raised in Newport News, Virginia. She graduated from ...
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Christy is a Florida native and has lived in Niceville/Valparaiso for more than half her life despite many moves as the child of an airman and then the wife of a soldier. She was first certified as a labor doula in 2006 with Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) and has either volunteered or worked in the birth field since that time. She has attended births in hospital, birth center, and home settings. Shortly after completing doula certification, she began pursuing certification as a childbirth educator. She has taught childbirth education to hundreds of families in group settings and in private classes. Additionally, she has trained childbirth educators as the CAPPA Executive Director of Childbirth Education Programs from 2012-2014
The desire to support women in their breastfeeding journey is actually what initially led Christy into this field. In addition to childbirth education and support, and she has also trained as a lactation educator and completed requirements to become a Certified Lactation Counselor in March of 2017. She earned certification as an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) in June 2023.
Christy is a Florida native and has lived in Niceville/Valparaiso for more than half her life des...
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Dr. Larissa Tenzycki grew up in Niceville, FL and returned to practice after college. She attended undergraduate studies at Life University and received a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from Excelsior College. She graduated with honors with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Sherman College of Chiropractic in 2000. She earned the prestigious Academy of Chiropractic Philosopher’s postgraduate certification in 2008. She has attended many hours of advanced education, focusing on prenatal
and pediatric care including DONA doula trainings, Spinning Babies, cranio-sacral therapy, pediatric neurology, advanced prenatal care, and pelvic floor recovery. She has maintained Webster Technique certification through ICPA since 2000. Dr. Tenzycki has presented topics at Sherman Chiropractic College and many local events.
Dr. Tenzycki has been involved in the birth community since chiropractic college and the birth of her oldest daughter. She was a certified childbirth educator with the Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE) and the Academy of Husband- Coached Childbirth (Bradley Method) from 1999-2011. She has assisted at many births for her clients as a doula and chiropractor. She is a longstanding member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association and Florida Chiropractic Society.
Dr. Tenzycki lives in Niceville with her husband, Scott, and four daughters – Jazzlyn , Gwendolyn, Lucja, and Aurelia.
Dr. Larissa Tenzycki grew up in Niceville, FL and returned to practice after college. She attend...
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