Meet the Midlothian team
Our Midlothian office is our newest addition to the Small Talk family, and we are excited to have the opportunity to serve even more families with this additional location. Located in the scenic Woodlake community, we are right on the lake near Woodlake Aquatic and Fitness Center. Come see our large, open gym space with floor to ceiling windows opening up to the lake. Our gym offers a climbing wall, a swing, therapy stairs, balls, scooters, and other equipment designed to build motor skills and provide sensory input for our clients. Your child will enjoy the non-clinical feel of our therapy spaces, designed to make your child feel at home and comfortable. We strive to make learning fun for your child! Parents, enjoy a walk around the lake on a paved walking trail while you wait, or simply enjoy relaxing on a park bench looking out over the lake!
Contact Us Today 434-481-3524
Email: brittney@smalltalkva.com | Office Manager
Brittney Barbour
Office Manager
I was born and raised in Crozet VA. I graduated from Western Albemarle High School. I moved to the Richmond area in 2012 for college but moved back home. I have my associate's degree in criminal justice where I worked for a few years at UVA Police Department. I then found my passion in healthcare and have been working in healthcare for the last 10 years. I have my experience in multiple different positions within the healthcare field with expertise in management for over 5 years. I love to spend time with my daughter and I love to play softball in my spare time.
AnneRussell Moore
Physical Therapist
Hi! My name is AnneRussell(yes, AnneRussell, not Anne!), and I am one of Small Talk’s Physical Therapists. I was born and raised in Richmond before beginning my undergraduate career at Virginia Tech, GO HOKIES! While in school, I worked as a student athletic trainer for the Swim and Dive Team and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise. Immediately following my time in Blacksburg, I moved right down I81 to Roanoke where I completed my Doctor of Physical Therapy program through Radford University Carilion, graduating Magna Cum Laude. While in school, I had the opportunity to complete a clinical internship through Carilion Children’s Hospital which introduced me to the pediatric side of Physical Therapy in Outpatient, the NICU, the PICU, the Pediatric Hospital Floor, Early Intervention, Tone Clinic, NICU-Follow-up Clinic, Developmental Clinic, Hippotherapy, Orthotics and Prosthetics, Functional Electrical Stimulation, and more. Since graduation, I have worked in Pediatric Outpatient Services and Early Intervention Services; Intake, Assessment, and Treatment. Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working with children ages 34 weeks gestation to 19 years old. One of my favorite things about working with the Pediatric Population, aside from the fun socks and silly voices, is the broad age range’s ability to provide diversity in treatment day-to-day. I have gained experience working with a diverse population of diagnoses including Developmental Delay, toe walking, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, orthopedic injuries, Down Syndrome and other genetic anomalies, vestibular dysfunction, visual oculomotor abnormalities, Elhers Danlos Syndrome, Developmental Coordination Disorder, ADHD, and complex social backgrounds and mental health disorders. Despite loving the mountain views and endless hikes, my husband and I were ready to move back home in order to be closer to family and friends… and to give our dog, Tyro, a large backyard. I am very excited to be a part ofthe Small Talk team so that I can provide a functional play focus to typical Physical therapy interventions and help children grow to their full potential.
Beatrice Wolo
Reading Specialist
Beatrice Wolo will be our newest reading specialist at SmallTalk’s Midlothian Office. She is originally from Columbia, Maryland. In 2016, she graduated from Delaware State University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in journalism. She transcended from becoming a journalist and fell into an enormous love for teaching. She has experience teaching students with severe learning delays and ASD since 2017. She has enjoyed teaching English Language Arts for over five years. She has taught within the highest tier of MTSS (Multi-Tier Support System) within the alternative-school and public-school settings.
Beatrice is currently enrolled at Wilmington University, where she will be receiving her master’s degree in Special Education. She has many years of experience tutoring students as young as Pre-Kindergarten into eighth grade. In 2017, she became a Lead Teacher and an After-School Coordinator for urban students including those with exceptionalities in Dover, Delaware. In this role, she collaborated with a variety of professionals including, occupational therapists and speech-pathologists to ensure the most success from each student.
“My mission as a reading specialist is to gain an understanding with my young scholars to create an impact that matters the most in their lives. I aim to raise responsible learners as positive and productive contributors of society. Good lessons learned in the classroom are good lessons that will follow each scholar throughout their schooling.”
Jordan Schmidt
Occupational Therapist
Jordan is originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, but recently moved to Short Pump to further my OT career with Small Talk. She received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, Go Hokies! Following my four years there, she transitioned into Sacred Heart University’s graduate school program in Connecticut to obtain her masters degree in Occupational Therapy. A career in pediatric occupational therapy has always been her focus and she has always felt a calling to work with children. She has experience working with children ranging from 18 months to 16 years old with musculoskeletal conditions, feeding difficulties, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Down Syndrome, and overall Developmental Delays. One of my biggest priorities as a therapist is to attune, understand, and connect. She believes this is essential for learning and growth in children, and aim to implement it into my daily life as well! She is super excited to be a part of the Small Talk Therapy team. She hopes she can live out her interests and passions, while also helping children learn and grow to their full potential.
Jessica Bowers
Speech Language Pathologist
My journey to becoming a speech-language pathologist began right out of High School - I always had a fascination with language and decided to major in Linguistics in Undergrad. I took a Child Language Acquisition class early on in my schooling, and immediately became interested in finding a way to play an active role in child language development.I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Linguistics from the University of Southern Maine with a concentration in Speech Language Sciences in 2016, and then went on to complete my Master’s degree from the University of Virginia in Speech-Language Pathology in 2018. During my career, I have garnered experience in Early Intervention (birth to three years old), outpatient pediatrics, public school, and specialized private day schools. I have worked with individuals from ages 1-22 with a wide range of communication needs. In particular, I enjoy working with articulation and phonological processing disorders, early language delays, and augmentative-alternative communication (AAC). I believe that no one therapy approach fits every child, and like to collaborate with the child and parent while using a variety of methods to figure out what will elicit the most possible progress. I feel that being able to communicate authentically shapes our own self-identities and the way we experience the world, and as a result I feel strongly about approaching speech therapy in a way that facilitates the child’s autonomy and encourages them to say what they want to say, the way that they want to say it. Additionally, I really enjoy working with parents, caregivers, teachers, and other clinicians to implement a team-based approach to help the child grow and meet their goals across contexts. I love finding ways to implement speech and language strategies into everyday experiences through play and routines so that communication skills can be embedded into the child’s life in a natural, functional, and salient way. When I’m not learning more about speech language pathology or creating therapy materials, I like reading, listening to podcasts, dabbling with musical instruments, and practicing hot yoga.
Hannah Sypniewski
Speech Language Therapist
Hannah is one of Small Talk's speech/feeding therapists. She was born and raised in Midlothian, Va before she went to school at the University of Delaware and obtained a BS in Early Childhood Education. She then went to the University of Virginia for a MEd in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Her passion is infant/toddler feeding, and she has worked with all ages of the lifespan (newborns through adults). She has spent most of my career in the outpatient pediatric setting or early intervention, and she loves working with the entire family. She believes they are a child's first teacher. She has experience working with a wide variety of diagnoses including cerebral palsy, down syndrome, fragile X, microcephaly, autism, and other developmental/genetic disabilities. She also has additional training in breastfeeding, bottle feeding, tethered oral tissues, and tube weaning. She is excited to join Small Talk's team and continue my passion of speech/feeding in a fun and inviting setting. When she is not at work, you can find her enjoying the sunshine outside with her dogs.
Marianne Durkin
Occupational Therapist
Marianne Durkin OTR/L is an occupational therapist who has worked in a variety of settings. She is originally from the Catskill region of NY and graduated from Utica College in 2019. Marianne new she wanted to be an OT right out of high school to help others and its ability to allow you to be creative. She also was able to complete a minor in Spanish and studied abroad in Madrid. Her desire to travel continued as she then did travel therapy for the past 6 years. She has worked in adults (Rehabs, skilled nursing facilities, and home health) and pediatrics (outpatient clinics and schools). Marianne has lived in upstate NY, Wyoming, Texas, Norfolk- VA, and Alaska. She ended up staying in Alaska for 3 years where she met her boyfriend and also adopted her dog- Radar who was born in Nome Alaska. Marianne recently moved from Alaska to Virginia to be closer to family. Marianne has really enjoyed working with children and families over the years. Her primary experience working from ages 1 to 16 years old with musculoskeletal conditions, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Down Syndrome, and Developmental Delays in outpatient and within the school systems. She truly believes that anyone can do anything and enjoys working with children to achieve their goals in life through adapting and/or interventions. Marianne is looking forward to making her time here at Small Talk Therapy and the surrounding Richmond area her home.