Meet the team!

Stephanie Pitts is the owner of My Ed Therapist, an educational therapy group practice in Redondo Beach and virtually, nationwide. She works with students one-on-one to help parents get a full picture of what is going on with their children, reading reports, conducting assessments, and creating and attending individualized learning plans and meetings. Known as “The Game Whisperer,” with a collection of over 200 games she uses with her clients, Stephanie expertly weaves fun and play into her work with clients to help them have more fun learning and make better connections between kids, parents, and educators. Stephanie is a Los Angeles native and received her B.A. in Sociology from USC and a Master’s Degree in Education from Pepperdine University. She completed her Certificate in Educational Therapy at CSUN and has been trained as an Academic Coach. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her two dachshunds, traveling, and spending time with friends.

Ali is extremely motivated and passionate about helping individuals grow and reach their goals by identifying and building on each student’s unique personal strengths. While completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology at UC Berkeley, Ali began her career working with a Non Profit organization providing mentorship and support to high school students struggling with psychosocial stressors affecting their ability to succeed in school. Through this experience, Ali realized her passion to help students reach both personal and academic goals. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Psychology, Ali worked for a private tutoring agency providing in-home tutoring and babysitting to elementary and middle school-age students. This experience motivated Ali to further her education as she recognized that there were additional factors affecting children’s ability to reach their goals in school and desired to gain clinical experience helping clients of all ages. Ali attended the University of Southern California and completed her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and worked clinically prior to transitioning to working as a Learning Specialist focusing on psychoeducational goals. Ali develops individualized psychoeducational goals addressing issues affecting educational functioning such as ADHD, executive functioning, study skills, math, writing, and other academic challenges. Ali assists students in developing strategies both inside and outside of the classroom. Ali takes a person-centered, strength-based, and solution-focused approach as she works collaboratively with clients to help them overcome challenges and work towards their individual goals. During her free time, Ali enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing with her dog, shopping, and practicing yoga. As well, Ali enjoys meditation and practicing mindfulness, which she brings in her sessions to assist students in increasing insight, being present, and self-awareness.

Alissa began teaching for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District in 1999. She taught grades K-3 at Robinson and Meadows Elementary Schools for 21 years, and then took on the new role of virtual learning teacher for grades K- 8 for MBUSD. Alissa graduated from Loyola Marymount University with both a degree in liberal studies and a multiple-subject C.L.A.D. credential. She also completed her master’s degree in elementary education from Grand Canyon University. A proponent of a student-centered classroom and learning experience, Alissa continually strives to differentiate instruction to meet the educational and emotional needs of the whole child. She is especially passionate about nurturing a love for lifelong reading, and has trained new teachers in the implementation of a balanced, comprehensive literacy and writing curriculum. Alissa was honored to be chosen as Jaycee Young Educator of the Year finalist in 2002 and Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year in 2016. She is trained in reading workshop, writing workshop, phonics instruction, and cognitively guided math instruction. Her hobbies include working in her succulent garden, logging rides on the Peloton bike, and spending time with her husband, son, and extended family.

Bryn is a passionate individual who is enthusiastic about working with students of all ages to foster a positive learning environment. She was born and raised in the South Bay and is an avid supporter of her community. Bryn graduated with an undergraduate degree from The University of Arizona and a Multiple Subject Credential from CSU Long Beach. She had experience working in the Hermosa Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo school districts as a substitute teacher before moving into a learning specialist role. Most recently, Bryn took on the roles of Behavior Interventionist and Behavior Technician, working 1:1 with students who need additional support with their academics and behaviors. During this experience, Bryn recognized her passion to help students find success in the classroom by creating individualized support. She focuses on positive self-talk, communication, and fun to better connect and maintain relationships with her clients. Bryn helps her students improve executive functioning by developing strategies for study skills, organization, and social and emotional development. She serves as an ally to students, encouraging them to overcome challenges and work towards their goals inside and outside of the classroom. In her free time, you can find Bryn cuddled up to her dog, Gigi, listening to live music at any local venue, or travelling the world with friends.

Chiara’s passion lies in empowering students to overcome learning challenges and develop the skills needed to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. With a strong background in education and clinical mental health counseling, she takes a holistic approach to supporting students, helping them build confidence, resilience, and independence in their learning journeys. Chiara has worked with children, adolescents, and families in educational and therapeutic settings, providing individualized support to diverse learners. Her experience spans classroom teaching, learning intervention, and mental health counseling, allowing her to address both academic and emotional barriers to success. Chiara’s career began in education as an International Baccalaureate Teacher, where she focused on executive functioning support, differentiated instruction, and social-emotional learning. She has taught in various classrooms, provided direct academic interventions, and worked closely with students facing learning differences, ADHD, anxiety, and other challenges that impact academic performance. She integrates evidence-based strategies to help students improve focus, organization, self-advocacy, and problem-solving skills. Chiara is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Child and Adolescent Counseling from Northwestern University. She understands that learning is not one-size-fits-all and is passionate about neurodiversity-affirming practices. She takes an individualized, strength-based approach to helping students reach their full potential.

Katrina is a lifelong Californian who has lived in every area of the state. She earned her B.A. at St. Mary's College of California in performing arts with an emphasis in dance. After completing her teaching credential at California State University, Sacramento, she went on to teach for several years at Bay Area independent schools and ultimately completed her Masters Degree in Educational Therapy from Holy Names University. Katrina has always been passionate about education, and she began her career while she was a high school student tutoring younger children after school in her mom's classroom. Since then, she has worked as an English teacher, SAT Writing and Grammar instructor, special education instructional assistant, dance teacher, and even a director of a tutoring center. She has years of experience helping to cultivate the strengths of diverse learners while encouraging autonomy for each individual. Katrina is also a certified instructor of Autism Movement Therapy and brings her passion for movement to her educational approach for all learners. In her free time, Katrina can be found spending time with her three children. She loves to dance, read, and spend time outside.

Laura loves making learning fun for all students by focusing on their strengths a.k.a. “superpowers” and helping them become more confident in their abilities. A native of Los Angeles, Laura received her B.A. from Scripps College in Child Psychology and earned her M.A .from New York University in Childhood Education and Special Education, becoming a certified elementary school teacher in New York. Throughout her career, Laura has been passionate about the accessibility of education and the arts. She has worked as an Arts Educator as part of Arts of LA’s Arts Advocacy Leadership program. Laura has developed individualized educational interventions for students with learning disabilities and other learning challenges such as dyslexia, executive functioning, low academic self-esteem, ADHD, and poor organizational and study skills. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, photographing the sunset, and painting.

Marcella is an Intervention Specialist from Ohio. She earned a Bachelors of Science in Special Education from Youngstown State University as well as a B.S. in Hearing and Speech Sciences from Ohio University. Marcella has worked as a certified special education teacher for 20 years and is experienced in working with learners who have mild to very severe learning needs. During her career she has created and delivered effective, differentiated classroom instruction to students with a diverse range of learning needs in grades K-12. She has written IEPs, conducted IEP meetings, and administered Alternate Assessments to students. Marcella has a true passion for working with young learners and enjoys helping these learners progress academically and socially. She strives to create an environment that nurtures success in a positive and fun way. Marcella recently got engaged and moved to California. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her fiance and daughter as well as reading, shopping, and traveling.

Maria is a Learning Specialist whose interest in teaching sparked when she was in the third grade at Beryl Heights Elementary School in Redondo Beach. Maria has 15 years of experience in teaching elementary and middle school, coaching, and administration roles. Her passion continues to be helping students become independent learners, readers, and self-advocates. She enjoys building relationships with students and their support team to facilitate learning experiences in order for students to reach their goals. Maria studied human development at El Camino College and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from California State University, Dominguez Hill. After receiving her Multiple Subject credential, she reached her goal of earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University. The beach has always been one of Maria's favorite places to be and she enjoys sharing all it has to offer with her children. From playing volleyball to SCUBA diving, she loves finding new adventures outdoors. It's even better when she gets to explore with her family and friends!

Dr. Sara Kenning has been supporting adolescent and young adult learning and development for over 25 years as a high school teacher, university professor, student support specialist and recently as an educational therapist. Sara is passionate about helping students overcome difficulties and become lifelong learners. Sara believes in a fun, collaborative, flexible and student-centered approach to educational therapy, where executive functioning skills like time management, organization and planning are emphasized. After graduating high school in Santa Monica, Sara then went to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Society. While attending UC Santa Barbara, Sara worked for a family who had a child with Autism. During that time, Sara was trained by UCLA’s CART (Center for Autism Research and Treatment) program to deliver therapy and she subsequently decided to go into education. After UC Santa Barbara, Sara earned a teaching credential and a Master’s degree in Education from Pepperdine University. After teaching high school in Los Angeles for 10 years, Sara went back to school and earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, where she focused her doctoral research on the effects of self-regulation on learning. Sara found educational therapy while helping students and then earned her certificate in Educational Therapy from the University of California, Riverside. Sara is dedicated to the idea that every obstacle has a solution when students believe in themselves and understand how they learn best. When she isn’t working, Sara likes spending time with her family, going to the gym and going to the beach.

Sarah is dedicated to supporting students' academic, social, and emotional growth through a developmental and individualized approach. She is passionate about helping students build confidence, resilience, and the skills they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Sarah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Sonoma State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2020. During her undergraduate studies, she developed a strong interest in child and adolescent development and the role mental health plays in academic success. She went on to earn her Master of Education in School Counseling in 2023, graduating Summa Cum Laude and earning her Pupil Personnel Services Credential. Sarah has experience working with middle and high school students in both classroom and counseling settings. She has served as a substitute teacher and school counseling intern in Long Beach and Los Alamitos Unified School Districts, providing academic support, social-emotional learning, and college and career guidance. Her training emphasized adolescent development, executive functioning, and student-centered support. She is committed to creating safe, supportive learning environments where students feel understood and empowered. Her approach is rooted in empathy, structure, and a deep belief in each student’s potential. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys going to the beach, exploring new places, and spending time with her golden retriever, Captain.