Nature-Based Therapy for Kids and Teens
Outdoor Therapy with Thrive Outside
Dr. Rylie Fikes, OTD, OTR/L (she/her/hers)
Occupational Therapist
Since making our official move to Oregon in 2021, I have worked as a pediatric OT with a focus on sensory, regulation, and feeding. I love using DIR/Floortime and play therapy approaches to address sensory and motor challenges that impact feeding & other activities of daily living. Just like my favorite Ratatouille quote above, I use curiousity, creativity, and the human experience in my therapy practice.
In addition to my pediatric OT experience, I have taken over 100 hours of lactation education. I am preparing to take my certification exam to be a Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC). I hope to use this knowledge to support families with feeding from day one and to better understand how infant feeding challenges can impact childhood experiences with food.
When I am not working or taking professional classes, I love reading cheesy novels, trying out new coffee spots, and doing absolutely anything in the sun. I am a true kid at heart! I love any opportunity to craft, play team sports, and spend time with my parents & sibling. My husband and I love to fill our calendar with traveling and camping!
I look forward to discovering and creating with you and your family!
"Humans don't just survive; they discover; they create. ... I mean, just look at what they do with food!" – Remy, Ratatouille
Growing up, I always had a passion for creativity and cultivating a sense of community. It was driven by a curiosity of the unique differences of the people, places, and objects we are all drawn to. From organizing a book club in 3rd grade to hosting potlucks in college, I found love bringing people together. When I found the field of occupational therapy, I knew it was a dream career for me because it combined all of the things I loved most: being creative, collaborating with others, learning constantly, and building/supporting communities.
This discovery took me on a journey from my hometown of Gilroy, California to Omaha, Nebraska. In Nebraska, I found myself delving into a whole new community at Creighton University, where I earned by BS in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology & my doctorate of OT. While searching for a location to complete my final doctoral project/thesis, I found myself captivated by the work being done at OHSU Doernbecher's CDRC Feeding Clinic. I spent 14 weeks there learning about the intricate role OTs play on an interdisciplinary feeding team. I discovered my OT niche lies in feeding & the community mealtimes can create. During those 14 weeks, I also discerned that the Portland Metropolitan area was the perfect place for my husband and I to live.