About Speech SF
We believe play is the basis of learning. Our mission is to help children reach their communication potential while making speech therapy as stress free as possible for our children and families.
Our History
Founded in 2016, Speech SF is a woman owned and family run business that strives to positively impact families, communities, and speech therapists in San Francisco. We were founded because Katie Laher believed that pairing in-home, play-based therapy with an exceptional parent experience and straightforward policies would help remove stress from the therapy process for the entire family.
Our Core Pillars

Families First
Support not only the children but the families too

Purposeful Play
Play is not a break from learning- it’s the basis of learning

Impact Focused
Set your sights on change not tasks

Growth Mindset
Life is too short to think small

Keep it Simple
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
Speech SF Gives Back

At Speech SF we try to find every opportunity we can to give back to the community. We are currently helping the community by:
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Giving every one of our therapists 5 hours of paid volunteer time a year.
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Donating free evaluations for school auctions. Please reach out if you are interested.
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Building Suite Speech to provide an online community with free resources for parents.
Our Team
Kaleigh VanVolkenburgh

Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist, M.S. CCC-SLP
Originally from upstate NY, Kaleigh decided to move to San Francisco in pursuit of more sunshine. She received her undergraduate and graduate training in Speech-Language Pathology with a minor in Spanish from Ithaca College. Kaleigh's areas of clinical experience include autism, articulation, language delays, fluency (i.e. stuttering), voice disorders. Kaleigh has worked in preschools, elementary and middle schools, rehabilitation centers, private university clinics and in homes around the Bay. She is a certified trainer in Hanen's "More than Words". In her free time, Kaleigh enjoys hiking and traveling with her pup, Tucker.
Allison Townsend

Speech-Language Pathologist, M.A. CCC-SLP
Allison is a proud San Francisco native. After spending several years in New York in pursuit of her undergraduate & graduate degrees, she eventually ventured back to the west coast to begin her career as a licensed speech therapist. Allison received her B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders from Syracuse University and her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from St. John’s University. Allison has over 12 years of experience working with children, and has a passion for collaborating with families to help their little ones become the best communicators they can be! She has worked in schools, private clinics, and homes to provide a variety of services related to speech sound disorders, receptive/expressive language delays, and fluency disorders. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, camping, traveling, and organizing.
Catherine Venitz

Speech-Language Pathologist, M.S. CCC-SLP
Catherine is originally from Michigan. After spending several years in the midwest pursuing her undergraduate and graduate degrees, she moved to San Francisco in 2017 to begin her career as a speech-language pathologist. She received her undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University, and her M.S. from Purdue University, a top program for speech, language, and hearing sciences. Catherine has experience in a variety of settings, including schools, rehabilitation centers, and clinics. Catherine’s areas of clinical experience include articulation and phonological disorders, language delays/disorders, autism, and early intervention. Catherine is certified in the Hanen Program “It Takes Two to Talk” and has completed training in the Kaufman Apraxia approach. In her free time, Catherine enjoys reading, traveling, and hanging out with her dog, Sammy.
Lauren Oshiro

Speech-Language Pathologist, M.S. CCC-SLP
Hailing from LA, Lauren has been living in San Francisco for over 7 years. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and her masters from San Francisco State University. She is a bilingual Spanish English speaker and specializes in bilingual treatment and evaluations. She has worked in a variety of settings, primarily with preschool, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and articulation/phonological disorders. When she is not teaching kiddos how to talk, she enjoys baking, exploring new cities, and finding her inner peace in yoga classes.
Rachel Rapp

Speech-Language Pathologist, M.S. CCC-SLP
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Rachel is excited to be back in California after nearly a decade away! Rachel earned her M.S. in speech-language pathology from the University of Oregon and her B.A. from Indiana University at Bloomington. She brings a range of clinical experience from working in the hospital setting at UCSF to running groups in a brain injury and concussion program and working with children and adolescents in the outpatient setting. Most recently, Rachel has been providing individual and group social cognitive therapy for preschoolers through young adults at the Social Thinking clinic in San Jose. Prior to graduate school, Rachel spent a number of years working in corporate communications in New York City. While there, she volunteered at the NYU Child Study Center’s camp for children with selective mutism and knew this was the field for her. Having experienced selective mutism herself growing up, Rachel has empathy and passion for helping her clients who are struggling with communication. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys hiking, baking sweet treats and seeing live music in the city.
Tucker

Chief Cuddle Pup
Tucker has been a professional cuddler for over 2.5 years. He has a PhD in snuggles with a speciality in face licking. When times get tough he always knows how to help.
Contact us!
Feel free to send us a note. We love working with families, schools, and other local businesses. We look forward to connecting with you!
2443 Fillmore Street, #153
San Francisco, CA, 94115