Our Therapist

Natalie Waechter, MS, OTR/L, SWC, CLC: Natalie is the founder of PlayPatch Pediatric Therapy and has been a practicing occupational therapist throughout Southern California in outpatient, early intervention, and aquatic based settings. She also has prior experiences in pediatric hospital settings including the NICU and PICU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences and her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Springfield College in Springfield, MA where she also competed on the collegiate swim team. She has spent her career working with children in both outpatient and early intervention settings and worked with children with various disabilities and diagnoses.

Natalie is certified in Advanced Practice in swallowing assessments, evaluations, and treatments. She is also a Certified Lactation Counselor and is passionate about providing care to the breastfeeding dyad.

Natalie is passionate about making therapy fun and enjoyable for children and their families in order to best support them and help them achieve their goals. She believes that the best way that children learn is through play. She encourages families and caregivers to play with their children and prioritizes family education so that caregivers can feel empowered to carry over treatment strategies into everyday routines.

Outside of work Natalie enjoys swimming, biking, hiking, camping, and quality time with friends and family.