Our Team
Find the support you need from someone you trust
CEO, Founding Occupational Therapist, and Lead Provider of TimberNook
Rebekah Highlander, MOT, OTR/L
Rebekah is a certified occupational therapist in Northern Virginia with her Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Science and Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Saint Louis University. She has worked with children and families in therapeutic and non-therapeutic settings with an emphasis on family-centered experiences. After seeing a rise in children with poor play initiation and creativity as well as increased social fears, she saw an opportunity to change the therapeutic approach, through research-based practices in the great outdoors! Her personal and professional interests, including research and practice improvement with the American Occupational Therapy Association, led her to become a certified TimberNook provider in 2021. She's passionate about weaving the therapeutic aspects of nature with a unique understanding of child development to create an outdoor program that supports every aspect of the growing child.
Assistant Program Manager, Certified TimberNook Provider
Liz Weber
Liz has a B.A. in Human Performance and Leisure Studies with a minor in Early Childhood Education. She is a trustworthy educator well-versed in nature and play. She offers years of experience with multiple-aged children in a variety of settings including academic, religious, and recreational. She is a home school co-op teacher and mother of 5 who has been using aspects of the TimberNook philosophy in her life for years. In 2023, she became trained and certified to provide TimberNook programming in Loudoun County and we are lucky to have her on staff!
Occupational Therapist
Jamie Hunstad OTR/L
Jamie is a licensed and registered occupational therapist in Virginia with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Shenandoah University. Jamie has always been passionate about working with children and as a teenager, she successfully lobbied to get her high school to start up a Special Olympics program. Jamie’s OT philosophy is rooted in the belief that each therapeutic relationship brings a unique experience for learning and collaboration between the child, their caregiver(s), and the therapist. She has personal experience with the grounding and healing properties of nature, particularly how it is a powerful tool for encouraging self-regulation. Jamie enjoys a variety of different outdoor activities, especially hiking, hammocking, paddleboarding, wildlife watching, and admiring plants of all kinds. She is excited to work together with families on setting and achieving relevant goals for their children!
Occupational Therapist
Deborah Schwind, DHSc, OTR/L, BCP, SCSS, FAOTA
Debbie has worked as an occupational therapist for 35 years working in a variety of pediatric settings. She has worked in early intervention, in the NICU at both Fairfax Hospital and Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, has provided home health and outpatient care but her most recent practice setting has been in school based practice. She has also taught at Northern Virginia Community College and Tidewater Community College. She has provided guest lectures to colleges across the country. She completed her undergraduate degree from East Carolina University in occupational therapy and completed internships at Duke University and Johns Hopkins University. She designed her graduate degree at Old Dominion University taking half her classes in Educational Leadership and half her classes in Healthcare Administration. She completed her doctoral dissertation and research at Drexel University with a focus on developing post-secondary transition skills early. She loves seeing students in the community that she worked with in preschool and elementary school contributing to society upon graduation. She has presented nationally, published articles as well as book chapters on a variety of topics. When she is not at work, you can find her with her family, traveling, hiking, exploring and making digital photo albums chronicling their hikes and adventures.
