Our team
Founded and owned by a speech language pathologist. Based out of Jersey City and Hoboken, New Jersey, our practice has been growing since December 2020.
FOUNDER, CLINICAL DIRECTOR, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Chelsea Cruz, M.S., CCC-SLP
Chelsea is a Speech-Language Pathologist with over a decade of experience specializing in early childhood development and special education. As the Founder and Clinical Director of Playwell Social, Chelsea leads our team of clinicians, providing innovative and compassionate care across Hudson County through home-health therapy services in clinic, homes, daycare centers, and schools. Her vision for Playwell Social was born from a deep belief in family-centered care and the transformative power of meeting children where they are.
Chelsea's diverse experience spans from infancy through middle school across home, community, and school settings—always focusing on empowering families through collaborative, evidence base and culturally responsive care. She brings expertise in evaluating and treating expressive and receptive language delays, articulation and speech sound disorders, and communication differences related to developmental disabilities.
Chelsea's certifications and specialized training include Assistive Technology Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) treatment, Natural Language Acquisition/Gestalt Language Processing Trained Clinician, PROMPT Technique, Social Thinking 101 and Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding.
Within Chelsea's daily practice, she loves her students as her own, leading with compassion and empathy. She believes in meeting each child where they are at, following their interests, and creating sessions that are child-led, rooted in play, meaningful and enjoyable. With an intentional, flexible and practical style, Chelsea is skilled at finding inventive, real-world strategies to support communication in daily routines and across all environments.
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR, DOCTOR OF SPEECH PATHOLOGY
Dr. Alina Mahkinson, SLPD, CCC-SLP
Alina Lipkin Makhinson, SLPD CCC-SLP is a pediatric speech-language pathologist bringing over 13 years of experience working in research universities, private practices, school districts, and home settings. As Clinical Supervisor, Alina leverages her expertise to provide guide and mentor the team effectively.
Alina received her Master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Montclair State University in 2011, and earned her SLPD doctorate from Kean University in 2023. She is currently a clinical educator and lecturer at Teacher College, Columbia University. Alina is experienced in a wide array of pediatric speech and language disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, social-skills, receptive and expressive language disorders, articulation, fluency, craniofacial syndromes and family counseling.
Alina is bilingual in Russian and is passionate about providing holistically driven and culturally sensitive pediatric therapy. Alina lives in Westfield, New Jersey with her husband Mark and 5-year-old daughter Stella.
CLINICAL SUPERVISOR, AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC) CONSULTANT
Alanna Harrison, M.S., CCC-SLP
Alanna Harrison, MS. CCC-SLP/TSSLD is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and certified Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) in the state of New York. Alanna also holds a certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).
She earned her Master's degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Tulane University.
Alanna specializes in supporting individuals who use AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). She has had the opportunity to work with both pediatric and adult AAC users across diverse settings, including Boston Children’s Hospital Augmentative Communication Center, The Edward D. Mysak Clinic for Communication Disorders, Roosevelt Children’s Center, and Manhattan Star Academy. In addition to her clinical work, Alanna serves as an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she teaches an applied course in AAC.
Passionate about personalized patient care, Alanna is dedicated to providing clients with the communication tools they need to thrive. She values collaboration with caregivers, educators, therapists, and medical professionals, ensuring everyone feels confident and comfortable using AAC across settings.
SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
ALEXIS CARP, M.S., CCC-SLP
Alexis Carp, M.S., CCC-SLP earned her Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Hunter College. Alexis has experience in evaluating and treating speech, language, feeding/swallowing and cognition across the lifespan. She has experience working with neurotypical, neurodivergent and medically fragile pediatrics in outpatient and inpatient settings.
Alexis provides articulation, phonological, receptive and expressive language, and social skills treatment. She has also worked with the adult and geriatric population in outpatient and inpatient settings, treating aphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria and cognition. Alexis holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed to practice in New Jersey and New York.
BILINGUAL SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
DANIELLE GUTIERREZ, M.S., CCC-SLP
Danielle Gutierrez, M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist who is fluent in Spanish and holds a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) certification. She is licensed in the states of New York and New Jersey and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Danielle earned her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at New York Medical College and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics at Montclair State University.
Danielle brings over five years of experience working with pediatric and adolescent populations, ranging from 6 months to 18 years old, across home care, school, and teletherapy settings. Her areas of expertise include supporting individuals with Executive Function deficits, Selective Mutism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Global Developmental Delays, Pediatric Feeding Disorders, Expressive and Receptive Language Delays, Pragmatic Language deficits, and Articulation/Phonological Disorders. Currently, Danielle works at Manhattan Star Academy (Upper Location), a non-profit private special needs school that serves individuals with multiple developmental disabilities and complex communication needs.
In addition, Danielle specializes in supporting individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), with a strong emphasis on implementing a multimodal communication approach. She is committed to honoring all forms of communication, giving individuals a voice, and increasing their independence—while also empowering families to better support their child’s unique communication needs. Danielle is also an NLA-Trained Clinician who provides neurodiversity-affirming, child-led therapy for children who are Gestalt Language Processors.
Danielle currently resides in Hoboken with her wife, Aleks and two cats, Oli and Binx. On her spare time, she attends Rumble Boxing classes, enjoys going to coffee shops, nature walks, and new adventures with her wife and friends.
BILINGUAL SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
JILLIAN MCLAUGHLIN, M.A., CCC-SLP
Jillian McLaughlin M.A., CCC-SLP earned her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from Montclair State University, and her Bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey. She is licensed in the state of New Jersey and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Jillian is currently a speech-language pathologist for Pre-K students at an elementary school in Weehawken, NJ.
Jillian has experience treating children from the ages of 1 through 16. She has provided therapy to individuals with receptive and expressive language delays and disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, fluency disorders, cognitive deficits, and multiple developmental disabilities. Jillian is skilled in programming and utilizing both high-tech and low-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She values using a multi-modal communication approach (words, signs, gestures, AAC, etc.) to empower all forms of communication. Jillian has completed training courses in Gestalt Language Processing and DIR Floortime. She has worked in a variety of settings including public schools, a private practice, and a play-based autism clinic. Jillian is dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence-based therapy that is individually tailored to each child’s strengths and interests. She strives to make a meaningful connection with each family and help their child achieve their communication goals.
SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
STEPHANIE KRUTAN, M.S., CCC-SLP
Stephanie Krutan, M.S., CCC-SLP received her Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University and Master of Science from Teachers College, Columbia University. Stephanie has experience evaluating and treating speech, language, and cognition in both children and adults.
Stephanie has experience working with children and adults in daycares, schools, outpatient, teletherapy, and home-health settings. She provides therapy targeting early intervention, expressive and receptive communication delays, articulation, phonology, fluency, and social skills treatment. Stephanie is currently a speech language pathologist at a New Jersey public school, providing services to students ranging from preschool to high school. Stephanie holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed to practice in New Jersey. Stephanie finds being a speech language pathologist to be such a rewarding profession - being able to make a meaningful impact every day by helping individuals find their voice, improve communication, and gain more confidence!
SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
AMANDA MOXHAM, M.S., CCC-SLP
Amanda Moxham, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist specializing in pediatric communication and early intervention. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University and her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from Salus University before beginning her clinical career in 2021.
Amanda has worked with children from infancy through middle school across home, community, and school settings, always focusing on empowering families through collaborative, evidence-based care. She brings experience in evaluating and treating expressive and receptive language delays, articulation and fluency disorders, and communication differences related to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Amanda resides in Hoboken and has been familiar with the Hudson County area for nearly four years. Her approach is rooted in compassion, play-based learning, and real-life progress—meeting each child where they are, following their lead, and making therapy engaging and enjoyable. Amanda is a natural problem solver who takes pride in finding creative, practical ways to support communication within a child’s everyday environment, and she is grounded in the belief that the most meaningful growth happens through connection, curiosity, and fun.
BILINGUAL SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
CHRISTINA MENDES, M.S., CCC-SLP
Christina Mendes is a passionate and dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist with a comprehensive background in early intervention, special education and speech language pathology. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education, followed by a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Seton Hall University. Christina is licensed by the state of New Jersey and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), as well as a school certification.
With extensive experience in evaluating and treating a variety of speech and language disorders and delays within the pediatric population, Christina has worked across diverse settings, including early intervention, elementary schools, specialized schools, private practices, and in-home care. Currently, she serves as a Speech-Language Pathologist at a school for multiply disabled students. Prior to this, she worked in a specialized school catering to medically fragile students.
Christina’s areas of expertise include Early Intervention, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and feeding therapy. She is committed to fostering collaborative relationships with families and multidisciplinary teams, believing that teamwork enhances the effectiveness of therapy. Christina is deeply passionate about empowering families and students through her work, championing the idea that every individual's voice matters and deserves to be heard!
