LOUD for LIFE® Coaches
Heather Hodges M.A., CCC-SLP
Heather Hodges, MA, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist with over 19 years of experience in outpatient care, specializing in LSVT LOUD, swallowing, upper airway disorders and neurological rehabilitation. Certified in LSVT LOUD since 2005, Heather has played a key role at LSVT Global, contributing to the LOUD R01 research studies and serving as a Training & Certification Course Faculty member since 2008. She also leads LOUD for LIFE classes, supporting individuals in maintaining their speech improvements. Beyond her clinical work, Heather is deeply involved in clinician training, research, and continuing education, and has presented nationally and internationally on topics related to voice, swallowing, and Parkinson’s disease.
Angela Halpern M.S., CCC-SLP
Ms. Halpern is a speech-language pathologist with 33 years of experience specializing in voice and speech disorders in Parkinson’s disease. She is the Chief Clinical Officer for LSVT LOUD and has been an LSVT LOUD faculty since 2004. She has been integral in the creation of the LOUD for LIFE program and loves developing creative class ideas. She has authored and co-authored research on treatment efficacy and presented at national and international conferences. Teaching the LOUD for LIFE class and being inspired by its members are the highlights of her week!
Elizabeth Peterson M.A., CCC-SLP
Ms. Peterson is a speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of experience specializing in voice therapy for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. Certified in LSVT LOUD since 2008, she joined the LSVT LOUD Training and Certification Course faculty in 2012, helping to educate and certify speech-language pathologists worldwide. Since 2021, she has also served as a LOUD for LIFE coach, promoting long-term communication success for people with Parkinson’s and related disorders. In addition to her clinical and instructional roles, Ms. Peterson manages webinars and podcasts, contributes to course development, and supports professional education and community outreach through her work with LSVT Global.
BIG for LIFE® Coaches
Jayme Brindle, MSPT
Jayme Brindle is a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience specializing in neurological rehabilitation, particularly Parkinson’s disease. She became certified in LSVT BIG in 2020 and immediately started this program in the outpatient clinic where she works in Denver, CO. Shortly after this, Jayme became BIG for LIFE certified and started an in-person weekly BIG for LIFE class to help motivate her clients with Parkinson’s to maintain and expand on their LSVT BIG treatment gains. She began coaching online LSVT for LIFE classes with LSVT Global in 2024. She loves bringing new ideas to all of her classes and being an enthusiastic cheerleader to encourage people with Parkinson’s to move BIG.
Jenny Tuccitto, MPT, GCS
Ms. Tuccitto is a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience specializing in neurological rehabilitation, particularly Parkinson’s disease. She became certified in LSVT BIG in 2009 and joined the LSVT BIG Training and Certification Course Faculty in 2011, where she teaches live, virtual, and online courses to clinicians worldwide. Since 2020, Jenny has coached BIG for LIFE classes, helping individuals with Parkinson’s maintain and expand on their LSVT BIG treatment gains. In addition to her teaching and coaching roles, she is the Director of Innovation and Communications at LSVT Global, contributing to the development of treatment tools, courses, and educational resources for both clinicians and patients.
Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L
Julia Wood, MOT, OTR/L is an occupational therapist who specializes in the treatment of individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and neurological movement disorders. She is the Director of Professional and Community Education for the Lewy Body Dementia Association and contracts with the University of Pennsylvania’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Excellence to develop community engagement programming. Julia has served as faculty for the Parkinson Foundation’s Team Training for Parkinson program since 2016 and is certification and training faculty for the LSVT BIG® program. She serves on the Parkinson Foundation Rehabilitation Medicine Task Force and on the World Parkinson Congress Comprehensive Care Subcommittee for Barcelona 2023. She co-authored the first American Occupational Therapy Association Practice Guideline for Parkinson’s Disease in 2022.
Laura Gusé, MPT
Ms. Gusé has been a physical therapist for over 25 years treating individuals with neurodegenerative disorders. Certified in LSVT BIG® since 2009, Ms. Gusé joined the LSVT BIG Training and Certification faculty in 2011, helping train more than 50,000 physical and occupational therapists worldwide. She played a key role in developing the BIG for LIFE program and has served as a coach since 2020. As the Chief Clinical Officer at LSVT Global since 2014, Ms. Gusé leads the LSVT BIG instructional team, oversees curriculum development, coordinates university training as supports strategic initiatives related to LSVT BIG.
Leadership
Learn more about LSVT Global, Inc.’s Leadership team at the LSVT Global website.