LOUD for LIFE® Coaches
Heather Hodges M.A., CCC-SLP
Ms. Hodges received her master’s degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences from the University of Colorado. She has been part of Dr. Ramig’s research team since 2004. Ms. Hodges is a consultant, expert clinician, training and certification faculty and CE Administrator with LSVT Global. She also enjoys her role within LSVT Global collaborating and presenting on Google’s Project Euphonia, which aims to improve voice recognition software for those with dysarthria and dysphonia. In addition to specializing in neurogenic voice and speech disorders, Ms. Hodges worked for 13 years at an outpatient hospital specializing in diagnosing and treating dysphagia, dysphonia, and upper airway disorders. She has presented nationally and internationally on LSVT LOUD, Parkinson’s disease, PVFM/VCD, cough, and dysphagia. Ms. Hodges has published articles and a book chapter on speech treatments for upper airway disorders. Educating others on the diagnosing and treatment of upper airway disorders remains a focus and passion for her.
Angela Halpern M.S., CCC-SLP
Ms. Halpern is in charge of facilitating national and international training and certification courses for LSVT LOUD and LSVT BIG. She assists the team in the research and development of new courses and products, and she has worked to develop and advance LOUD for LIFE exercise maintenance classes for LSVT LOUD graduates. Ms. Halpern serves as national and international faculty for LSVT LOUD training and certification courses. She has been a part of Dr. Ramig’s research team at the National Center for Voice and Speech in Denver since 2000, where she has played an integral role in the randomized control trial research for LSVT LOUD. Ms. Halpern received her Masters degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Halpern was born and raised in Kansas and currently resides in Golden, Colorado.
Elizabeth Peterson M.A., CCC-SLP
Ms. Peterson received her master’s degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She began working with Dr. Lorraine Ramig’s research team while completing her master’s thesis. She has worked as a research associate at the National Center for Voice and Speech-Denver and the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio and primarily delivers LSVT LOUD in a research setting. Ms. Peterson is currently involved in Dr. Ramig’s research investigating the short and long-term impact of LSVT LOUD on neural underpinnings of speech in Parkinson disease.
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.