Yvette McCoy, PhD., CCC-SLP, BCS-S
Yvette McCoy has spent more than three decades helping adults eat, drink, and communicate more safely and confidently. She opened Speak Well Solutions 20 years ago to fill a need for services in St. Mary’s County for not only children, but also adults She is board certified in swallowing disorders, a credential held by only a small share of speech-language pathologists. She specializes in evaluating and treating dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) in adults, including people recovering from stroke, living with Parkinson’s disease or other neurological conditions, and older adults experiencing changes in their swallow.
Speech-Language Pathologist | Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders
Assistant Professor and Owner
Yvette’s approach is built on a simple belief: treatment should help you get back to the foods and activities you love, not just work around the problem. Her work draws on exercise science to focus on strengthening and rehabilitating the swallow wherever possible. She also works closely with each patient and family to set goals that reflect what matters most to them.
Alongside her clinical work, Yvette is an Assistant Professor at Moravian University, where she trains the next generation of speech-language pathologists and founded an interdisciplinary pro bono clinic. She co-authored the Adult Dysphagia Clinical Reasoning and Decision-Making Guide and The Adult Dysphagia Pocket Guide, and she speaks nationally and internationally on swallowing rehabilitation. Her recognitions include the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Award for Outstanding Clinical Achievement (2025). Yvette earned her B.S. from Truman State University, her M.S. in Communication Disorders from Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville, and her doctorate in Health and Human Performance (Exercise Science) from Concordia University–Chicago.
Kristi Zapfe, MS CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Practitioner
Kristi is a speech-language pathologist with a degree from Northern Arizona University. She has experience across schools, early intervention, in-home therapy, adult day centers, and private practice. Her special interests include early feeding and swallowing skills, speech-sound disorders, early literacy, and helping families access and implement AAC.
Kristi believes communication delays deserve a whole-child approach. When appropriate, she enjoys helping families look beyond speech and language alone to identify other factors that may affect communication, and guiding them to the right professionals and resources.
Her goal is to provide thoughtful, individualized therapy while partnering with families to help every child find their voice and communicate with confidence. Kristi believes the best therapy happens when clinicians and families work together, because that’s when families feel heard, supported, and empowered. She is a wife, mom of two adorable boys, and proud Navy Veteran.
Kelli Weatherholt, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Practitioner
Kelli is an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist from Fort Worth, Texas. She received her Bachelor’s in Communication Disorders from Texas Christian University, and her Master’s degree in the same field from West Texas A&M University. She is a proud Navy wife and mom of three beautiful girls. Kelli has served communities in Texas, Virginia, and southern Maryland. She has extensive experience working in the pediatric outpatient setting.
Kelli strives to provide quality care, and advocates that every child is able to access his or her own voice. Kelli treats a wide variety of communication and feeding disorders, including swallowing and eating difficulties, identification of tongue/lip ties, delayed language, articulation disorders, fluency disorders (stuttering) and communication difficulties associated with Autism. Aside from these skill areas, Kelli specializes in alternative augmentative communication (AAC). In all of her sessions, Kelli utilizes child-led and facilitative play based therapy techniques, which are congruent with how children naturally acquire language.
Deanna Timmerman, B.S., SLPA-L
Deanna Timmerman is a Maryland-licensed speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) with a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Arizona State University. She works under the supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist, carrying out individualized treatment plans that help children build meaningful communication skills.
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Practitioner
Deanna’s experience in the school setting includes supporting nonverbal and autistic children, as well as children with apraxia of speech and articulation and language disorders. She has a particular interest in AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) and enjoys helping children find the tools that let them express themselves. Deanna also has experience working with adults with neurogenic communication disorder.
Known for her patience, empathy, and attentive listening, Deanna believes strong communication happens when therapists, families, and teachers work as a team. She is committed to evidence-based practice and to creating sessions where every child feels supported and successful.
Anna Cava, M.S., CCC-SLP
Anna is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, that loves helping kids find their voice and feel confident communicating! Whether they are working on speech sounds, language development, or AAC, her goal is to make therapy fun, encouraging, and personalized to each child while celebrating every little win along the way
Speech-Language Pathologist
Practitioner
Margie Jordan
Office Manager
Liz Czerweic
Administrative Assistant
All of Speak Well Solutions’ therapists are certified by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association as well as licensed by the state of Maryland.