About Your Therapist
Hello, I’m Alina. I'm a speech-language pathologist, orofacial myologist, and the founder of Speechology — a concierge practice built for the cases that haven't resolved, the kids who've tried therapy before, and the families who are still looking for answers.
My path into this work started at the University of Pittsburgh, where I earned my Master's degree in speech-language pathology. From there, I was fortunate to work at UPMC Presbyterian, where I trained in acute care and developed a deep clinical foundation in the mechanics of speech and swallowing. That medical grounding shaped how I think — not just about what sounds wrong or isn't working, but about why.
Next came a burgeoning pediatric outpatient clinic on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, where the why became the how — I helped grow a busy practice, helped launch a feeding clinic, and spent years mentoring new clinicians and students coming into the field. Over time, I became the therapist colleagues consulted when a case felt stuck. That pattern — the complex case, the child who hadn't moved in months, the family that had run out of options — became the throughline of my career.
My specialties are resistant or lingering speech sound disorders, apraxia, stuttering, orofacial myofunctional disorders, and the cases other therapists find hard to crack. I came to oromyofunctional therapy (OMT) the long way: because of my swallowing background, I was integrating these principles into treatment long before the field formalized around them. When I launched Speechology, I pursued specialized myofunctional training to standardize and deepen that work, and it has become one of the most important tools I have for unlocking progress in complex speech cases.
Speechology is intentionally small. I keep a limited caseload because I believe that's what real progress requires. My clients don't leave my mind between sessions; I'm thinking through their cases, noticing connections, adjusting my approach. It's not unusual for a family to get a text from me during the week with a thought that came up, a strategy worth trying, or a food idea worth introducing. That kind of ongoing investment is only possible when you're not spread thin. After years of mentoring clinicians, I wanted to bring this kind of care to our community and pass forward everything I've spent my career learning.
I work primarily with children in elementary and middle school, though I also see teens and adults whose speech goals remain unresolved. Age is less relevant to me than the question, and the drive to finally answer it.
Outside of the clinic, I'm a mom of two boys and a very loved senior dog. Our family spends weekends hiking, picking up great takeout, and spending time with people we love in our Fox Chapel community. I'm an early riser, a paddle player, and someone who takes her morning coffee very seriously.