Group Leaders

Abbe Simon

Abbe Simon has been a speech-language pathologist for nearly 17 years. She recently moved from the NY/NJ area and was thrilled to know an aphasia program like TAP existed near her home in Chapel Hill. She has worked with adults and children in outpatient settings. Abbe continues to be devoted to serving adults with neurological impairments, and has worked in acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and, most close to heart, a prestigious aphasia center in the tri-state area. Her passion for facilitating conversation groups for people with aphasia allows her to marvel at the way individuals succeed at communicating and interact with one another. Abbe integrates the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia into her clinical skills and believes creating a functional environment is key to achieving success. In her spare time, she can be found exercising, cooking, doing yoga, or watching her two sons play sports.

Alie Chandler

Alie Chandler has a Master of Music degree in Music Therapy from Western Michigan University and has been a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) since 2002. She has worked with clients of all ages in NY, CT, and NC, including the American Institute for Neuro-Integrative Development, the Music Conservatory of Westchester, and Westchester Medical Center.  She also worked as part of a research team at Duke University Hospital for a study on resilience in adolescents with cancer. Alie has published research on music therapy and autism, presented nationally, and is a certified provider through the National Parkinson Foundation. She is trained in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), improvisational music therapy methods, and completed the Allied Team Training for Parkinson’s. She has also been involved with Virtual Connections.

Alie sings plays the flute, piano, ukulele, and various percussion instruments, and lives in North Carolina with her two children and husband.

Amanda Cole

Amanda works full-time in the adult Outpatient Rehabilitation department at WakeMed.  She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, her master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and a clinical fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Amanda leads TAP’s monthly Learning to Speak Aphasia (LTSA) trainings. She enjoys the outdoors, going on walks and hikes with her two hound dog, drawing, and trying new restaurants with friends and family.

Candace Seibert

Candace Seibert retired from UNC Hospitals Acute Rehabilitation Unit in 2012, where she enjoyed eight years of working with individuals with aphasia, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological challenges in both inpatient and outpatient contexts. She came to UNC from the Brady Insititute for Traumatic Brain Injury at Jamaica Hospital in New York. Although Candace found great satisfaction working in a medical environment, she also relishes the opportunity to work with people as their recovery continues at home and in their community. Candace loved facilitating groups while at UNC. She learned there that everyone has a story to tell, and our role is to help them tell it. Candace lives in Cary with Ward, her husband of 42 years, and enjoys spending time with her adult children, playing golf, reading, and gardening.

Emma Phillips

Emma Phillips earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences in 2021. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023. While at UNC Chapel Hill, Emma was involved in research focused on cognitive-communication challenges in older adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). She completed her clinical fellowship at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where she continues to work today. Emma values building meaningful connections through her work and is passionate about supporting individuals with aphasia, TBI, dysphagia, and voice disorders. She is thrilled to be joining the TAP community. Outside of her work in speech-language pathology, Emma loves spending time outdoors, playing the piano, and reading.

Graciela Roberti

Graciela Roberti is a highly skilled bilingual therapist with over 20 years of experience in working with children with a variety of communication and speech disorders. Graciela is a native Spanish speaker and has expertise in working with children who have autism, cerebral palsy, language delays, phonological disorders, articulation impairments, and hearing impaired. She is also skilled in treating children with swallowing, oral/motor/feeding, and tracheostomies. Graciela works closely with her bilingual families to make sure needs are being met in both languages across environments.

Graciela earned her Bachelors of Science in Special education, specializing in mental retardation at Pedagogical University of Caracas in Venezuela. She then went on to earn her Master of Science in Speech and Language from NOVA Southeastern University in Florida. Graciela is also a certified Community Spanish Facilitator and Interpreter and earned her certificate from Durham Technical Community College in North Carolina.

Haley Murdock

Haley, a native of North Carolina, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she completed both her Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences and Bachelor of Arts.

Haley works with adults and children at an outpatient clinic in Fuquay-Varina, NC. She has special interest in receptive and expressive language disorders, cognitive communication disorders, dysphagia, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for all populations. Haley views her job as a privilege to help people gain or improve participation in their diverse life roles and activities. She views TAP as an exciting way for people to connect with their community. Haley loves to spend time with her family, make art and music, try local restaurants and spend time outside. She is always taking recommendations for new foods to try.

Hanna Money

Hanna earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Appalachian State University in 2017 and her Master of Science in Communication Disorders from Marshall University in 2019. She currently enjoys working with adults in the acute and inpatient rehabilitation settings for Atrium Health in the Charlotte Metro area. Hanna was drawn to the field of speech-language pathology with the goal of one day working with, learning from and connecting to adults with neurological conditions. Her passion was reaffirmed when she completed a clinical practicum in Uganda during the summer of 2019. There, she treated adults and children with various neurological disorders resulting from stroke, traumatic brain injury, birth trauma and untreated diseases. Hanna feels privileged to partner with TAP and help individuals with aphasia connect with others in their community. In her free time, Hanna enjoys boating at the lake, going to football games, reading and relaxing at home with her family.

Julia Bryan Canavan

Julia has been working with individuals with aphasia for more than 35 years. She has worked as a speech-language pathologist in acute, rehab, and outpatient settings at WakeMed, Duke, Durham VA Hospital, Carolinas Rehab and Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte. She was previously a member of the TAP Board of Directors. Julia is currently facilitating TAP’s Bible Study groups.

Kimberly Baradei

Kimberly Baradei is a Speech-Language Pathologist living and working in Wake Forest, NC.  Over her 17 year career, she has specialized in providing therapy for the adult population in a variety of settings including; home care, long term care, outpatient, acute inpatient and telehealth. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and is passionate about providing personalized, dynamic, evidence-based intervention to the clients in her private practice.  She is excited to be a part of the TAP family, providing a safe space for group social interactions within the aphasia community.  In her free time Kim enjoys baking treats for friends and family, volunteering for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and taking care of her orchid plants.

Kristine Strobbia

Kristine Strobbia is a speech-language pathologist who lives in Durham, NC. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, MD. Kristine has worked with adults in skilled nursing, inpatient, and outpatient settings. She has worked with children in public and non-public school settings. Kristine is passionate about the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia and honored to be a part of the TAP team. When she is not working, she and her husband are traveling, watching sports, or out on the water.