Today we’d like to introduce you to Gia Koehne.
Hi Gia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and always knew I wanted to work with children. I started working on my premed bachelor to become a pediatrician but always felt gravitated to do more and really loved researching neurology and mental health. I switched to psychology, and while doing my doctorate degree (23 years ago), I began working as a behavior therapists for children with autism. I fell in love, so I pursued a behavior analysis certification while working and while completing my doctorate. Life and 2 young children led me to Texas 15 years ago where I consulted with a variety of autism programs. I had continued to research and identify why my approach as a specialist with children with autism was so different from the norm. It was very focused on play, child-led, and tons of laughter vs. the highly structured, therapist-led, and highly stressful approaches that I was exposed to during consultations. I decided to open my own clinic in 2011 with this different approach and with a strong family focus, supportive culture, and strong desire to help therapists fall in love as I did.
I started with 2 kiddos and 1 therapist working with the children in their homes in San Antonio. Fast forward to 2024, we are a very solid value-based company with excellent child progress and a wonderful culture. We have 2 clinics in San Antonio and our new clinic in the Houston Memorial Area.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Working in the ABA industry is a huge challenge. Although the work is rewarding, it can also be draining for both the therapists and the families who are coping with very different family needs. Insurance mandates for coverage of ABA therapy have been passed for a few years but the reimbursement rates are a huge challenge. Recently, private equity companies have entered our industry, and the impact has been detrimental for small businesses and clinician-owned companies as they have the ability to pay staff a lot more and have higher administrative and financial access to marketing, referral source connections, etc. It has increased our turnover, decreased our access to hiring prospects, and affected our intake flow. And then, of course, COVID almost took us down as we deliver one-on-one sessions and telehealth was not a feasible option for our client needs.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We focus on the treatment of children with autism from 18 months to 10 years old. Our approach is very different from the norm – our goals are child engagement, play, and following the child’s lead. We have our own treatment guide created by Dr. Gia called “Milestones in Autism,” which focuses on the neurological needs of children with autism to help them succeed. Most of our kids don’t want to leave when their sessions are over because they are having so much fun without realizing that they are learning!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love how incredibly welcoming and supportive everyone has been upon hearing of our services. Doctors come and meet us in the lobby, speech and OT clinics have opened their doors to hear more about and to see how we can collaborate. There’s also so much diversity, and it is such a rich city with lots to share! Traffic would be my biggest dislike about the city.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blossomcenterforchildren.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blossomcenterforchildren/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlossomCenterforChildren/
