Meredith Eden, RDT, MA (2), LMFT (#116558)
Hummingbird Project Manager – Santa Clara County and Sacramento
BA Drama, San Francisco State University; MA Counseling Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies; MA Drama Theory and Devised Performance, San Francisco State University
Meredith has over ten years’ experience working in the theatre world and has transitioned over the last four years into using her skills for therapeutic forms of expression. She has interned at California Pacific Medical Centers’ SNF unit and Alzheimer’s residential facility. Meredith is honored to be a part of Sage, where she is enthusiastic about working collaboratively on the collective goal of quality of life for the elderly population in our community. Since childhood, she spent many hours at her grandparents’ community, which built awareness of the wisdom and stories the elder population embody. She received her Bachelor’s in Drama (Performance) from San Francisco State University where she went on to complete her Master’s in Drama Theory with a concentration in Directing and Devised Theatre. She holds a second Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology (Drama Therapy) from California Institute of Integral Studies. She is furthering her education and training through the Developmental Transformation Institute for drama therapy based in New York. Meredith’s training in improvised and devised theatre is a catalyst for her passion of creative approaches to achieve rich quality of life for both her clients and the community she serves. The heart of her practice is to think outside of the box while attuning to the desires, interests, and needs of her clients.
Steven Hardy, MA, MT-BC
Hummingbird Project Manager – San Francisco and San Mateo Counties
Originally from New England, Steve has enjoyed a career in Aging Services in the Bay Area for more than 20 years. As a child, Steve was always excited to visit his grandparents and enjoy the warmth and connection he felt in their home. There was a sense of unconditional love, wisdom, and appreciation when he was in the presence of older adults. In his educational pursuits, Steve combined an interest in music/vocal performance with a deep desire to understand human relationships and received degrees in both Psychology and the Expressive Therapies. One of Steve’s favorite experiences was directing a performance of the musical Carousel in a large retirement/memory care community. He has seen how engaging in artistic endeavors and creative processes brings passion and joy to the people he has served. Steve has particularly enjoyed being an engaged collaborator, coach, therapist, and mentor in the areas of Aging, Human Services, and Memory Care/Dementia Program Development.
Katrina Zosseder, BA, BM
Activity Specialist
BA Anthropology, Lawrence University; BM Vocal Performance, Lawrence University
Katrina’s goal is to bring joy to older adults through compassionate interaction and creative engagement with music. Using her background as a professional musician and work with older adults in choirs and in community settings for over 10 years, she strives to help people find joy in the little things. Katrina has conducted anthropological studies on a range of topics and uses these skills to help clients further explore their interests and pursue lifelong learning projects. Katrina’s kind, empathetic personality also helps her find a connection with people.
Keesje Fischer, BA
Activity Specialist
BFA Painting, Utrecht School of Fine Arts, The Netherlands; BA, Pomona College
Keesje comes to the field of Aging through caring for her grandmother and volunteering in her New York nursing home as a TimeSlips storytelling facilitator. She has worked as an Activity Specialist in skilled nursing facilities and Assisted Living Residences for more than 8 years, most recently as Activities Program Manager for Memory Care Unit of Rhoda Goldman Plaza. Encouraging creative expression is inspiring, fun, and surprising, too. In her work with elders, Keesje loves that she learns something every day.
Kim Peloso, MPH
Activity Specialist
BS Adult Health/Wellness, University of South Carolina; MPH, University of South Carolina
Kim has more than 15 years of professional experience working with seniors and spent ten years as a volunteer coordinating an Intergenerational program in her community. She has served as Director of the Alzheimer’s Special Care Center in Columbia, SC, The Alzheimer’s Activity Center in San Jose, CA and the Ruth Ann Rosenberg Adult Day Healthcare Center in San Francisco, CA. Kim has hands-on experience working with older adults, as well as experience in program development, staff training, consulting, and management.
Kim’s outgoing and warm personality allow her to freely connect with seniors, quickly building a trusting relationship. Her passion lies in guiding memory-impaired individuals through all aspects of daily life. She has a special focus on maintaining familiar routines and creating opportunities for participation in pursuits that are meaningful to the individual.
Miyoko M. Nida, MA, PhDc
Activity Specialist
BA Ethnic Studies/Asian American Studies, San Francisco State University; MA Counseling Psychology with specialization in Expressive Art Therapy, California Institute of Integral Studies; Certificate in Digital Design and Production, SFSU, College of Extended Learning
Miyoko’s passion for the arts has led her to learn ways to reach individuals on creative levels where words may not be the primary form of communication. Building trust with clients is her #1 goal, which allows individual pathways to the finest quality of life activities that create meaningful experiences. Miyoko is excited to engage the expressive arts, creativity, and multicultural aspects of self to provide enriching quality of life activities to older adults. Her multicultural background includes her Japanese ancestors immigrating to the Hawaiian Islands as far back as 1885, and her Irish/English ancestors settling in the Mid-Atlantic Region before the American Civil War.
Stephanie Navarro, MA
Activity Specialist
BS Studio Art, New York University; MA Transformative Art, JFK University
Stephanie finds meaningful connection in her passion for creativity and helping others, especially in person-centered care. She believes that the creative process can be a vehicle for positive change as well as contributing to one’s overall well-being.
Stephanie likes to explore various art mediums such as painting, clay, collage, and found objects in engaging others, and believes that there is no wrong way to do art. She enjoys learning from her clients’ life experiences and encourages all methods of creative self-expression.
Dominique Mirabella, BMUS, MT-BC
Activity Specialist
BMUS Music Therapy, Arizona State University
Dominique has a passion for using music and other creative expressions to enrich the lives of older adults. Her focus has been providing quality of life services for hospice and palliative care clients in nursing homes, adult daycare facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and in-home settings. In her academic career, Dominique combined her love for music and supporting others by pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy and minor in Business. She started and directed the very first music program at her local YMCA camp in her home state of Colorado, which brought music-based activities to hundreds of children. At YMCA, she also volunteered and offered coping mechanisms through music for a handful of bereavement camp programs for grieving children. She later found a passion for drumming and received her certificate in HealthRhythms to lead group empowerment drum circles. Dominique is a board-certified Music Therapist. She sings, plays piano, ukulele, guitar, and percussion instruments. Her old-soul personality and energetic spirit help her easily connect with the community around her.
Fay Chunhui Tseng, MA
Activity Specialist
MA Expressive Arts (emphasis in Music Therapy and Mental Health Counseling), Lesley University
BS Occupational Therapy, National Taiwan University
Fay is passionate about supporting her clients’ therapeutic goals for quality of life. Her warm and genuine personality allows her to establish therapeutic relationships with clients quickly and engage them in meaningful activities. Fay celebrates diversity and enjoys working with people from various cultures. Her training in occupational therapy, music therapy, and mental health counseling fosters a holistic approach to achieve an enriched quality of life for her clients. With a multidisciplinary background, Fay collaborates efficiently with team members and responsible parties to deliver high quality therapeutic activities. She sings, plays guitar and percussive instruments, and loves drumming and dancing. Some of her favorite activities to share with older adults include reminiscing, exercising or dancing with music, singing, playing instruments, music appreciation, and expressive arts.
Sarah Juster, BS
Activity Specialist
BS Biology & Minor in Dance, University of California, Riverside
Certified Activity Program Leader, California Department of Public Health
Sarah comes from a multidisciplinary background, having studied both biological and social sciences. She found her passion to improve the quality of life for aging populations after volunteering at senior centers. Sarah decided to pursue a full-time career in therapeutic activities after graduation. Since then, she has served seniors in assisted living, memory care, and nursing homes across the Bay Area. She enjoys tailoring activities to fit the needs of each client’s unique life goals. Her favorite activities to share include sing-alongs, exercise through dance, aromatherapy, reminiscing, and trivia.
Suzanne Yau, MA, ATR-BC
Art Therapist/Activity Specialist
MA Marriage and Family Therapy, Emphasis on Art Therapy, Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, CA
Suzanne’s warm and genuine demeanor creates a welcoming space for connection and engagement. She believes creativity and self-expression have the power to enhance the lives of every individual through all stages of life. Through empathic attunement and a focus on being in the moment, Suzanne strives to make each encounter meaningful and fulfilling. She is passionate about supporting each person’s therapeutic goals for quality of life by creating purposeful interventions and activities that fit each client’s distinct needs.
Over the past 10+ years, Suzanne has utilized her training as a Board-Certified Art Therapist to engage with individuals, families, and medical professionals. Much of her focus has been on medical art therapy in support of pediatric patients, families, and hospital staff. She started the Art Therapy Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, where she helped to integrate creative arts therapies as a standard of care for pediatric patients. Suzanne continued her efforts to connect people to the healing power of art in her role as Executive Director of a non-profit focused on pediatric oncology families. Throughout her career, Suzanne has witnessed the impact art and creativity can have on one’s sense of well-being and quality of life. She looks forward to collaborating with individuals through the Hummingbird Project to foster self-expression and create moments of joy.
Heather Ladd
Activity Specialist
BS Recreation Therapy, Middle Tennessee State University
Heather has an outgoing, adventurous personality and has always enjoyed being outdoors. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Therapy, she moved to Colorado and wanted to help others realize how therapeutic nature can be—whether you’re hiking, climbing, or just having a picnic. After a few years of living in Colorado, she moved back home to Tennessee to be near her nieces and nephews. There she worked at Youth Villages, a residential treatment program for abused and neglected youth in Memphis. Heather loved working in an environment where she was able to be creative, play, and utilize her therapeutic skill set to help young people reintegrate into society. At Youth Villages, she set routes for climbing groups, put youth through workout circuits, and was part of an African Therapeutic Drumming course.
After an extended illness with Covid-19, Heather was unable to do many of the things required for day-to-day activities with youth. This difficult situation put things in perspective and reminded her to enjoy the little things life has to offer. She moved to San Jose and set out to find a job in the recreation therapy field. Thinking back to her internship working with adult and geriatric patients in a psychiatric hospital, she recalled her natural ability to connect with the geriatric patients. In that position, she particularly looked forward to group activities and getting to know what kind of treatment helped older patients’ quality of life. This makes her a perfect fit for Sage Eldercare Solutions and the Hummingbird Project. Heather is beyond excited to make a difference for those whose lives have been put on hold for an illness they cannot control, and to improve their overall quality of life.
Maritsa Jimenez, CTRS
Activity Specialist
BS Recreational Therapy, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
During her undergraduate career, Maritsa always knew she wanted to help people, she just did not know how or in what way. She began to research different paths, but none seemed a good fit. When a guest speaker came to talk about Recreational Therapy during one of her classes, she was immediately intrigued. She is now entering her third year as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and is thankful for a career in which she can enrich people’s lives through meaningful play. Maritsa assists in fulfilling people’s needs and improving their quality of life through different recreational outlets, including modalities such as art, exercise, music, deep breathing techniques, community outings, and more. She has had the privilege to help people with TBI, SCI, mood and psychiatric disorders, and developmental and intellectual disabilities to improve and cope with life through recreation. She continually strives to add to her recreational “toolbox” and expand her knowledge to adapt and fulfill the needs of those she serves.
Maritsa truly believes that as humans we are lifelong learners, so she continues her education by taking CEUs, exposing herself to new techniques, and working to understand people to better meet their needs. At Hope Senior Services, a day program offered to seniors with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she engaged clients in both meaningful conversations and play. Maritsa feels that too often we put play last, but it should be a priority to have a happy and healthy quality of life, and she is excited to build meaningful relationships with clients to help them achieve just that.