Meet Our Staff

Marie Dawson - Our President

Marie Dawson developed Creative Therapy, Inc. in 1997. Having been an occupational therapist for over 20 years, Marie began to specialize in hippotherapy in 1996. Marie is a board member of American Hippotherapy Association, a registered NARHA Riding Instructor, and received her Clinical Specialty in Hippotherapy in 2001.

Marie has presented topics concerning hippotherapy at the 2003 National NARHA meeting in Phoenix, the National Autism Association Conference in Atlanta, and the 2002 Spring Conference of the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association. She has also published several articles on hippotherapy.

  

 



   Marie Dawson, M.A., OTR/L, HPCS

 

 


Since childhood Marie has always had a deep love and respect for horses. She is an avid horsewoman who has successfully competed in Dressage through first level. Marie's  strong passion for horses and skills as an occupational therapist offered her a unique opportunity to establish Creative Therapy, Inc. as a venue for combining these two areas of her life.


Marie is married to Stan Dawson who serves on the Board of Directors of Creative Therapy, Inc.  As Executive Director of Crossroads Community Ministries in Atlanta, Stan is dedicated to improving the plight of the homeless in Atlanta.  Marie's son, Travis Mann, is currently a jet pilot for the Navy. Stan's son, Jordan, is a recent graduate at the University of Georgia having a degree in International Affairs.
 

Bernie DeWit



Bernie DeWit, OTR/L, grew up riding horses on the beaches in Ireland . After graduating from the School  of Occupational Therapy , Trinity College , Dublin in 1988, she worked in long term and acute psychiatry. She then lived and worked in Spain and Australia , finally settling in the US in 1992. Since then, Bernie has worked in geriatrics, outpatient rehab, home health and aquatic therapy.

Bernie joined the Creative Therapy team in 2003. She is an AHA registered therapist and a NARHA certified instructor. She lives with her husband and two girls in Roswell and enjoys horseback riding, rollerblading, walking and cycling with her family.

Amber Gilbert

Amber Gilbert is an occupational therapist who is fulfilling her dream by providing hippotherapy to children in Northeast Georgia.  She is a graduate of Brenau University with her Masters in Science.  She has been practicing occupational therapy since 2003. Amber is a registered therapist and a certified riding instructor with the North American Riding for the Handicap Association.

Amber married her husband Ron in March of 2002.  They had their first beautiful daughter, Raegan, in September of 2006.  They reside on a farm in Banks County.



Lucy Heagy

Lucy Heagy is a licensed physical therapist and has been working for Creative Therapy, Inc. for five years. Lucy graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Georgia State University in 1977. Lucy and her husband, John, have two children – Anderson and Shelby. As the owner of two horses, Lucy enjoys riding, as well as shooting sporting clays and skeet, fly fishing and sea kayaking.

 

 


Kay Lodde

Mary “Kay” Lodde graduated from The Boston School of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University in 1985. She has been working as an OT ever since. Her work experience has been primarily with adults. However, she has two years of experience in pediatrics; one year at Children's Hospital at Egleston and the other at Creative Therapy, Inc.  She also has raised three of her own children and says much of that learning continues to assist in her work.

Kay has a passion for working with the disabled, she loves guiding them to a higher level of independence and self worth. She also has a passion for horses.  She says combining these two God given gifts was one of the most wonderful blessings that she has experienced.  Kay started working in hippotherapy January, 2006 and is working towards her level II certification.



Bethany Nugent

Bethany Nugent, MSPT, HPCS, is a licensed physical therapist and has been working for Creative Therapy, Inc. since December, 2000. An equestrian since childhood, she found a natural fit in combining her love of horses with her career as a therapist. Bethany has been practicing hippotherapy since graduating from the Master's program at Ithaca College in New York in 1995. In August, 2001 she earned the title of Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist. Bethany is the founder of the Georgia Hippotherapy Club, an organization that promotes education and networking among therapists practicing hippotherapy in Georgia . She is the Georgia State Liaison to the American Hippotherapy Association, a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, and a classifier for disabled riders. She is also an associate faculty member of the American Hippotherapy Association. Bethany has competed in jumpers, hunters, dressage and combined training over the past few years on her horse Windsor . She also owns the 2005 Region 5 Therapy Horse of the Year, Phantom and is assisted in therapy by her pony, Forst and Jazz, and her foster horse, Strider.

 

 

Bethany has been married to Michael Butler, a graphic designer, for 4 years. They have a daughter, Macayla, 3 and a son, Ethan, born June 2007.

 

 

 

 

Nancy Bromley


Nancy Bromley (seen here with her dog Murphy) is the Administrative Asssistant for Creative Therapy, Inc. She assists with the myriad of paperwork required for a hippotherapy program, especially with the Prior Authorizations required by Medicaid. Nancy has volunteered with Creative Therapy since 1997.

 

Paige Paar

 

Paige Paar is the owner of one of our therapy horse, Bruiser. Paige is a Registered Riding Instructor with North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. She is also Barn Manager in Marie's absence and has been a volunteer with Creative Therapy since 2002. After living in Wisconsin and raising paints, Paige has found a new home here and is dedicated to our patients, as well as the horses!