meet the team

Picture of woman sitting down smiling

Emily merritt, speech language pathologist and Certified Lactation Counsellor

m.sc., slp (c), reg. caslpo, CLC

  • Emily is a Registered Speech Language Pathologist, working towards credentials in Certified Lactation Counselling, and the Owner of Wellington County Speech Therapy.

    Emily was born and raised in Mount Forest. She graduated from McMaster University in 2012 and Dalhousie University in 2015 before working in Northern Alberta and the United Kingdom. Emily started her practice in Fergus, Ontario in 2017, working within Optimum Health Centre before expanding to work out of The WOMB Guelph in 2023.

    Emily has a passion for working with families who are looking for a more personalized approach to their child’s therapy. The goals is to have each session be a positive interaction from start to finish.

    Emily’s experience includes extended training within the areas of infant feeding and breast feeding support as well as work with both Neuro-typical and Neuro-divergent populations, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, pediatric feeding challenges, motor speech disorders including Childhood Apraxia of Speech, cleft lip/palate, stuttering and literacy delays/disorders such as dyslexia.

    • Certified Lactation Counsellor 2025

    • In progress: SOFFI

    • In progress: AEIOU approach to feeding

    • CPR-C Certified (May 2025)

    • Pediatric Feeding Mentorship Group - Pediatric Feeding SLP - November 2024

    • Infant Eating, Feeding and Swallowing: Theory & Clinical Application - University of Alberta 2024

    • Assessment/Treatment of TOTS – Talk Tools 2023

    • Focusing on Academic Language in Preparing Preschoolers with Foundations for Later Reading Development - 2023

    • Improving Pediatric Feeding Assessment Skills - 2023

    • Assessing Skill Based Feeding and Swallowing Disorders - 2023

    • Feeding Development: What is Typical - 2023

    • Picky Eating in the Preschool Classroom - 2023

    • FASD New Diagnostic Standards | 2015/2021

    • Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech - 2019

    • Social Thinking - 2019
      Understanding and

    • Supporting FASD - 2019

    • Level 1 Fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - 2019

    • Introduction to PROMPT training | 2018

    • What’s Food Got to Do With It: Practical activities to expand the picky eaters food choices led by Carrie Owen and Chantal Lessard - 2017

    • Independent Authorizer for Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2016

    • Reference and Regulation Training | 2015

    • Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale Training Level 1| 2015

  • Emily provides assessment at both the Guelph and Fergus locations. Currently Emily is only offering therapy services for specialized populations. Emily runs the Music and Language workshop in Guelph and does infant feeding support in both Fergus and Guelph.

Standing woman with glasses, smiling

jocelyn louis, speech language pathologist

M.H.Sc., M.sc., SLP, reg. Caslpo

  • Jocelyn is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO), proudly a part of the team at Wellington County Speech Therapy. She holds a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from Western University, a Master of Science from the University of Guelph—where her research focused on improving mental health in post-secondary students—and a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toronto.

    Growing up in Guelph and having lived in both Brooklyn and New Jersey, Jocelyn brings a rich blend of local and international experience to her work. Her passion for helping others and working closely with people, especially children, has guided her journey into speech-language pathology. She uses a family-centred, evidence-based approach to support her clients in achieving meaningful communication goals.

    Prior to joining Wellington County Speech Therapy, Jocelyn volunteered and completed her clinical placements under the mentorship of Emily Merritt, gaining valuable hands-on experience and a deep appreciation for the collaborative, integrative care model that Wellington County Speech Therapy is known for.

    Outside of work, she is a proud wife and mother, and remains deeply connected to her community roots. She is excited to work alongside families to help foster communication, confidence, and connection.

  • Jocelyn provides assessment and therapy at our Fergus location.

Communicative Disorder Assistants (CDA) and Speech Language Pathology Assistants (SLP-A) work together with Speech-Language Pathologists to implement therapy goals utilizing specialized training, tools and techniques. They help to transform the lives of individuals and families through effective communication and strong relationships.

Smiling woman with short brown hair, wearing a black sleeveless top, seated on a white sofa, with green plants in the background.

jennifer kentner, communicative disorder assistant
B.A., CDA, Reg. CDAAC Member

  • Jenn Kentner is a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) who is a member with the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She works primarily with the preschool and school-aged population. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts and Georgian College with her post-graduate diploma as a CDA.

    Jenn uses a family-centred approach and has worked for over 17 years in the Fergus and Elora regions in clinic, home, and daycare/school settings.

    Through her experience, she has worked with a variety of developmental and acquired speech, language and communication difficulties, including preschool speech and language development, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, stuttering, cleft lip and palate, motor speech disorders, and complex communication needs. Jennifer prides herself on a family centered and developmental treatment approach to meet the needs of the client.

  • DIR/Floortime™

    Shanker Self-Reg® (Level 2)

    The Hanen Centre® (It Takes Two to Talk™, More Than Words™, SPARK Communication™, Teaching Tuning-In™)

    The Speech & Stuttering Institute

  • Jenn provides therapy at our Fergus location

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a black shirt, posing indoors with plants in the background.

taryn thomson, communicative disorder assistant
b.a., cda, Reg. cdaac member

  • Taryn Thomson is a formally trained member of the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC) and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She graduated from Western University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology prior to obtaining a Communicative Disorders Assistant post-graduate diploma from St. Lawrence College, graduating with distinction. Originally from Fergus, Taryn spent years working and living abroad before returning to her roots and joining the team at Optimum Health Centre. She is bringing with her experience and understanding for cultural diversity and its customs. She uses this to offer her clients a compassionate and welcoming environment. Taryn enjoys working with a variety of developmental and acquired speech and language difficulties and has gained experience with Autism Spectrum Disorders, preschool and school age speech/language/literacy development, Aphasia, motor speech disorders and more.

  • Taryn provides therapy services at both Fergus and Guelph locations.