Erica (Woodroof) Kennemer grew up in central Arkansas. She has worked with and loved horses since she was a little girl. Needless to say, horseback riding has been an important part of her life.  She volunteered at a Christian-affiliated summer camp for nearly 10 years along with her older sister, assisting on trail rides and caring for horses.  She has participated in Western trail riding competitions, but mostly enjoys leisure rides with family and friends. Riding is a means to relax and get away from the everyday stress for her, like many equestrians. 

 

Erica graduated from Harding University with a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology. She married her college sweetheart, moved to Galveston, Texas, and decided to switch her focus to occupational therapy. Erica graduated in 2012 with a master’s degree in occupational therapy from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She worked with adults in critical care units and rehabilitation hospitals for nearly 5 years, including prison hospitals and burn units, then moved back home to Arkansas to be closer to family and to escape Houston traffic. Erica joined On-Track Therapy in January of 2017, where her passion for working with children was re-ignited!

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Today, Erica Kennemer, OTR/L, MOT, is the owner of Therapy Monkey in Conway, AR.  She acts as the clinical director of the therapy team (OT, PT, ST) at this rapidly developing clinic, and the director and incorporator of HorsePlay Hippotherapy & Therapeutic Riding, Inc. She provides occupational therapy services to children at Horse Power Rehab & Fitness through facilitated equine movement. She continues to be an avid horse lover and has completed her AHA Level 1 course & AHA Level 2 course, where she learned techniques to facilitate various sensory experiences, physical challenges, and emotional challenges using targeted equine movement in occupational therapy sessions. 

 

She successfully sat for her Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist (HPCS) certification in 2020, becoming the ONLY Occupational Therapist credentialed in the State of Arkansas.  Erica is also certified in equine sports therapy massage (CESMT) and provides services to all from pleasure riding horses to performance horses to her own therapy horses. Erica has treated children ranging from, but not limited to, sensory processing disorders, autism spectrum disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, fine motor delay, coordination disorders, developmental delay, and behavioral disorders and has already begun integrating equine movement during treatment sessions.