About Us

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Carli is a Speech Language Pathologist and founder of Catalyst Therapies and Catalyst Community. Kelsey Wickre and Carli Barrios began Catalyst Therapies in 2018 because they saw a need in this community for more services in general and more specialized care as well. They specifically geared their practice toward filling gaps in care that they experienced through their early careers in other settings. They are proud to offer unique and specialized treatment at Catalyst, but they continually run up against barriers from insurance and know they are not the only providers experiencing this and thus, Catalyst Community was born. 

Carli feels privileged to experience the life changing benefits therapy offers people of all ages everyday, young children especially. She is heart broken when she has to tell families over and over again that services for their  young child with time sensitive needs are not available for years because of lack of funding. 

Carli believes that making sure everyone in Whatcom County gets a  strong start to life, access to healthcare, communication, mobility, nutrition, and mental health care makes the community stronger. She also believes that it takes a team of creative, skilled and dedicated providers to accomplish this. Carli is hopeful Catalyst Community will provide the support our already established, talented healthcare workers need so they can make sure everyone in Whatcom county has the tools to thrive.

After finishing her Bachelor's degree at the University of Florida she moved to Bellingham where she earned her Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology.  In 2021 Carli earned her Doctorate of Speech Language Pathology from Northwestern University. She now proudly calls Bellingham home and lives here with her partner and giant goofy dog. When not at work Carli enjoys swimming, hiking, and playing in the snow with her family.

Brittany Myers, a Bellingham transplant, joined the Catalyst Communities Board of Directors in September 2022 with 5 years of experience in non-profits as grant writer and volunteer coordinator, as well as over 10 years of experience in education and working with our neurodivergent populations. She currently works as a school psychologist in the Mount Baker School District by day. Hailing from the rolling plains of South Dakota, Brittany has enjoyed experiencing many of the various outdoor adventures the PNW has to offer. On weekends you’ll find her hiking, riding bikes, or walking along the shores with her husband and toddler. When given the chance, Brittany will always jump on the opportunity to travel, near and far, always on the hunt for the perfect wine and cheese pairing. 

Kelsey Wickre is a specialist in pediatric speech therapy, working with autistic children and childhood apraxia of speech, as well as a number of other complex communication needs. She opened Catalyst Therapies with Dr. Barrios in 2018 and has loved being a part of Catalyst’s growth, becoming a destination in Bellingham where people from all over our community can find care that enriches their lives.

Working in the private practice setting for 10 years opened her eyes to the challenges of serving the Medicaid population due to abysmally low reimbursement rates.  After starting Catalyst Therapies, it did not take long to realize if we wanted to keep doors open and also serve the Medicaid families of Whatcom County, we needed to make some drastic changes.

She has been a resident of Bellingham since 2010 when she moved here for her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology at Western Washington University. She fell in love with our community and lives here with her husband Andrew, housemate Dan, and sweet puppy Timber