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Dr. Monica Quintanilla Goldstein is a pediatric Occupational Therapist specializing in feeding, tethered oral tissues, and airway-focused care. Her work is rooted in a holistic, nervous-system-informed approach—supporting infants and children through feeding, movement, and breath development.
Monica received her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with a rehabilitation emphasis from California State University, Los Angeles, and her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from West Coast University. Her clinical training spans outpatient rehabilitation, early intervention, and neurorehabilitation, with advanced training in infant feeding, orofacial myofunctional disorders, and airway-focused therapy.
A clinical rotation at UCLA Outpatient Rehabilitation sparked her passion for neurorehabilitation and pediatric feeding. Over time, her work evolved to focus not just on feeding, but on the deeper connections between oral function, posture, breath, and the nervous system.
Her commitment to airway health is also deeply personal. Having experienced the impact of orofacial myofunctional disorders on sleep and overall well-being, Monica brings both clinical expertise and lived understanding to her work.
Monica is also a mother of two girls, and her perspective as both a clinician and a parent profoundly shapes her care. After building her practice, she experienced firsthand what it feels like to have a baby struggling with feeding and discomfort. Navigating those early weeks—alongside a collaborative team that included an Occupational Therapist, IBCLC, and bodyworkers—ultimately led to her daughter’s oral restriction release.
Being on the other side of the table gave Monica a deeper understanding of the emotional, physical, and decision-making challenges families face. It reinforced her belief that feeding is never just about feeding—it’s about connection, regulation, and supporting the whole child.
She continues to pursue advanced training and ongoing education to better serve her clients and her own family, with a focus on promoting optimal airway development and preventing long-term myofunctional disorders.
Monica is the founder of Adira Occupational Therapy, as well as Dr. Mama OT, a brand dedicated to advocacy and representation within the Occupational Therapy profession, and Adira Ergonomics, a consultancy focused on workplace health and safety.
She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and daughters, Scout and Matilda where she continues to build a practice rooted in connection, clinical excellence, and whole-family care.
The most anxiety-inducing component of starting my private practice was choosing the perfect name, for sure.
Storytime: A couple of weeks before my delivery date, I developed preeclampsia. For a week, I attempted to induce naturally with no success. For my and the baby’s safety, my midwife, husband, and I checked into the hospital for a synthetic induction. After two days of a pretty uneventful hospital stay, my water broke—six hours of active labor without pain medication, and our baby was born within 30 minutes of pushing. A very swift entrance Earthside. Our daughter, who we lovingly named Scout, had a fast and intense delivery, requiring strength from both her and me.
A few days later, my husband and I had to choose Scout’s Hebrew name, and we wanted a mighty one for our tiny person who had made quite an entrance. Our Rabbi suggested Adira, which means “strong, noble, and powerful.” It was perfect, and she was perfect.I wanted to invoke the same meaning, especially when thinking of your little ones who may be facing some adversity in the early parts of their lives. For they, too, are strong, noble, and powerful. And at last, I had a name, Adira Occupational Therapy.