Get to know Well-Nurtured‘s founder, Mary Vanesko
Mary Vanesko is a native of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she now resides. Mary is a graduate of Bloomsburg University, where she received her Bachelors in Psychology and continued her collegiate studies at Temple University where she obtained her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy. Mary is licensed and certified in OT as well as a certified infant massage therapist. She has a passion for wellness and later obtained a certification as a Yoga instructor through Core Power Yoga and is working towards certifications in other areas of yoga therapy. Mary is a business owner/entrepreneur. Her leadership skills go beyond the therapy world as she provides mentorship and guidance for both personal and professional development.
Mary has worked in over 15 different unique therapy settings through out her career as an occupational therapist. These settings include hospital based inpatient adult rehab, adult acute care. including adult icu. She has worked in skilled nursing facilities and hospital
based out patient adult clinics. Mary has served as an OT in an inpatient pediatric rehab, specialty school settings, early intervention, acute pediatric settings including PICU and a several neonatal intensive care units across the country.
Mary began her career as a therapist at Thomas Jefferson Univeristy Hospital where she learned the skills needed in both adult and pediatric therapy. She also developed her passion for education as a lecturer at Thomas Jefferson University. She furthered her skill and passion for pediatrics and neonatal intensive care as the lead NICU OT at TJUH and per diem therapist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She further assisted in the development of the TJUH outpatient pediatric program and soon after began her career as a traveling Occupational Therapist.
At the peek of Mary’s traveling career, she was licensed in 6 different states and thus traveled as an OT for approximately 6 years, providing care to all populations. Mary’s opportunities catapulted her professional career as well as personal growth. These experiences led her to a career as a neonatal/pediatric consultant and entrepreneur.
As founder and operator of Well-nurtured Developement, LLC, Mary works virtually and in person with clients from hospital
organizations, educational centers, therapy related businesses and non therapy related business, clinicians and colleagues to name a few.
Mary provides education as well as clinical assessment and intervention to infants, children and their families using a holistic approach to family centered care.
Mary is passionate about integrative care and wellness. She is able to share these passions not only as an OT but also as an Infant Massage Therapist, Yoga instructor and Wellness coach.
Currently, you will find Mary providing consultation services to Summit Education, Philips Heath Care Solutions and Loving Touch Infant Massage. Primarily, Mary’s responsibilities include CEU course instructor, Interdisciplinary collaboration for content build and education, program development and evidenced based research.
Her most recent consulting projects include assisting with the build of a level 2 NICU and rehabilitation program. This included but was not limited to design, documentation build, didactic education and staff training. She continues to provide a strategic skill set and knowledge base to assist in the development of an evidenced based, NICU related program that will focus on consultation, clinical training and application, as it will be utilized in hospitals world wide. Mary also serves to provide innovative ideas to maximize patient/student and therapist engagement virtually, during this unprecedented time.
Lastly, Mary’s clinical skills and education serve varying patient populations as per diem staff at Lehigh Valley Health Network. She instructs yoga classes both virtually and at The Salt Barre, a local wellness studio for all ages. Mary continues to be an active member of AOTA and provides mentorship and education as often as she is able. She is a true advocate and voice for her profession as exemplified in her dynamic career history and her continued future endeavors. Some of Mary’s hobbies include travel, yoga, fitness, outdoor activity such as hiking, paddle boarding and camping. Mary loves spending time with her fur baby, Mo, her friends and family.
