Our Story
The idea of Chrysalis Orofacial® started in 2010. While practicing speech and feeding therapy, Autumn started receiving inquiries from practitioners all over the world who took notice of many of our success cases. They asked detailed questions regarding the care and education we provided to our clients as well as our approach.
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Seeing the need for training, Autumn teamed up with her husband, Zach, a professor and training specialist, to develop a course to teach our E3 model of care (through TOTS Training®) which debuted in 2016. While teaching to several cities across the country, Autumn continued her own training to become a Certified Orofacial Myologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant to meet the needs of her clients. In 2019, we launched the clinic division to fill a gap in services for orofacial myofunctional disorders.
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Chrysalis Orofacial® was named after the story of the butterfly. In the process where a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, they enter a process of metamorphosis where they form a protective layer called a chrysalis within a cocoon. As the story goes, one day a man found a cocoon with the shell partly open, but the butterfly could not escape. He decided to help the butterfly by opening the cocoon for it. Hoping to watch it fly away, he was disappointed when he saw that the butterfly wasn’t strong enough to fly.
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What the man in his haste did not realize was that the struggle to get through the chrysalis and cocoon was necessary for the butterfly to develop the strength necessary to be able to fly. Sometimes, struggles are what we need in our life to become stronger and ultimately fly. As a clinic, we strive to nurture, educate, and provide necessary assistance for you to be able to overcome your struggles through evidence-based practice.
Our Mission
We seek to transform lives by delivering collaborative clinical services and professional training related to orofacial function.
Our Values
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We lead with compassion, integrity, and our desire to support others.
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We thrive in a team environment where therapists, staff, clients, and outside professionals serve in key roles to reach desired outcomes.
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We believe each client is unique and needs an individualized approach to care.
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We use innovation, resourcefulness and highly specialized skills to provide solutions targeting root causes of issues.
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We LOVE seeing quality of life improvements in our clients.
Our Team
Autumn R. Henning
MS, CCC-SLP, COM, IBCLC
Founder
Speech-Language Pathologist
Certified Orofacial Myologist
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
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Autumn R. Henning, MS, CCC-SLP, COM®, IBCLC graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders. She is currently appointed and in good standing as an Assistant Professor within the voluntary faculty series in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders at the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences. She was a Founding Board Member for the International Consortium for Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP).
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Autumn has completed specialty continuing education including Beckman Oral Motor, TummyTime! Method, Understanding the Orofacial Complex, and Foundations in Myofascial Release for Neck, Voice, and Swallowing. She has experience working in the school system, early intervention, and outpatient clinics including a nationally award-winning intensive feeding program. Autumn specializes in orofacial function and development throughout the lifespan.
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Autumn has been invited to speak for many prestigious conferences and organizations including the International Association for Orofacial Myology (IAOM) and the International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP). Autumn also has experience presenting webinars. She has presented as part of GOLD Learning's First Tongue Tie Symposium. She has written professional articles and has been featured on podcasts. She also has trained thousands of professionals from varying fields through her own continuing education courses which include TOTS Training®, Plot the TOT and The STONES Approach among others.
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Autumn is married to Dr. Zach Henning and they have a daughter Makena Henning. They reside in the Greer, South Carolina with their beloved cats. Her hobbies include travel, reading, church, and any activity with family!
Caroline Perkins
MSP, CCC-SLP, COM®
Speech-Language Pathologist
Certified Orofacial Myologist
Caroline Perkins, MSP, CCC-SLP, is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and is a Certified Orofacial Myologist granted by the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM).
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She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in Experimental Psychology in 2014. She then earned a Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Carolina in 2016.
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Caroline has completed specialty continuing education including:
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Beckman Oral Motor
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Feed The Peds: The Foundations of Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing
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GOMAP: Guided Oral Movements with Active Patterning for Infant & Toddler Feeding
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Impact of OMD's on Occlusion
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Non-Surgical Approaches to Speech Disordered Breathing
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Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders A-Z
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Plot the TOT: A Collaborative Map to Optimal Outcomes
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The STONES Approach
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TOTS Training®
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What’s on the Menu?: Variables and Options for Ankyloglossia Procedures
Caroline lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina with her husband Tripp, daughter Hadley, and son Walker. She enjoys playing tennis, piano, going to church, and spending quality time with friends and family.
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Katie Henley
MS, CCC-SLP, COM®
Speech-Language Pathologist
Certified Orofacial Myologist
Katie Henley, MS, CCC-SLP, COM® is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with a Certification of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and is a Certified Orofacial Myologist granted by the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM).
She graduated from the Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences & Disorders in 2012. She then earned a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the Texas Tech University Health Science Center in 2015.
Katie has completed specialty continuing education including:
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Anatomy of the Lactating Breast
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Beckman Oral Motor
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Breastfeeding After the First Week
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Breastfeeding Assessment and Intervention for the Medically Fragile Infant
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Failure to Thrive, Suboptimal Weight Gain, and the Lactation Savvy Therapis
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Manual Therapy for Voice/Swallowing Disorders
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Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders A to Z
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Positioning and Latch of the Baby to the Breast
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SOS Approach to Feeding -When Children Won’t Eat: Picky Eaters vs. Problem Feeders
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Talk Tools A Sensory Motor Approach to Modified Baby Led Weaning
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Talk Tools Functional Assessment & Remediation of TOTS
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Talk Tools Prevention of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders in the 0-3 population
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Plot the TOT
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The Myo Method
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The STONES Approach
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TOTS Training®
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When Babies Can't Suck
Katie moved from Texas to Greenville early April of 2021. She is married to her husband Cody and they have a dog named Cedar. Katie enjoys yoga and is a certified yoga instructor. She also enjoys hiking, road trips, being outside, going to church and spending time with her family.
Sam Minich
MA, CCC-SLP, COM®
Speech-Language Pathologist
Certified Orofacial Myologist
Samantha Minich, MA, CCC-SLP, COM® is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with a Certification of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and is a Certified Orofacial Myologist granted by the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM).
She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences & Disorders in 2017. She then earned a Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Indiana University in 2019.
Samantha has completed specialty continuing education including:​
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ARFID: The Anxious Eater
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Beckman Oral Motor
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Feed the Peds: Foundations of Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing
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Feeding Therapy: A Sensory Motor Approach
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Myo Method
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Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders A to Z
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Plot the TOT: A Collaborative Map to Optimal Outcomes
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SOS Approach to Feeding-When Children Won't Eat: Picky Eaters vs. Problem Feeders.
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Supporting Oral Feeding in Fragile Infants (SOFFI)
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Talk Tools A Sensory Motor Approach to Feeding
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Talk Tools Functional Assessment & Remediation of TOTs
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The STONES Approach
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TOTS Training®
Samantha moved from California to Greenville April of 2022. She is married to her husband Jake, and they have a dog named Louie. Samantha enjoys traveling, snow skiing, being outdoors, hiking, and spending time with her family in Indiana.
Zach Henning, PhD.
Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Henning has been in executive healthcare administration since 2015. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Public Relations from Virginia Tech, a Master’s Degree in Corporate and Professional Communication from Radford University and a Doctorate Degree in Communication within the College of Communication and Information with a Cognate in Organizational Behavior within the Gatton College of Business from the University of Kentucky. He has journal articles featured in international, national and regional publications and has presented at national, regional and state conferences on training, communication, and organizational behavior.
Prior to joining Chrysalis Orofacial, he spent 12 years as a professor of communication and 5 years as an Executive Director of a non-profit healthcare organization. In addition, Dr. Henning has provided communication consulting and training to more than 100 small businesses concerning teamwork, effective listening, public speaking, and organizational effectiveness. At Chrysalis Orofacial, Dr. Henning manages the day-to-day operations and all business functions including course management, logistics, business development, marketing, human resources, compliance and policy administration.
Kat Root
Social Media Designer
Kat Root, BA, graduated from the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2021 with a degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. While studying at USC Upstate, she explored mass communication, theories and principles of human communication, and social and emerging media strategies.
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Kat successfully launched a public relations campaign with Total Ministries of Spartanburg and has volunteered at several other non-profits including Habitat for Humanity, the Humane Society, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
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Kat moved from Charlotte to Greenville after falling in love with the area while at USC Upstate. She enjoys hiking, traveling, and gardening, as well as spending time with her friends and family.
Brandi Vaughn
Client Care Coordinator
Brandi Vaughn graduated from Southside High School in 1995. After graduation, she worked in bookkeeping for roughly 10 years. In 2006, she moved to North Carolina and went to work for Hendrick Motorsports, managing the Museum/Team Store which fueled her love for racing, clothes and merchandising. In 2018, Brandi moved back to South Carolina and transitioned to the medical field which is her new passion and allows here to make a difference in people's lives. She came to us after working five years at Prisma.
Brandi has been married to her husband Ricky since November 2006. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews and her dog Magnolia. She also loves to decorate for all seasons! Other passions include shopping, coffee, and reading.
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Brandi joined our team in November 2023.