Principal & Executive Director of Hopeful Hands, INC

James L Nicolaus, BA, MBA, MACP, LMHCA, MHP, and Psychologist Associate for the State of Washington.

James L Nicolaus, (Founder and President), started Hopeful Hands on July 9th, 2005. James has two bachelor's degrees, one in Anthropology and one in Sociology. He also has two master's degrees, one in Business Administration and the other in Counseling Psychology. Providing mental health therapy services and behavioral support to the community and school systems are the cornerstone of Hopeful Hands, Inc. James has been working directly with children and adolescents with mental health challenges, autism, and significant behaviors of concern across many settings for over 20 years. James has also worked for the State of Washington at Children's Administration as a Social Worker 3. He ran investigations, provided community resources and helped families who were without hope. His many years of work with neurodiverse individuals and is currently a Psychology Associate for the the State of Washington

Applied Behavior Analysis

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/ Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Lynnwood Clinic BCBA's

Clinical Director, Jennie Kahl, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Jennie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in the state of Washington who has provided services to individuals with ASD and their families since 2004. She is originally from New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology. Jennie is a certified K-5 educator with extensive experience working in private and public schools and has provided supervision, consultation, and training to families across home and community settings. Jennie’s areas of expertise include behavior and classroom management, skill acquisition programming, and staff training. Her professional interests include assessing and treating challenging behavior, while her life passion is traveling as a citizen of the world.

Lynnwood Clinic Speech & Language Pathologist

Rachel Lowy, SLP-CCC

Rachel provides speech consultation for clients attending day program at Hopeful Hands. She is a speech therapist, educator, and PhD student who loves playful learning. She has worked for several years in the field, specializing in play-based intervention, children with autism, and AAC. She spends most of her time pursuing a PhD in technology design where she creates technology in partnership with people with disabilities, but loves infusing her day with clinical work. She is always looking for opportunities to combine her love of language and learning with her interest in technology to improve lives by bringing wonder and joy to everyday interactions.

Lynnwood Clinic LBA’s

Karlie Ormiston M.A., LABA

Karlie has worked as an RBT/CBT since 2017 and has experience working with children ages 2 - 15 with a variety of diagnoses. Her background in ABA consists of working both 1:1 and in groups as a behavior technician and life skills teacher in clinic, home, and school settings. Karlie has experience using Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and enjoys using these techniques to teach within the natural environment and highlight her clients' individual strengths. Her passion lies in ensuring her clients are having fun while learning important skills that support their continued growth and development and creating effective change for her clients and their families. Since joining Hopeful Hands in 2022, Karlie has obtained a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis from Ball State University and is currently licensed as an assistant behavior analyst (LABA). In her off time, she enjoys relaxing at home with her husband and two children and reading with a warm beverage

Zak Kaohu, M. A., LABA

Alooooooha!! Zak is originally from the state of Hawai’i. He first got into the field of ABA back in 2019 as an RBT & instantly fell in love with the science & this population. Zak is currently a LABA (Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst) with his Masters of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis & is hopeful to sit and pass the BCBA exam by Fall of 2025. In his spare time, he loves hanging out with his 3 kids & Fiancée while watching all things sports 24/7.

Lynnwood Clinic Behavior Technicians

Javi Thode, RBT, CBT

Javi is a Certified Behavioral Technician (CBT) and Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wyoming. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at Ball State University and plans to graduate in the summer of 2025. As a practicum student, she is gaining hands-on experience while continuing to build her expertise in the field. With four and a half years of experience in ABA, she has worked in school, home, and clinical settings, serving clients across a wide age range, from preschoolers to adolescents. She is Bilingual and

can provide services in English and Spanish, she is skilled in teaching various skills that contribute to an improved quality of life for her clients. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys spending time in nature and being with her pets, family, and friends.

Riley Ellinwood, CBT

Riley is a CBT and Practicum Student who has worked for Hopeful Hands for 2 years now. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington in 2022 and is currently pursuing a Masters in Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Alexandra Fisher, CBT

Alexandra is a CBT who has worked in the ABA field for about three years. However, she has been around ABA most of her life because family members receive services. Alexandra is working towards an Occupational Therapy Assistant associate's degree at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Deirdre Rosete, CBT

Deirdre has been in the field of ABA since 2023 but has had experience working with young children in the past. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Her interests outside of work include reading books, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with her loved ones.