Meet Rachel Balderrama del Hierro, M.Ed., LPC

Rachel is a Licensed Professional Counselor and SOS Certified Feeding Therapist. She works with people of all ages – across various states and countries – to provide feeding therapy & mental health services. She “fell into” the work when she began working at STAR (Sensory Therapies & Research) Institute in 2014. There – under the guidance and/or supervision of Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, Dr. Kay Toomey, and Dr. Roianne Ahn – Rachel began learning about the complex intersection between sensory processing, physiology, family dynamics, mental health and developmental feeding skills.

Rachel took the SOS Approach to Feeding training in 2015 and began providing feeding therapy and family support for clients who came to STAR Institute. She took subsequent trainings in the SOS Approach to Feeding, as well as other courses/trainings (such as DIR/Floortime), and was supervised by Dr. Toomey until 2023. Rachel led the multi-disciplinary Feeding Team from 2017 – 2023. Rachel continues to provide feeding and mental health consultation to STAR Institute.

Rachel loves providing feeding therapy with a mental health and family support-lens. In particular, she enjoys thinking “whole picture,” developmentally, and diagnostically to understand all the reasons why someone is struggling to eat. Her approach is collaborative and respectful, balancing challenging clients to improve while meeting them where they are.

Neurodivergence runs in Rachel’s family – she, her husband and her child (who also has Pediatric Feeding Disorder!) all dance to the beat of their own drummers. She deeply and humbly empathizes with caregivers’ struggles to feed their children, while also believing relief and change are possible.

Rachel, her husband and her son spend time in Colorado, Georgia, Alabama, and Mexico. When not working, she would rather be outside and/or moving her body. She loves volleyball, hiking (or just walking), and dancing.