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Marisa Suarez

Marisa Suarez

LinkedIn

Occupational Therapist & Pediatric Feeding Therapist

MS, OTR/L, SWC, CLEC, PMH-CMom of three

About

Marisa is an occupational therapist who supports families through the emotional complexities of parenting. She brings a uniquely integrated perspective to infant feeding and caregiver support with 17 years of clinical and mental health experience at leading institutions like Stanford Hospital working with children and adults. She is a mom to a son and twin daughters.

Credentials

  • Licensed pediatric occupational therapist
  • Certified feeding, eating, & swallowing clinician
  • Certified perinatal mental health clinician

Education

  • San Jose State University

Expertise

Marisa specializes in feeding therapy, lactation education, and mental health across the lifespan. With a foundation in both clinical care and mental health, she supports the whole family unit through evidence-based practice blending compassion and family-centered care. Her work spans hospitals, primary care, outpatient settings, and digital health education, where she supports families navigating emotional and practical challenges with feeding.

“I love helping families tap into the joy of mealtimes and overcome feelings of stress and anxiety, which are such commonly experienced emotions in parenthood.”

By Marisa Suarez

Louie Lena Halloween

Halloween Food for Babies & Toddlers

18 min read
How to Teach Baby to Spit Out Anything

How to Teach Baby to Spit Out Anything

21 min read
Warming-Breast-Milk2

How to Store, Warm, and Cook with Breast Milk

10 min read
Preparing for Solids

Best Activities for Preparing for Solids

2 min read
Is my child a picky eater?

Picky Eating vs Toddler Selectivity

4 min read
two fish sticks before being served to babies starting solids

When Can Babies Eat Fish Sticks?

2 min read
a tin of sardines before being prepared for babies starting solids

Canned Fish for Babies

2 min read
a feeding therapist sits next to a baby in a high chair at a table, with hands up and open to model her mouth chewing

How Babies Learn to Chew

10 min read
a baby gags on a food when starting solids

Gagging vs. Choking

13 min read
an image showing a grid of 4 photographs of food, one showing dried apricots, one showing shrimp, one showing kimchi, one showing sauerkraut

High-Sulfite Foods

6 min read
A toddler in a grey sweater sitting in a white high chair, drinking from a small stainless steel cup with both hands, with a matching steel bowl and spoon on the tray in front of them.

What’s the Best Cup for Babies?

20 min read
a photograph of a baby in a high chair munching on a mango pit with most of the fruit cut off

Guide to Food Teethers for Babies

5 min read
Amaris, starting solids with oatmeal, in her high chair

Tips for Keeping Baby Happy in the High Chair

5 min read
A blonde baby girl sitting in a white high chair, looking at the camera while holding a small piece of food, with a modern kitchen in the blurred background.

Does Starting Solids Help Reflux?

6 min read
two heads of broccoli on a table before being steamed for babies starting solids

Vitamin C-Rich Fruits & Vegetables

5 min read
a toddler girl drinks a berry smoothie

Smoothies for Toddlers

4 min read

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