Katie Worrell, M.A., BCBA, LBA

Executive Director & Founder

Katie has been working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis since 2008, supporting children ages 1–22 across in-home, clinic, community, and school settings. She has served as a 1:1 behavior therapist, supervisor, and clinical director in both California and Texas before founding Topaz ABA.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from UCLA, and her Master’s degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Special Education from California State University. Katie also completed a postgraduate certification in Applied Behavior Analysis through the Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2013.

Katie founded Topaz ABA with a clear mission: to help families feel confident, supported, and able to truly enjoy their time with their child. After working in larger ABA organizations, she was driven to create a company that prioritizes individualized care, strong clinical quality, and meaningful relationships with families.

Outside of work, Katie spends most of her time chasing after her two daughters, Edith and Paige.

Clinical Supervisor

Kelsey has been working in the field of ABA since 2017. It started when she moved from pre-nursing degree into health sciences and landed an internship at a severe behavior clinic that served children from all over the state of Missouri. This was when she knew she wanted to become a BCBA! She has worked with children and adults aged 2-24 in-home, community, in-clinic, and at schools as a 1:1 therapist and supervising BCBA in both Missouri and Texas. She has also led various social skills groups for children aged 5-17. She values person-first therapy in which therapy incorporates interests and build up motivation to help individuals lead a quality life with confidence in themselves. She is excited to serve families at Topaz in varying environments to promote generalization of skills!

She attended the University of Missouri for undergrad and received a degree in health sciences with a minor in psychology and human development and family sciences. Then, she returned back to Texas and received her graduate degree in Autism and Developmental Disabilities from University of Texas- Austin. She received her BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) in 2020.

In her free time she likes to travel, try new spots to eat, listen to live music, spend time with friends and family, and hang out with her cat named Tito.

Clinical Supervisor

Payge received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in American Sign Language at The University of Texas at Austin and her master's in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. She has been in the field of ABA since 2020 and has experience working with children aged 2-10 years old, providing ABA Therapy. Payge is excited to provide services and support to her clients and their families. She looks forward to working with the Topaz Team in making a positive difference in people’s lives. 

In her leisure time, Payge loves to spend time with her husband and son, exploring new coffee shops and restaurants.  She is passionate about animals and currently has two dogs and two cats.  In her down time, she enjoys hikes with her boys. 

Clinical Supervisor

Brianna has been in the ABA field since 2018. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Social Work from Texas State University in 2016. She then pursued her Master's degree in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis and graduated from Texas State University (again) in 2018. Brianna has experience working with children ranging from 18 months to 11 years old in both clinic and home settings. She is passionate about helping children achieve their highest potential by providing high quality, assent based therapy. She strives to create meaningful treatment plans and foster collaborative relationships that will allow the child and family to learn and succeed as a family unit. Bri is extremely excited to be treating families at Topaz ABA. 

In her free time, Bri enjoys reading, listening to true crime podcasts, or spending time with family and friends. She is an avid coffee drinker and loves trying new coffee shops or bookstores when time allows! 

Clinical Supervisor

Tracey has been in the field of ABA since 2014. She received her Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from James Madison University in Virginia. She then went on to get her Master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology. 

Tracey has experience working with individuals aged 18 months to 30 years old. Tracey is passionate about providing assent-based therapy. Her goal is to support clients and families to learn tools and develop skills to advocate for themselves authentically and effectively. She is very excited to be a part of the Topaz team!

In her free time, Tracey loves spending time with her husband, two daughters, and dogs. She enjoys gardening, spending time outside, baking, and traveling. 

Clinical Supervisor

Cait is committed to the possibilities Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can bring to clients and their families. She is passionate about individualizing ABA strategies in a fun and naturalistic manner to motivate children to learn and practice new developmentally appropriate skills.  Her goal is to connect with families, understand their unique strengths, and practice techniques that will fit within their daily routines.

Cait has always had a strong interest in understanding all forms of communication.  Her professional history includes over 5 years of working with children as an English as a second language teacher in schools as well as a private tutor.  Pandemic induced changes in 2020 allowed for Cait to join the field of ABA, earning her masters degree from the University of North Texas. Cait earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology at Kean University in her home state of New Jersey. 

Cait embraces lifelong curiosity, making a hobby of reading and learning about today’s ABA research protocols and neuro-affirming approaches. Outside of this, she spends time exploring all that Texas has to offer —from restaurants to hiking trails—with her husband, daughter, and dog named Brisket.

Clinical Supervisor

Tate been working in the field of ABA since becoming an RBT in 2019 while receiving her Bachelor’s in Special Education. She attended Ball State University and got her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2023.

Tate has experience working with children aged 18 months to 11 years old in home, school, and clinic settings. She strives to facilitate meaningful changes in not only the lives of the children she treats, but make a positive difference for every member of their community. She seeks to empower children with the tools to self-regulate, self-advocate, and reach their fullest, happiest potential.

Tate enjoys learning everything from useful skills to wikipedia rabbit holes, and she spends much of her time reading whatever she picks up. The rest of her time is spent on adventures with her daughter and dog, Yorick.