About Us
Our Story
Stable Friendships Foundation emerged in 2024, a beacon of hope and innovation in therapy, nature and horses. Founded by three therapists, Melissa Jarzynski, Laura Merino, and Jessica Falco, each a specialist in their own right—physical, occupational, and speech therapy—they shared a profound observation. All across the industry, they saw barriers. Barriers that kept families from the healing powers of therapy, barriers that made equine movement a distant dream for many, and barriers in the reach and approach of services offered.
United by a passion that burned brighter together, they embarked on a mission. A mission not just to break down these barriers but to ensure that services became a right, not a privilege, accessible to all who sought them. It was about redefining access, about bringing to light services that for too many remained in the shadows.
At Stable Friendships Foundation, we believe in the power of unity, in the strength of collective healing. It's not just about providing services; it's about nurturing the whole family, ensuring every member feels seen, supported, and uplifted. Because when we talk about healing, we're talking about more than just the individual; we're talking about the family, the community—the collective.
We stand committed to making sure our doors are open to everyone, no matter the language they speak or their socioeconomic status. Our programming is designed to be affordable, inclusive, and holistic, because at the end of the day, we're all in this together.
In every smile we bring, in every hurdle we help overcome, we see the ripple effect of our work. We are not just changing lives; we are transforming futures, one family at a time. Welcome to Stable Friendships Foundation, where every heart finds a home, and every soul finds the strength to soar.
Our Team
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL
Melissa Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL, licensed in New York and Connecticut, completed her Master's Degree at CUNY Staten Island, with a clinical rotation at Special Strides, a nonprofit focusing on Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies alongside equine movement. In the Physical Therapy field since 2001, Melissa has integrated Hippo
Melissa Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL, licensed in New York and Connecticut, completed her Master's Degree at CUNY Staten Island, with a clinical rotation at Special Strides, a nonprofit focusing on Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapies alongside equine movement. In the Physical Therapy field since 2001, Melissa has integrated Hippotherapy since 2005. She is a board-certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist and a PATH Certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning, also certified with EAGALA. Her approach blends traditional Physical Therapy with innovative Equine-Assisted techniques
Melissa@stablefriendshipsfoundation.org
Jessica Falco, M.S, CCC-SLP
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL
Jessica Falco, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist in New York and Connecticut and holds a certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She graduated from Loyola University Maryland in 2009 where she earned a B.A. in Communications and Mercy University in 2015 with an
Jessica Falco, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed speech-language pathologist in New York and Connecticut and holds a certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She graduated from Loyola University Maryland in 2009 where she earned a B.A. in Communications and Mercy University in 2015 with an M.S. in Communication Disorders. Jessica completed her Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) at NYU Langone’s Cochlear Implant Center and, following this, was the lead speech-language pathologist on the Child Mind Institute’s Healthy Brain Network research study. Jessica has extensive experience in the evaluation and treatment of children with Receptive, Expressive, and Mixed Language Delays and Disorders, Fluency Disorders, Hearing Disorders, Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). She is also trained in the American Hippotherapy Association’s (AHA) Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Parts I and II to provide evidence-based speech-language pathology services using equine movement.
Jessica@stablefriendshipsfoundation.org
Laura Merino, MS, OTR/L
Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMHL
Laura Merino, MS, OTR/L
Laura Merino MS, OTR/L is a licensed Occupational Therapist in New York. She completed her Masters degree at Sacred Heart University in CT. She has been working as an Occupational Therapist since 2013, and has experience working in a variety of settings including preschools, elementary schools, early intervention centers, in-home service
Laura Merino MS, OTR/L is a licensed Occupational Therapist in New York. She completed her Masters degree at Sacred Heart University in CT. She has been working as an Occupational Therapist since 2013, and has experience working in a variety of settings including preschools, elementary schools, early intervention centers, in-home services, and sensory clinics. Prior to her Masters degree Laura worked with elementary school aged children in environmental education programs conducted through the Audubon society. She has incorporated her passion for nature based learning and partnering with horses through hippotherapy and is trained in the American Hippotherapy Association’s treatment principals. Some of her coursework and training include Sensory Integration Theory, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Strengthening Visual Perceptual skills, and Sensorimotor Feeding difficulties. Laura is also bilingual and fluent in Spanish.
