about

Meet the founder
Dr. Salena Gallegos, OTD, OTR/L, CBS

Dr. Salena Gallegos, OTD, OTR/L, founder of Root & Rhythm Holistic Care, in a warm, grounded space that reflects holistic wellness, intentional living, and compassionate support for women, mothers, and families.

Hello, I’m Salena. I’m a doctor of occupational therapy, certified breastfeeding specialist (CBS), wellness advocate, mama, and founder of Root & Rhythm Holistic Care.

I support women, mothers, birthing parents, and families through seasons of change including preparing for pregnancy, navigating postpartum life, breastfeeding and feeding support, returning to work or school, managing health conditions, and rebuilding routines that no longer fit the realities of daily life.

My work is rooted in the belief that health and wellness are shaped by the rhythms of everyday life: our routines, environments, relationships, responsibilities, and the ways we care for ourselves through changing seasons.

I have always been drawn to the quieter, in-between spaces people often carry silently: identity shifts, burnout, overwhelm, emotional fatigue, and the feeling that life no longer flows the way it used to.

Over the years, I worked across schools, hospitals, and outpatient settings supporting people through some of their most defining moments. Again and again, I noticed how many people were trying to function within routines and expectations that no longer supported the life they were living.

That realization became deeply personal when I became a mother myself. Navigating gestational diabetes, postpartum life, and the emotional and physical shifts of motherhood changed the way I understood care entirely. Suddenly, everything I knew professionally had a heartbeat. It lived in my body, my routines, my energy, and the constant balancing act of caring for myself while caring my family.

My lived experience shaped the heart of Root & Rhythm.

My approach blends occupational therapy, maternal wellness, nervous system support, lifestyle intervention, and lactation-informed care to help people create lives that feel more supportive, sustainable, and aligned with the season they are actually in.

If your routines are no longer working, your energy feels stretched thin, or life feels harder to carry than it used to, you are not failing.

Your life may simply need a different rhythm.

And you do not have to figure that out alone.

Warmly,
Salena

A Few Things That Shape My Care

  • Morning sunlight and a warm mug of tea before screens.

  • Bare feet in grass and gentle routines over rigid rules and expectations.

  • Deep breaths and systems that support a grounded, gentle, and authentically lived life.

  • Open space where science and intuition sit at the same table.

  • The belief that care, and life, should and could feel safe rather than performative

Dr. Salena Gallegos, OTD, OTR/L, sharing a joyful moment with her son that reflects motherhood, connection, family wellness, and the heart of Root & Rhythm Holistic Care.

Who This Space Is For (and Who It May Not Be For)

This space is for you if:

  • You want care that’s collaborative and respects both science and lived experience

  • You’re open to redefining what growth, family, and parenting can look and feel like

  • You value care that makes room for honest vulnerable conversations

  • You’re looking for support that grows with you through changing seasons

This space may not be for you if:

  • You’re seeking immediate solutions without desiring space for reflection or process

  • You’re more comfortable with standardized plans

  • You’re looking for care that focuses on immediate symptom relief rather than discussing daily life and context

  • You prefer highly structured approaches

Dr. Salena Gallegos, OTD, OTR/L, holding a planner in a calm, minimal space that reflects intentional living, holistic wellness, and compassionate support through Root & Rhythm Holistic Care.

Root & Rhythm was born from that intersection

The place where clinical expertise meets lived experience. It's a space for women to return to themselves, to their bodies, their breath, and their purpose, through evidence-based, whole-person care. My approach blends science and soul: lifestyle interventions, mindfulness and nervous system regulation, functional routines, and real-life strategies that meet you exactly where you are. Whether you're preparing for motherhood, navigating postpartum, managing a condition, or simply feeling lost in the daily grind, I am here to help you find your way back to your roots and your rhythm.

Dr. Salena Gallegos, OTD, OTR/L, with her family in a warm, connected space that reflects motherhood, family wellness, meaningful relationships, and the heart behind Root & Rhythm Holistic Care.

Professional Foundations

Licensure

Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR/L) Licensed in California License #: 26332

Education

Doctor of Occupational Therapy
University of Southern California

Master of Occupational Therapy
University of Southern California

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
University of California, Merced

Clinical Experience

  • Higher Education & Student Wellbeing

  • Acute Care & Rehabilitation

  • Community-Based Practice

  • Behavioral Health & Developmental Support

  • Outpatient Pediatric & School-Based Care

SPECIALIZED TRAINING & FOCUS AREAS

  • Certified Breastfeeding Specialist (CBS)

  • Lactation Education & Feeding Support

  • Maternal Wellness

  • Nervous System & Stress Regulation

  • Lifestyle & Habit Intervention

  • Mindfulness-Based Intervention