Sunflower Blossom Therapies on River Oaks Drive in Luling will soon provide a lifeline for families in the parish who often travel to New Orleans or Baton Rouge for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, an intervention for children with autism and other related developmental needs.
The clinic is owned by Destrehan resident Heather Guillot, a board-certified behavior analyst with over 10 years of experience in ABA therapy. She moved to the parish six years ago and her husband, Logan, is a Destrehan native.
Guillot said she saw a true need for families to have access to individualized, ethical care without having to drive long distances or sit on long waitlists.
“I’ve long dreamed of bringing high-quality, compassionate ABA services closer to home here in St. Charles Parish,” Guillot said. “Opening [the clinic] has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my life.”
Guillot expects the clinic to open in December after a two-year process that included filing legal paperwork, creating a business plan, finding the right location, designing the clinic space and handling credentialing and insurance.
“The process was truly a labor of love,” Guillot said. “There were days it felt like every step forward came with two unexpected hurdles, but that made every milestone even more meaningful.”
The amount of community support Guillot received kept her motivated.
“Parents, teachers and even other small business owners have reached out with encouragement and excitement,” she said. “It reminded me why I started this in the first place: to serve families, build relationships and create a space where children can truly bloom.”
Guillot’s journey to ABA therapy started with a passion for music. As a student at Cabrini High School in New Orleans, Guillot read about a music therapist in the novel “Sing Your Home” by Jodi Picoult.
“I had never even heard of [a music therapist] before,” Guillot said. “I was instantly intrigued. I loved music, and I loved helping people, but I couldn’t imagine a career that combined both of those passions. It felt like everything I had been searching for suddenly came together.”
After Guillot graduated with a bachelor’s in music therapy and psychology at Loyola University New Orleans in 2019, she earned her master’s in psychology with a specialization in ABA at Capella University. For the last four years, she has worked as a board-certified behavior analyst. She is also a board-certified music therapist. If it works for the child, she will often combine the two therapies.
“For some children, music is the bridge that opens the door to communication, engagement and emotional regulation,” she said. “I might use rhythm and melody to teach turn-taking, imitation or joint attention, or use preferred songs as reinforcers to increase participation.”
Guillot said ABA therapy is moving in a new direction.
“Some call ABA traumatic and say that we force kids to do things, but that is very old school ABA,” Guillot said. “ABA is really focusing on what the child is doing. It’s a very play-based approach. I’ll model for them the appropriate behaviors that communicate what they need or want before they engage in those challenging behaviors. Because once they engage in those challenging behaviors, you’ve kind of lost the battle.”
Guillot said sometimes the stigma of an autism diagnosis prevents families from seeking early intervention. But she wants parents to know they are not alone.
“I think early intervention is what could really help these kids navigate that communication aspect,” Guillot said. “That way we can avoid those challenging behaviors that they end up learning. We see the whole child, not a diagnosis.”
Guillot said she has worked with older autistic children, and she provides therapy for children ages 2 to 18. The clinic now has spots for up to 16 children, but Guillot said the clinic will grow as more of the clinic’s registered behavior technicians become board-certified behavior analysts.
The clinic also practices safety-care, a behavior management training program designed to ensure the safety and dignity of clients and staff.
“All of our team members are trained in proactive strategies to prevent challenging behaviors, de-escalation techniques and safe responses if a crisis ever occurs,” Guillot said. “It’s not about physical intervention. It’s about understanding why behaviors happen, responding calmly and protecting everyone’s well-being.”
The most important thing Guillot wants families to feel when they walk into the clinic is hope.
“My vision is to build a space filled with warmth, collaboration and growth; where children can flourish,” Guillot said. “My hope is that Sunflower Blossom Therapies becomes a place where families truly feel supported, understood and valued. I want it to be more than just a clinic.”
She wants Sunflower Blossom Therapies to become like a second home for families navigating the challenges of autism, and, long term, Guillot hopes to expand services to include community programs, parent workshops and events that bring everyone together.
“St. Charles Parish and the rest of the river parishes deserve accessible, high-quality ABA services, and I’m so proud to be part of making that happen,” she said.
Families can join the clinic by visiting the website www.sunflowerblossomtherapies.com and joining the waitlist.
