Expert Hand Therapy
Personalized Care. Prompt access.
Recover with confidence through one-on-one care from Certified Hand Therapists. Riviera Hand Therapy provides concierge treatment throughout Santa Barbara, helping adults and children return to work, sports, and daily life.
Specialized Expertise
Your care is provided exclusively by Certified Hand Therapists with advanced training in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation.
Time to Listen
One-on-one appointments allow time for thorough evaluation, hands-on treatment, education, and individualized care.
Prompt Access
Early treatment matters. Begin therapy without the long waits often associated with traditional outpatient clinics.
Concierge Convenience
Receive expert therapy in your home, workplace, or another convenient location.
Custom Orthoses
Professionally fabricated splints designed specifically for your injury and stage of recovery.
Coordinated Care
We communicate with your surgeon, physician, or other providers throughout your recovery when appropriate.
Conditions We Treat
Comprehensive care for hand, wrist, elbow, and upper extremity conditions.
Fractures
Finger, hand, wrist, and elbow fractures
Tendon Injuries
Flexor and extensor tendon rehabilitation
Trigger Finger
Conservative and postoperative treatment
Thumb Pain & Arthritis
CMC arthritis and overuse conditions
Sports Injuries
Tennis, golf, climbing, and fitness injuries
Pediatric Injuries
Children’s fractures, tendon, and soft tissue injuries
Specialized Services
Advanced treatment options tailored to your injury, recovery goals, and daily demands.
Custom Orthoses
Individually molded splints designed to protect healing structures, support tendon and nerve recovery, manage pain, and improve function.
Orthoses are fabricated and adjusted for your diagnosis, stage of healing, comfort, and daily needs. Pediatric splinting is also available.
Learn morePostoperative Rehabilitation
Specialized rehabilitation following hand, wrist, elbow, tendon, nerve, fracture, or joint surgery.
Treatment is guided by your surgeon’s protocol and your tissue-healing timeline, with close attention to motion, swelling, scar mobility, strength, and return to function.
Learn morePediatric Hand Therapy
Child-centered treatment for fractures, soft-tissue injuries, postoperative needs, congenital conditions, and custom splinting.
Care is adapted to your child’s age, comfort, development, school demands, family routines, and meaningful activities.
Learn moreWhat to Expect
A straightforward process designed to get you started quickly.
Schedule
Choose a convenient time online.
Evaluation
Comprehensive assessment with a CHT.
Treatment Plan
Personalized exercises, splinting, and education.
Return to Activity
Progress toward work, sports, and daily function.
Care from therapists who specialize exclusively in the hand and upper extremity.
At Riviera Hand Therapy, you'll work directly with a Certified Hand Therapist throughout your recovery. We take the time to understand your goals, collaborate with your physician when appropriate, and create a treatment plan tailored to your injury.
Meet Kate and HeatherWhat our Patients are Saying
"Recovering from hand surgery felt overwhelming at first, but having a Certified Hand Therapist come to my home made the entire process feel manageable. Each visit was thoughtful and tailored to where I was in the healing timeline. What gave me the most confidence was the consistent collaboration with my surgeon. I always felt that everyone was aligned and communicating about my progress. That level of coordination made a huge difference in my recovery and peace of mind."
-Sandra Werth
“I don’t know what I would have done without my hand therapist. The surgeon put me back together, but the therapist got my left arm working again.”
-Royce Borgeson
“After sustaining a complicated forearm fracture, I honestly didn’t know what my recovery would look like. I underwent surgery and was told it would be a long rehabilitation process. As someone who plays tennis regularly, I was worried I might never return to the sport I love. From the beginning, my therapy was structured, progressive, and closely aligned with my surgeon’s protocol. There was consistent communication between my therapist and treating physician, which reassured me that each stage of movement, strengthening, and loading was appropriate and safe. The in-home sessions allowed for focused attention on range of motion, scar mobility, strength, and gradual return to functional activities. Today, I’m back on the tennis court. I’m grateful not only for the physical recovery, but for the expertise and collaboration that made it possible."
-Linda Van Buren
Serving Santa Barbara & Surrounding Communities
We provide in-home hand therapy services throughout:
Santa Barbara
Montecito
Summerland
Carpinteria
Goleta
The Santa Ynez Valley
Ventura County
Thousand Oaks
Westlake
North LA County
If you are located nearby and unsure whether you fall within our service area, please contact us to discuss availability.
Book an Appointment
Booking is simple. Start with a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation, and we'll take it from there — reviewing your needs and coordinating an in-home visit at a time that works for you.
Conditions We Treat
We treat a wide range of hand and upper extremity conditions, including:
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Fractures & tendon repairs
Nerve injuries
Carpal tunnel syndrome & cubital tunnel syndrome
Wrist and thumb pain
Trigger finger (pre & post-op)
Arthritis & joint pain
Overuse injuries (typing, lifting, childcare, sports)
Hand weakness, stiffness
Scar management & education
Specialized Hand Therapy Services
Evaluation & Treatment
We begin with a thorough evaluation, then build hands-on treatment around your goals. This may include manual therapy and joint mobilization, soft-tissue techniques, therapeutic taping, targeted strengthening, and scar management, along with a custom home-exercise program to keep your progress going between visits.
Custom Orthosis Fabrication
We design and fabricate custom splints in your home to protect healing structures, support tendon and nerve recovery, manage pain, and improve function — for both post-operative and chronic conditions. Each splint is individually molded and adjusted for the best possible fit. Pediatric splinting is also available with physician referral.
Post-operative Rehabilitation
We provide specialized rehabilitation after hand and upper extremity surgery, with close attention to your surgeon's protocols and your tissue's healing timeline. Common cases include fractures, tendon and nerve repairs, joint replacements, ligament reconstructions, carpal and cubital tunnel releases, and trigger finger and Dupuytren's releases.
Repetitive Strain & Sports Injuries
We treat non-surgical conditions including tendonitis, arthritis, carpal tunnel, wrist and thumb pain, and overuse from work, sport, or childcare. Care includes ergonomic assessment, activity modification, progressive strengthening, and targeted exercise to reduce pain, restore function, and get you back to daily life.
Certified Hand Therapists
Adult & Pediatric Care
Concierge Mobile Visits
Custom Orthoses
Pediatric Hand Therapy & Custom Splinting
At Riviera Hand Therapy, we provide custom splinting and hand therapy for infants, children, and adolescents with injuries, congenital conditions, and postoperative needs. Every splint is individually fabricated by a Certified Hand Therapist to provide the ideal balance of protection, comfort, and function.
Common pediatric conditions we treat include:
Finger, hand, and wrist fractures
Tendon and ligament injuries
Mallet finger
Trigger thumb and trigger finger
Growth plate injuries
Congenital hand differences
Nerve injuries
Burns and scar management
Joint instability
Postoperative rehabilitation
Custom protective splinting for sports and daily activities
Wound care and healing you can trust after surgery
As certified hand therapists, we do more than help you regain motion. We watch your incision closely at every visit, care for the wound, and stay in close contact with your surgeon so your recovery stays on track.
We monitor your healing
We check your incision at each visit and watch for any early signs of a problem, so nothing gets missed.
Post-op recovery, managed
We guide you through each stage of recovery, from your first days after surgery to getting back to what you love.
Hands-on wound care
Dressing changes, scar care, swelling control, and guidance on keeping your wound clean and protected at home.
Connected to your surgeon
If we notice a concern, we reach out to your surgeon right away so it's addressed quickly.
“Recovering from hand surgery felt overwhelming at first, but having a Certified Hand Therapist come to my home made the entire process feel manageable… What gave me the most confidence was the consistent collaboration with my surgeon — I always felt everyone was aligned about my progress. That level of coordination made a huge difference in my recovery and peace of mind.”
— Sandra, MontecitoHow it works
Step 1: Complimentary 15-Minute Consultation
Your care begins with a brief phone consultation to review your diagnosis, surgical history (if applicable), symptoms, and functional goals. This lets us thoughtfully assess your needs and make sure we're the right fit before treatment begins.
Step 2: Comprehensive In-Home Evaluation
We perform a detailed, one-on-one evaluation in the comfort of your home. This includes assessment of range of motion, strength, edema, wound status, scar mobility, sensation, and overall function. The unhurried nature of an in-home visit allows for a thorough, individualized assessment.
Step 3: Individualized Plan of Care
Your treatment plan is built around your diagnosis, the latest evidence, and your surgeon's post-operative guidelines. Every plan is tailored to your specific goals, whether that's returning to work, sport, or daily life.
Step 4: Ongoing, One-on-One Rehabilitation
We provide structured, evidence-based rehabilitation with focused, individualized attention at every visit. Our goal is to optimize outcomes, restore functional independence, and guide you confidently back to your activities.
Our care network
A whole team behind your recovery
Good hand therapy rarely happens in isolation. Recovery often takes a team — a surgeon, a physical therapist, sometimes a pediatric specialist — all working toward the same goal.
Over years of practice here on the Central Coast, we've built close relationships with trusted providers across the area. When your care calls for someone beyond us, we know exactly who to point you toward.
Who we connect families with
Hand and orthopedic surgeons
We work alongside surgeons throughout the region and can help you find the right one for your needs.
Physical and pediatric therapists
When care extends beyond the hand — or a child needs specialized support — we connect you with therapists we trust.
Physicians and specialists
From primary care to specialty medicine, we help make sure the right people are part of your recovery.
When we send you to someone, it's because we'd send our own family there. That's the only standard we use.
Every recommendation is based on trust and fit, never on any financial arrangement. Our only goal is getting you to the right care.
Our clinical team
Meet Your Therapists
Together we bring over 22 years of experience in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. As Certified Hand Therapists, we've cared for patients recovering from injury, surgery, and chronic conditions — always one-on-one, always rooted in current evidence. We both earned our graduate degrees in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California.
Kate Saley
MA, OTR/L, CHT
Kate is a Certified Hand Therapist with extensive experience in post-operative rehabilitation, custom orthosis fabrication, wound care, and complex traumatic injuries. She works closely with hand surgeons to ensure protocol-driven, coordinated care that supports optimal outcomes. A Santa Barbara native, Kate is proud to serve the community where she was raised and is now raising her own family. Outside of the clinic, she loves crafting, staying active in pilates and group fitness classes, and sharing good food with the people she's closest to.
Heather Van Buren
MA, OTR/L, CHT
Heather is a Certified Hand Therapist with years of specialized experience in upper extremity rehabilitation, including complex fracture management, tendon and nerve repairs, post-operative care, and custom orthosis fabrication. She works closely with hand surgeons to protect healing structures while restoring strength and function. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Heather enjoys pilates, running, and yoga, and quality time with her family and friends.
What is Hand Therapy?
Hand therapy is a highly specialized area of rehabilitation focused on conditions affecting the hand, wrist, elbow, and upper extremity. It combines advanced knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics, and tissue healing with functional rehabilitation to restore strength, mobility, coordination, and independence.
Because the hand and upper extremity are involved in nearly every daily activity — from self-care and work to sport and recreation — injuries here require precise, carefully timed rehabilitation.
What is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)?
A Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) is an occupational or physical therapist with advanced certification in treating the hand and upper extremity. It requires at least three years of clinical experience, a minimum of 4,000 hours of direct hand therapy practice, and a rigorous national exam — preparing CHTs to manage complex cases like tendon repairs, nerve injuries, and post-surgical recovery.
FAQ
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We are out-of-network but provide Superbills for reimbursement.
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We're a private-pay practice, and we'll walk you through pricing during your complimentary 15-minute consultation. You'll always know the full cost before we begin, with no surprise billing. If you'd like to seek reimbursement from your insurer, we can provide a superbill to submit for possible out-of-network benefits.
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In California, you can start OT without a referral. We’re happy to coordinate with your surgeon or physician if you have one.
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Typically 60 minutes, and always one-on-one.
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Yes — we bring everything needed for your session.
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Comfortable clothing that allows access to your hand/arm.
FAQ
-
We are out-of-network but provide Superbills for reimbursement.
-
We're a private-pay practice, and we'll walk you through pricing during your complimentary 15-minute consultation. You'll always know the full cost before we begin, with no surprise billing. If you'd like to seek reimbursement from your insurer, we can provide a superbill to submit for possible out-of-network benefits.
-
In California, you can start OT without a referral. We’re happy to coordinate with your surgeon or physician if you have one.
-
Typically 60 minutes, and always one-on-one.
-
Yes — we bring everything needed for your session.
-
Comfortable clothing that allows access to your hand/arm.
Have a question first?
Not ready to book? Send us a note and we'll get back to you within one business day. Whether you're wondering if we treat your condition, how the in-home process works, or anything else, we're happy to help. We personally respond to all inquiries within one business day.
We look forward to connecting with you.
info@rivierahandtherapy.com
(805) 680-6558
Our Clinical Team
Together, we bring over 22 years of combined experience in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. As Certified Hand Therapists, we’ve treated thousands of patients recovering from injury, surgery, chronic conditions, and pain-related conditions. Our approach is patient-centered, and rooted in the latest research and evidence-based practice. We both received our graduate degrees in Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California.
Kate Saley, MA, OTR/L, CHT
Kate is a Certified Hand Therapist with extensive experience in post-operative rehabilitation, custom orthosis fabrication, wound care management, and complex traumatic injuries. She has worked closely with hand surgeons to ensure protocol-driven, coordinated care that supports optimal outcomes.
A Santa Barbara native, Kate is proud to serve the community where she was raised and is now raising her family. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors along the Central Coast.
Heather Van Buren, MA, OTR/L, CHT
Heather is a Certified Hand Therapist with over eleven years of specialized experience in upper extremity rehabilitation. Her clinical background includes complex fracture management, tendon and nerve repairs, post-operative rehabilitation, custom orthosis fabrication, wound care, and progressive strengthening guided by surgical protocols and evidence-based practice.
Throughout her career, Heather has worked closely with hand surgeons to ensure coordinated, precise care that protects healing structures while restoring strength and functional mobility.
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Heather enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She enjoys staying active through pilates, running, and yoga. Most importantly, she enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family over a good meal.
