Today we’d like to introduce you to Genevieve Covington.
Hi Genevieve, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in Jacksonville Beach, I’ve always felt connected to this community and its coastal spirit. I moved just up the shoreline to Atlantic Beach during my college years while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Medicine at the University of North Florida. During my final semester, I interned with the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), an experience that set the foundation for the career I didn’t yet know I was building.
After graduation, I began working at a local special-needs clinic and quickly fell in love with the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. That passion led me to pursue my Master’s Degree in Pediatric Developmental Psychology and become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. I then opened my own practice in 2012, Bloom Behavioral Solutions. Initially providing only in-home ABA services to families in the Jacksonville area.
A year later, I opened my first tiny clinic space in Baymeadows. It may have been small, but it marked the beginning of Bloom’s growth. One of my first employee’s included my sister that is now also a BCBA in Nashville. Over time, the practice expanded to include occupational therapy and speech therapy, allowing us to serve children more holistically. In 2015, recognizing the immense need for early intervention services within our community, I launched Petit Sprouts, our specialized early-intervention program.
When my twins were born in 2018, I opened a second Bloom location in Atlantic Beach to stay close to home—an important shift for both my family and the families we serve. We’ve remained in that location ever since, continuing to grow while staying rooted in the beach community that shaped me.
Today, Bloom offers ABA, OT, Speech, and Petit Sprouts, along with newer programs designed to meet families where they are. Micro Sprouts supports toddlers who are newly diagnosed, and our Super Sprouts social group has expanded for school-age children who need structured social opportunities. In 2026, we will launch a new program in partnership with Jacksonville University’s doctoral OT practicum students, focused on providing social services for teens and young adults. That same year, we expect to begin offering mental-health services through our graduate-student cohort of RBTs completing their clinical training.
Bloom has grown into a team of more than 40 dedicated employees serving over 70 patients—and despite that growth, we remain proudly family-owned and family-operated. My husband now serves as our Chief Revenue Officer, and one of my closest friends is our Chief Operating Officer. Even our children play a role, joining our Super Sprouts programs as neurotypical peer models and participating in community in-service events—everything from fire-department visits to the always-popular Wild Wonders reptile show.
Owning a small business has come with its fair share of challenges—particularly in the wake of COVID, rising costs, and the need to stay competitive with employee benefits. But despite it all, I wouldn’t trade it. Bloom is more than a business. It’s a family, a community, and a passion. And I’m endlessly grateful to be a part of it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Owning a business has been anything but smooth. After nearly a year-long build-out, I finally opened the doors to our Atlantic Beach clinic on March 16, 2020—only to watch the world shut down the very next day due to COVID-19. The financial impact was almost catastrophic. Even though we were considered essential providers and allowed to remain open, the sudden drop in attendance from both patients and staff left us facing significant losses. We applied for every available relief opportunity, and while the support helped, it didn’t fully bridge the gap.
Not long after, private equity firms began rapidly acquiring small clinics like mine. Competing for top-tier talent became increasingly challenging, as I simply couldn’t match the compensation packages backed by major investors. But over time, families and clinicians have started to notice a meaningful difference—many now actively seek care and workplace environments shaped by a BCBA-owned practice rather than one led by an MBA with no clinical background. Our field is rooted in compassion and outcomes, not in calculating the “value” of a child’s hours on a spreadsheet, and people are beginning to recognize the importance of that distinction.
Balancing the business with life at home has its own challenges. I’m raising energetic 7-year-old twins who are deeply involved in sports, and like any working parent, I often feel pulled in multiple directions. Still, I make time to volunteer at their school, and now that they’re older, we’ve been able to enjoy more family vacations—moments that help restore the energy I pour into Bloom every day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Tell us more about your business or organization. What should we know?
Bloom Behavioral Solutions is a full-service, privately owned pediatric behavioral health and autism-therapy clinic located in Atlantic Beach, Florida, serving the greater Jacksonville/Beaches region. Founded and led by a board-certified behavior analyst, we offer a multidisciplinary approach—combining applied behavior analysis (ABA), occupational therapy (OT), speech-language therapy, early-intervention programs, social-skills groups, and a dedicated feeding-therapy wing.
What do you do, what do you specialize in / what are you known for?
At Bloom, we specialize in care for children and families impacted by autism spectrum disorders and other developmental differences. Our services include:
ABA therapy, designed to address behavior, communication, social skills and independence.
Occupational therapy and speech-language therapy, which complement ABA by supporting fine/gross motor skills, sensory processing, daily living activities, expressive & receptive language.
Feeding intervention, a standout specialty, where we help children with eating and feeding challenges—selective eating, refusal, nutritional issues—with both clinical and telehealth options.
Early intensive intervention (Petite Sprouts) for children aged 18 months to 5 years, and social-group programs for school-age children, teens & young adults (Super Sprouts, Teen/Young Adult Social Groups).
What sets you apart from others?
Several key factors differentiate Bloom:
Multidisciplinary integration – Our therapists across disciplines collaborate to provide cohesive, individualized plans rather than “silos” of services.
Family-inclusive model – We engage caregivers, siblings, and families in therapy, supporting carryover into the home environment and helping generalize skills.
Special focus on feeding therapy – Many clinics offer ABA or OT or speech, but fewer have a dedicated feeding-intervention arm with specialists certified in nutrition science, telehealth feeding sessions, and feeding-case consultations for clinicians.
Owner-led clinical leadership – Because the practice was founded by a BCBA who continues to shape clinical direction, the focus remains on therapeutic quality and meaningful outcomes rather than only business metrics.
Community-based, local roots – Being based in the Beaches/Atlantic Beach region with a strong local team and connection helps build trust and continuity for families.
What are you most proud of brand-wise?
We’re especially proud of how our feeding-therapy program has grown and how it embodies our brand’s mission: fostering growth, independence, and meaningful change in children’s lives. The feeding wing represents an area of growing need and is aligned with our core values of individualized care, collaboration, and supporting the whole child—not just behavior in isolation.
We are also proud of our ability to continue offering a broad range of services (ABA, OT, speech, early-intervention, social groups, feeding) under one roof in a way that remains personal, family-oriented, and deeply committed to each client’s journey.
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc.?
To families and providers exploring options: At Bloom Behavioral Solutions, we see more than a diagnosis. We see an individual child, their family, their hopes, and their potential. We invite you to know that:
If you’re dealing with feeding struggles—whether selective eating, refusal to try new foods, or mealtime stress—our dedicated feeding-therapy team is ready to support you through both direct sessions and telehealth.
Because we integrate ABA, OT, and speech, we can tailor a program that addresses more than one area of need, so you’re not piecing together services from multiple providers.
We welcome families, empower caregivers, and believe in the ripple effect of progress: as a child grows, so does their independence, their social engagement, their quality of life.
Our social-skills groups (for school-age, teens and young adults) are more than therapy—they’re community. Because belonging, connection, friendship matter just as much as skill building.
And perhaps most importantly: we’re a local, family-owned and -operated practice that values clinical excellence and personal connection. We hope to be not just a therapy provider but a partner in your child’s journey.
If you’re looking for a practice that understands the complexity of feeding, communication, behavior, and development—and embraces the family behind the child—Bloom is here to support you.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Some of my happiest childhood memories are the simplest ones—long afternoons spent outside with my sisters. We were constantly on the move: swimming, exploring the park, riding our bikes or roller skates through the neighborhood, and picking honeysuckle in our backyard. We were true beach babies, soaking up every ounce of sunshine and adventure the coast had to offer.
In early 2023, my family experienced an unimaginable loss when my sister, Caity, passed away unexpectedly. To honor her beautiful spirit, her love of reading, and her dedication as a teacher, we created a special library in Bloom’s lobby in her name. It’s a small but meaningful way to keep her presence and passion alive within the heart of our clinic—where children learn, grow, and discover every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jaxbloom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxbloomhealth/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jaxbloom/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: https://jaxbloom.com/feeding/
