About Covenant Chiropractic & Wellness
Our Specialties
Gentle providers
Our providers understand that kids with complex issues need compassionate, gentle care.
Safe Space
Covenant is a safe place for your family to heal and grow. We know how important trust is with families who have been through so much.
Judgment-free Care
Having a child who struggles with behavior can be frustrating. Our only focus is understanding your child and your family so we can provide solutions that work. Our office is free from judgment and shame around behavioral, communication and socialization issues.
Honest Communication
When you work with us, you can expect us to listen intently to all of your concerns. We don't shy away from hard truths and will make sure to set realistic expectations for your family's care.
Multi-Disciplinary Approach
Families are not one-size-fits all, and neither are we! Our providers combine their different training and approaches to design a program that addresses the ALL the underlying issues we find.
Trusted Health Advisors
You can't do it alone. We will work together to achieve our goals and improve your family's health. There is so much information to sift through and treatment options to choose from, we will help you choose the best route for your family.
We came to Dr Sonia needing answers for our son. From the moment we started off, our family felt like we were on the right path, finally. We’d been to many other practitioners but Dr Sonia got to the root of the problems. Holistic was our mission and she provided solutions for our boy. He’s thriving now. Speaking clearly, socially engaged and accepted, his cognitive abilities are beyond what we thought after where he was. And her kindness is what we needed after so many doctors blowing us off. So grateful for Dr Sonia.
Jenny, mother of Jack
I started seeing Dr Sonia back in 2015. She was recommended to me because I was dealing with infertility, anxiety & digestive problems. We soon found I had many food intolerances & a genetic mutation. After cutting out those foods & starting a supplement regimen, I saw immediate improvement. We finally got pregnant & my anxiety was nearly nonexistent. Since initially seeing her in 2015, I’ve continued going back to Dr Sonia for various reasons, including chiropractic care for me & my youngest child, lip tie check, postpartum hormone issues, just to make a few. I thank God for placing her in my life. I know without her help, we wouldn’t have 2 beautiful, healthy children today! I always recommend her to friends & family. There’s no one else I trust more with my healthcare needs! --Jessie S.
Meet Our Team
Dr. Sonia McGowin, DC
Dr. Sonia McGowin, DC is the owner of Covenant Chiropractic & Wellness. She is a Chiropractor, and FOCUS certified doctor. She is also a PAN/PANDAS, MAPS-trained and Webster certified doctor. The focus of her practice is children with disabilities ranging from learning disabilities to autism. She uses a biomedical and nutritional approach to addressing their specific issues.
Dr. McGowin is a graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City and lives in Jefferson City with her husband, two children, and their English Bulldog, Lola.
Dr. Hannah Strong, DO
Hannah Strong, D.O., is a Board-Certified general pediatrician. She is a graduate of Kansas City University, and she completed her residency at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She has practiced general pediatrics for the last five years in rural Illinois. She believes that all children deserve access to a general pediatrician. She also believes that medicine is best served with a team approach and that parents are a vital part of the team. She has been a foster and adoptive parent for the past 5 years, greatly shaping her approach to clinical care. She understands the complex nature of development and behavior, and she enjoys working with families with children with complex needs. She is also here for your basic general pediatrics needs, and she is excited to be a part of the Covenant Pediatrics team.
She resides in the Jefferson City area with her husband, 3 children, and 3 dogs.
Dr. Kayla Neeper, DC
Kayla Neeper, D.C., is originally from Florida, where she attended the University of North Florida for her undergraduate degrees in Health Science and Anatomy. She moved to Missouri in 2020 to attend Logan University, where she graduated with her Doctorate of Chiropractic degree in August of 2023.
She came to Covenant Pediatric Wellness for her preceptorship, which was the last part of her schooling. After she graduated, she came on as an Associate Chiropractic Physician. Kayla has a special interest in hypermobility and how it affects the body. She is certified in many low-force adjustment techniques that are great for hypermobility, including Logan Basic technique and Activator Methods.
As a child, Kayla was involved in sports, some of which included gymnastics, dance, and track. Due to this, athletes have a special place in her heart. She is certified in two soft tissue techniques, Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and Active Release Technique (ART), that can greatly benefit the pediatric athlete. Kayla is also certified in the use of Kinesiology Tape. This technique can be used for pediatric athletes as well as infants with hypotonia and delayed milestones.
In her free time, Kayla enjoys teaching dance, cosplay, and reading. She also loves to play with her two dogs, Bella and Penny. She is excited to be a part of Covenant Pediatric Wellness and work with such a diverse and fantastic team.
Dr. Madison Lehmen, DC
Dr. Madi grew up in Osage County, about 20 miles east of Jefferson City. She graduated from Logan University in their chiropractic school in 2020 and had a thriving practice in Hermann, MO for three years before deciding to move back to Osage County in late 2023. Dr. Madi became a first-time mom in January of 2023, which has pushed her to dive headfirst into pediatric chiropractic and obtain additional training and education in this area. She is also certified in the Webster technique of chiropractic that focuses on pregnant women and has obtained training in chiropractic acupuncture. Sports have played a big role in her life as she was a collegiate softball athlete. This has led her to have a passion for treating young athletes to help them reach their optimal potential. Dr. Madi and her husband, Seth, enjoy being outdoors with their son, traveling, and spending time with their loved ones and their pets. She is extremely excited to join the Covenant team!
Jackie Steuber, PT, CST
As a native of Jefferson City, Jackie comes to Covenant with many years of practical experience with kids and families, most recently with the Jefferson City School District as a physical therapist. She married her Helias High School sweetheart, Tim, and together they raised a family of three active kids. Now that they are living the empty nest lifestyle, she is changing her career focus to CranioSacral therapy, a specialized form of physical therapy that has been proven successful with children seen here at Covenant. Most recently, she has been a Physical Therapist for the Jefferson City School District. In her free time, she enjoys spending time at their cabin in the woods and practicing yoga and Qigong. Jackie and Dr. Sonia first met when working together at another clinic many years ago. An instant affinity was born as they began their partnership to treat patients, bringing her to Covenant in 2021. Jackie says, “I love to educate people about how amazing their bodies are and how to heal themselves, which is a key reason why I love CranioSacral Therapy.
Elizabeth “Liz” Rackers, OTR/L
Elizabeth “Liz” Rackers, OTR/L – As a native of Jefferson City, Liz is a graduate of Helias High School and completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Missouri-Columbia. As a busy mother of three young children, she enjoys a rare opportunity to cuddle up on the couch and watch a good movie with her husband, Andy. Reflecting upon her childhood, she reports her brother was the one person who made the biggest impact on her life.
Liz has had over ten years of successful experience as an Occupational Therapist working with children and adults of all ages. Her bubbly and energetic personality is contagious and lends to her ability to successfully provide feeding and sensory therapies to her patients. Liz met Dr. Sonia after her first child was born and she sought her out for adjustments to help her newborn sleep better. Liz says, “I love being a difference maker and showing others what they are capable of.”
Renee Davis, IBCLC
Renee has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2011 and completed the Oral Habilitation of the Breastfeeding Dyad in April of 2018. Prior to becoming an IBCLC, she served as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor for her local Women, Infants, and Children program. She has had a private lactation practice since 2012 and joined the Covenant Team in 2021. During her lactation career, Renee has led classes, support groups and coordinated lactation events in her community and at conferences in her community. She has helped families and babies with a wide range of lactation concerns, such as oral restrictions, latch issues, supply issues, conducting weight checks, re-lactation, and transitioning back to work and school.
Renee has served as a midwifery assistant and a doula over the course of her lactation career, but most importantly, she is the mother of four children and a grandmother to several. She is raising a family in central Missouri, where she resides with her husband of nearly 30 years.
Brock Ballard, Director of Operations
Brock has been working with Dr. Sonia since August 2017. He is a single dad of five amazing kids who range in age from 10 to 23. All of Brock’s kids have been adopted from the Foster/Adopt system here in the state of Missouri and each of them have unique journeys that they continue to travel, which have led this busy father down a road full of psychiatrists, counselors, psychological evaluations, occupational therapy, speech therapy, IEP’s, 504 plans, chiropractors, homeopathy, mental health, educational delays, PANDAS and more.
Growing up in a strong faith and family centered home that included his older brother who had multiple disabilities, dramatically impacted the trajectory of his own life journey. As a result, he grew up with a strong sense of compassion, understanding and insight into living life not on a typical track. Brock was born with a rare genetic condition which affects his hearing, heart, bones and other areas of his body. He was able to rise above the potential roadblocks that were in the way as he got older and has not only survived but thrived after undergoing multiple surgeries.
He spends most of his time wrangling kids and playing chauffeur, but finds time for reading, Netflix binging, digital photography, going to auctions and flea markets and playing with his dogs Molly & Howie.
After spending over 20 years in the not-for-profit arena working with children, youth and adults with disabilities and then 7 years as a full time stay at home dad he knew coming to work with Dr. Sonia was the perfect place for him. Brock met Sonia through church, and they became fast friends when they realized they had shared interests and backgrounds. As Brock learned more about Dr. Sonia’s plans, he knew that she was destined for more, and he wanted to help her along that journey.
You can count on Brock’s dedication, compassion and organizational skills to be available to you when needed. Feel free to contact him at the office anytime and he will do his best to provide excellence to you and your family.
Brittany Wade, Communications Coordinator
Brittany Wade is a New Bloomfield, MO native and brings nine years of experience as a physical therapist assistant to our clinic. She is a 2011 Jefferson City High School graduate and a 2013 Linn State Technical College graduate. Brittany met Dr. Sonia and her staff when she was looking for an alternative route to managing her child’s ADHD symptoms and other behavioral concerns. She fell in love with the compassion the clinic had for complex kids and felt she was finally heard. The clinic's holistic and homeopathic approach drew Brittany in even more. Soon, Brittany shared her impression of the clinic with everyone she knew. She was a walking advertisement for us. Her enthusiasm and love for our clinic have made her the ideal candidate to hold the marketing coordinator title for Covenant Chiropractic & Wellness. Brittany is passionate about educating others and sharing experiences to let others know that they are not alone in the area of raising complex kids. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, canning, tending to her flock of chickens, baking cookies for her side business, and chauffeuring her three kids to activities.
Susan Brookins, Office Manager
Susan grew up in the area and graduated from Jefferson City High School and Metro Business School with an Associate in Medical Science. She began her career at Gerbes Pharmacy and then attended Metro for a medical specialist degree. Since coming to the medical field, Susan has worked with many different age groups, but kids are her favorite. She worked with Dr. Sonia at another clinic several years ago and always wished to work with her again.
Susan is the mother of two beautiful young women. They are both grown and moved out. One daughter has two amazing step-children, so she is getting this Nana thing down. Susan enjoys spending time with her family, camping, boating, swimming, playing games, and hanging out around a fire.
Sometimes things come up...and we get it!
Here's Our Patient Financial Policy
All first-time patients who attend the clinic are required to pay for their initial visits in advance. Payments are to be made online when a telehealth appointment is scheduled, or payment may be taken over the phone with a member of our front desk staff. If, for some reason, a payment is not taken prior to arrival at the clinic office for the first appointment, then payment must be made before being seen by a provider.
It is the policy of Covenant Pediatric Wellness Center that a credit card be maintained in each patient's/family's file. This helps to expedite billing and scheduling for future appointments and to assist with ordering tests, supplements, supplies, and other ancillary needs. A patient/family credit card will never be processed without express permission and is kept secure in our HIPAA-certified EMR (Electronic Medical Records program). It is the patient's/family's responsibility to ensure all credit cards on file are kept current. Each patient/family has access to the EMR known as JANEApp, which can be accessed at www.covenantwellness.janeapp.net.
Covenant Pediatric Wellness Center is a growing and dynamic clinic that sees multitudes of patients within the broad range of services we provide to patients and their families. As a result, our schedule is frequently full, and it may sometimes take a few days or weeks to secure an appointment. When a patient fails to attend a scheduled appointment without contacting our office in advance, it creates a missed opportunity for another patient in need.
Patients are expected to provide at least 24-hour notice of cancellation when a scheduled appointment cannot be kept. Given that most of our patients are complex kids with a variety of issues and concerns, it is understood that things arise at the last minute, which makes a scheduled appointment unable to be kept. Please contact the office as early as you can to reschedule that appointment.
Please note that if an appointment is not kept without prior notice, we have a No Show No Call procedure as follows:
1st Occurrence of No Show/No Call: This occurrence will be given grace and overlooked; staff will get you rescheduled as soon as possible.
2nd Occurrence of No Show/No Call: Your account will be charged 50% of the scheduled appointment.
3rd Occurrence of No Show/No Call: The patient will be charged the full amount of the scheduled appointment and need to pay in advance for all future appointments. Patients will not be afforded special scheduling accommodations to reschedule.
If at any time a patient/family has concerns about a billing issue, please contact the front desk for support and if further assistance is still needed, please get in touch with the Director of Operations. Please note the clinical therapy providers are not involved in the clinic's financial aspects and cannot answer your questions.
Insurance Statement
Covenant Pediatric Wellness Center works differently with insurance. While we do not work directly with insurance companies, we do provide monthly Super Bills to all patients. Twice each month, every patient will automatically receive a copy of their Super Bill for all their appointments for the previous month. These Super Bills include all necessary codes and required information that insurance companies ask for when you are asking them to reimburse for "Out of Network" expenses.
Covenant does not speak with insurance companies and cannot intercede on patients' behalf to secure reimbursement; this is the patient's responsibility. We will provide the "Super Bill" and any other documentation that the insurance company may require, but we are unable to call insurance companies.
It is up to the patient to contact the front desk staff and request records or other documentation needed. Please allow 5 working days for requests for information/documentation to be completed and emailed to you in a PDF format. If a patient needs paper copies of their records, a fee will be assessed to your account.
Working with Laboratories
When working with complex kids, our providers will order laboratory testing. We do request to keep copies of insurance cards on file when we order testing. The various laboratories we work with sometimes accept insurance payments as total or partial payments.