What I love about being an Occupational Therapist is discovering what lights people up, their inner spark, the unique and special parts of who they are. This is at the core of what I do when I’m working with people and their experience of pain. My OT practice is constantly evolving as I learn from my personal experience and each person I work with. I consider developing inner knowing and self-worth as key ingredients to living your best possible life. 

 

It's difficult to capture everything that has contributed to my understanding of pain – it started by challenging my body in my teens with the incompatible physical activities of ballet and cross country running. 25 years ago I shifted careers from graphic design to massage therapy “found home”. I had a strong felt sense that this is what I am meant to do in my life. I was introduced to concepts that have informed the way that I support people to explore and play with their pain experience including “moving the body furthest from pain”, using the senses, and finding ways to slip under the protective responses by “looking under the mat for the key instead of kicking down the door”. 

 

My first OT jobs were in mental health settings and exposed me to working with clients in groups and immersed me into the emerging field of sensory modulation strategies to support self-regulation and recovery. I carried those skills across to physical rehabilitation roles working with chronic pain, lymphoedema and lipoedema, pelvic pain, cancer recovery, and amputees. More recently I’ve developed those skills further through personal practice and professional qualifications in yoga and deep rest. I am a Certified iRest Teacher (Yoga Nidra) and Yoga Australia registered Level 1 Yoga Teacher. 

 

I am passionate about;

• Improving health literacy and understanding of chronic conditions including pain and lymphoedema – busting myths and building capacity for care within communities.

• Trauma informed care for everyone using principles of supporting safety choice and control, treating everyone with kindness, compassion and respect to reducing long term impacts of health conditions.

• Supporting diversity – neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+, First Nations, all faiths and cultures. I regularly volunteer for Bendigo Pride events and the Trans and Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond clothing swaps.

 

Outside of work I live in Bendigo with my cat Poppy who loves joining me in online meetings. I keep myself busy with home renovations, finding any excuse to spend time in the bush or by the beach, and attempting to complete multiple creative projects.