Meet the Sensational Healing Team
Meet our team of experienced and qualified professionals, passionate about helping people of all ages live their best lives.
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Mental Health: Our mental health team includes psychologists, social workers, and counsellors who specialise in a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, trauma, autism assessment and ADHD.​
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Occupational Therapists: Our occupational therapy team includes occupational therapists and assistants who specialise in helping people with disabilities to develop the skills and abilities they need to live independently and participate in their communities.
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Speech Therapists: The speech therapy team is a group of experienced and compassionate professionals who are dedicated to helping children, young people, and adults with neurodiversity and trauma to communicate effectively and confidently.
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Therapy Assistants: The therapy assistants team is a group of dedicated and supportive professionals who play a vital role in helping our clients to achieve their goals. We work closely with our occupational therapists and speech therapists to provide individualised support and services to children, young people, and adults with neurodiversity and trauma.
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Client Care Team: The client care team is a group of friendly and supportive professionals who are here to help you and your family every step of the way, from scheduling appointments to answering your questions. We are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment where you feel comfortable and respected.
NDIS: We are an NDIS registered provider and have a team of experts who can help you with all aspects of your NDIS journey, from planning and implementation to support and coordination.
We are recruiting!
Looking for your first placement or new opportunities? We invite professionals, students and recently qualified graduates to visit our CAREERS page and express your interest in joining the team at Sensational Healing and Allied Health.
Kathryn Torney
Founder | Clinical Lead
Kay Anderson
Client Care Officer
Ralph Tizon
Occupational Therapist
Denise Grey
Social Worker
Helen Roodt
Speech Pathologist
Anoeshka Martin
Occupational Therapist
Kyal Keyes
Therapy Assistant
Yuen Man Lee (Bonnie)
Therapy Assistant
Richard Officen
Business Manager
Mary-Jane Iakopo
Client Care Officer
Skie
Occupational Therapist
Ginny Yeoh
Provisional Psychologist
Sarah Brown
OT Clinical Lead
Maryam Deen
Therapy Assistant
Heidi
Clinical Lead Mental Health
Sherrie Williamson
Client Care Team Leader
Chelsea Els
Occupational Therapist
Elliot Mc Bride
General Psychologist
Lalita Lakshmi
Creative Art Therapy
Jacob Williams
Therapy Assistant
Mikaela Webster
Client Care Officer
Jo Herden
Client Care Officer
Kayla Seppanan
Accounts Officer
Melissa Brink
Occupational Therapist
Adi Singhal
Counsellor
Victoria Paul
Social Worker
Nadine Dulieu
Therapy Assistant
Amie Christiansen
Therapy Assistant
Pravagyan Bharadwaj
Occupational Therapist
OPERATIONS
Kathryn Torney
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Founder | Clinical Lead
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Bachelor of Health Science (Occupational Therapy) (Honours)
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Graduate Diploma of Psychology
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Additional training:
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Ayres Sensory Integration Certified
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Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy - Level 1 & 2
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Sensory Attachment Intervention - Level 1 & 2
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Just Right State Programme
About Kathryn
Kathryn graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2007 and worked in disability services for 5 years before moving into child mental health in 2013. Kathryn worked primarily with children in foster and residential care before moving into private practice in 2016. Kathryn opened Sensational Healing Allied Health in 2018 initially working from her home, and continued to grow the practice to meet the demand of allied health services in the Ipswich community. The practice moved to the current clinic in September 2021, adding mental health and speech pathology services soon after.
Kathryn believes in 2 key approaches to working with children and families -
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A bottom up approach - meeting the child where they're at developmentally, and where they are at emotionally on the day we see them
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That parents are experts in their children. Parents are the key to helping children live their best lives. If we can support parents, we can achieve the best outcomes for children.
"It has also been an absolute delight to expand our team and watch every single team member flourish in their role, be it therapists, therapy assistants or our wonderful client care team. Kathryn's favourite part of her role as director is seeing so many smiling faces in our waiting room and getting to play with the kids while they wait for their therapist."
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Richard Officen
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Business Manager
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About Richard
After 25 years of managing and guiding businesses in the Service & Franchise Sectors, Richard joined the Sensational Healing business after learning about the phenomenal difference the clinicians make to the clients and families of who we work with.
Richard has a particular interest in Neuro-Diversity and Adult Mental Health and very passionate to see more and more Adults be able to receive the Therapy they need to thrive in life!
"It’s a privilege to be part of such a passionate, driven team of professionals who dedicate so much of their lives to helping others!"
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CUSTOMER CARE
Sherrie Williamson
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Client Care Leader
About Sherrie
Sherrie has previous experience as a marketing coordinator and personal assistant. She has enjoyed administrative work in the allied health sector, as it closely aligns with her approach to work, which is to listen, learn, and improve. Sherrie loves working with like-minded people, who inspire her to do better professionally and personally each day.
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Kayla Seppanen
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Accounts Officer
About Kayla
Kayla has over 15 years of experience in customer service and care across various roles. She manages billing at our clinic, has a wealth of knowledge about Medicare, and is our NDIS expert. At the clinic, you will find her dancing through the halls and bringing around chocolates. This aligns with her values of promoting a positive workplace culture, fairness, happiness, and a bit of fun. Kayla loves being part of an amazing team that supports each other and the children and families we serve.
Kay Anderson
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Client Care Officer
About Kay
Kay has over 24 years of experience in mental health administrative roles. She approaches all her work with enthusiasm, respect for her colleagues, and accountability. Kay loves being able to come into work, do her job, and do it well! She is our expert on all things services agreements and is a great resource to tap into if you are unsure about how to navigate your NDIS funding.
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Mary-Jane Iakopo
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Client Care Officer
About Mary-Jane
My Role is assisting the Reception Team and overseeing general administration duties in the Clinic as per Team Leader advisement.
"I love helping people! It's great being able to assist our Clients and their families from the start of their Client journey to when they leave through our Administration work."
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Mikaela Webster
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Client Care Officer
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About Mikaela
My role as a client care officer is rewarding in the sense that I not only get to spend my days interacting with so many children, but I also get to see the outcomes and all positive changes of new clients in the clinic.
"I love building the connection and bonds with families. In my role I provide general admin duties, all reception duties and I also take of all allocations to our clinicians."
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Jo Herden
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Client Care Officer
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Certificate IV in Community Services
About Jo
I love interacting with the clients and families seeing the positive changes and outcomes. This is the favourite part of my job.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Chelsea Els
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Occupational Therapist
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Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
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Additional training:
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Ayres Sensory Integration [studying]
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DIR Floortime [studying]
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About Chelsea
Chelsea graduated in 2020 and has experience assessing and rehabilitating adults and children with neurological (strokes, traumatic brain injury, neuropathies), developmental (global developmental delay, neurodiversity, intellectual disability), and physical disabilities (burns, amputations, cerebral palsy). She is passionate about working with infants and young children and is furthering her knowledge and skillset around neurological diagnoses (brain injuries, cerebral palsy, neurodiversity) and general physical and cognitive global developmental delays.
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Chelsea believes that relationship and therapeutic fit are essential to successful therapy. She loves having open and honest communication channels between all team members (including the client, parents, and families) so that everyone is speaking the same language and providing the best possible intervention for the client.
Chelsea believes that "one does not only study to become an Occupational Therapist, but that people are born one. Working with children absolutely fills my cup and I have my dream job."
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Anoeschka Martin
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Occupational Therapist
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Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
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Certification for Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (Provisional)
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Certified ADHD Professional (Provisional)
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About Anoushka
Graduating in Occupational Therapist in 2012, I have experience in paediatrics, physical disabilities particularly neuro-related, and in mental health. I have worked in various environments such as out-patient practice, client’s homes, schools, for community outings and in hospitals. Training included: Multi-Disciplinary Team Approach for HIV Children; Cognitive and Visual Rehabilitation; Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Lvl 1; Pain Management (Allied health) and Multi-Disciplinary Drug Rehabilitation.
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I particularly enjoy working with children aged 0-13 years and partnering with their families to reach their full potential. I work through a client-centred, strength-based approach where the child can explore their interests, strengths, and reach their goals.
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"Originating from South Africa, I have enjoyed being actively involved in various orphanage projects such as advocating for financial support, providing child development and health training, or making and providing resources."
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Melissa Brink
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Occupational Therapist
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Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy)
About Melissa
Melissa has experience working in education and health, mostly with children with disabilities and delays, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), various syndromes, and cerebral palsy. She also has experience working in the community with NDIS clients over the past year in Australia. Melissa believes that play is an integral part of a child's development and is a great way to do therapy and connect with children. She loves building obstacle courses and doing arts and crafts.
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Ralph Tizon
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Occupational Therapist
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Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
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About Ralph
Ralph has been practicing paediatric occupational therapy in the Philippines for five years in a small private practice before moving to Australia. The experience was challenging but also very rewarding. Ralph was able to learn how to get parents involved in the therapy process and how it helps their children in all areas of development.
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Ralph believes in a client-centred and family-centred approach to therapy intervention because it optimizes the client and family's satisfaction with the therapeutic process. These approaches help the family explore and participate in the child's progress and can potentially give optimal outcomes sooner than expected. Ralph believes in using sensory integration approaches and that they play a major role in the client's functional skills and can affect other areas such as comprehension, emotion regulation, work behaviours, and physical core strength.
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Skie
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Occupational Therapist
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Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
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Masters of Science in Medicine (Sexual and Reproductive Health)
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About Skie
Skie graduated as an occupational therapist in 2022 and as a psychosexual therapist in 2023. They have a keen interest in mental and sexual health. These experiences have been vital to forming their values of a holistic approach to healthcare. Skie believes that it is vital to have a whole-person approach, taking elements from all aspects of life to achieve goals together. Skie especially loves working with teenagers to help them navigate life and understand what healthy relationships look like.
In 2023, Skie completed their master's in sexual and reproductive health with the intention of working with teenagers and young adults to help them develop positive relationships with others, including positive and safe sexual relationships. As a provisional psychosexual therapist, Skie is able to work with clients on a range of sexual or reproductive health topics including sexual function/dysfunction, gender, sexual diversity, aging & sexuality, and STIs to name a few.
MENTAL HEALTH
Heidi
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Clinical Lead - Mental Health
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Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
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Bachelor of Social Work
About Heidi
Heidi has over 10 years of experience working with children, young people, adults, and families. She understands the importance of continued learning and the individual experience. In support of this, Heidi has a current growing interest in perinatal mental health, so she can support people at all stages of their journey. Heidi has specific areas of interest as an acceptance and commitment therapist in trauma, attachment, neuroscience, and parenting.
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Elliot McBride
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General Psychologist
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Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
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About Elliot
Elliot joined the team in 2022. He specializes in working with neurodivergent young people, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, Tourette's syndrome, and other tic disorders, as well as conducting cognitive assessments. Elliot is particularly interested in working with adolescents to support them through any mental health challenges they may be facing.
He incorporates principles of CBT, ACT, and DBT in his work to promote personal well-being and growth. He is passionate about supporting young people on their journey and is grateful for the opportunity to help them every day. His favourite part of his role is being invited into the worlds of awesome young people.
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Adi Singhal
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Counsellor
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Bachelor of Applied Psychology (Honours)
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Master of Counselling
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About Adi
Adi's pursuit of improving mental health and understanding human behaviour led her to move overseas from India to Australia to pursue her passion for counselling. She graduated with a Master of Counselling in 2021 and began working with adolescents and young adults.
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In her sessions, Adi takes a holistic view of the factors that impact people's lives. She always works from a strengths-based perspective and uses an integrative design of various counselling approaches, such as CBT, narrative therapy, and solution-focused therapy.
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Adi is particularly interested in anxiety and depressive disorders, trauma, and attachment-based work. She enjoys exploring how childhood experiences and attachment patterns shape people's view of the world and play a role in how they form relationships with others.
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Denise Grey
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Social Worker
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Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
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Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
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About Denise
Denise has over 13 years of experience in early childhood education and disability support. She is passionate about child development and working with people and families. Denise believes that every child is unique and should be celebrated. She adapts her therapy environment and approach to meet the needs of each child and young person.
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Her practice is based on attachment theory and a person-centred approach, which emphasizes building positive relationships, humility, transparency, genuineness, non-judgment, active listening, and empowering clients as the experts in their own lives. She also incorporates principles of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and narrative therapy into her practice.
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Denise loves getting to know the children and their families and working alongside them to achieve common goals.
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Ginny Yeoh
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Provisional Psychologist
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Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
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About Ginny
Ginny graduated in 2020 and started at Sensational Healing Allied Health as a Provisional Psychologist in September 2022. She grew up in Malaysia, a multicultural and multilingual society.
For about seven years, Ginny provided aid to impoverished families, rural communities, and refugees with physiological and psychological needs at a non-profit organization. She also gained experience in strength-based activities and play therapy through her volunteer work.
Ginny is keen to understand how subjective experiences and cognitive development begin in early childhood and shape reality across the lifespan. She aims to provide her skills and knowledge on various psychotherapy interventions, specifically creative therapy (art, music, and play), to optimize children's well-being within families dealing with adversity.
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Lalita Lakshmi
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Creative Arts Therapist - Dance Movement
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Masters of Creative Arts Therapy (Dance Movement), Masters of Human Services, Diploma of Teaching (primary), and is a professional member of ANZACATA (Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association).
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About Lalita
Lalita is a Creative Arts Therapist with specialisation in Dance Movement therapy. Dance Movement Therapy is based on the premise that the body and mind each influence the other, so change and growth in one can support change and growth in the other. It recognises that each child or adult’s movement abilities and preferences are unique.
This offers a pathway to communication and social interaction, whilst also building towards new skills and experiences. Dance and movement are combined with other creative arts elements, such as music and art, to support physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being.
“Neuroscience is increasingly providing an evidence-base regarding the connection between body and mind, and how music, movement, dance, and rhythm provide a powerful resource to shift physiological states. I choose to work in Dance Movement Therapy as I love seeing how each child or adult responds to the invitation to dance, move and play in their own unique way, and how this can lead towards growth, empowerment and transformation.”
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Victoria Paul
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Social Worker
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Bachelor in Sociology and Anthropology
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Master of Social Work
About Victoria
Victoria has extensive experience working with families, in mental health, and with positive behavior support. She is committed to promoting the well-being and empowerment of children and families. Victoria also prioritizes creating a safe and inclusive environment where children and families feel heard, respected, and supported. She uses an attachment lens to understand family dynamics and their impact on child mental health.
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Victoria's favourite part of her role is supporting and advocating for children who are experiencing mental health challenges. Working at Sensational Healing, she loves being able to collaborate with other allied health professionals, such as occupational therapists, teachers, and counsellors, to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to care.
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SPEECH THERAPY
Helen Roodt
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Speech Pathologist
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Bachelor of Speech Pathology
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About Helen
I am a firm believer that every client is a unique individual. My history in speech pathology includes assisting a variety of clients, mainly paediatrics with neurodivergent conditions, with their speech, language and social communication goals. Through continuing my professional development and collaborating with families, educators and allied health colleagues, I strive for my clients to reach their full communicative potential and have meaningful interactions. I believe in a family-centred approach to my treatment to achieve optimal communicative outcomes for my clients within their daily lives.
“I have a passion for early intervention and supporting clients with autism and other neurodivergent diagnoses. My career in speech pathology allows me to positively impact the connections and interactions of my clients with their families and friends. I am excited to see how the field of speech pathology develops and how I can incorporate sensory approaches and emotional regulation strategies to better support my clients to reach their communication goals.”
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THERAPY ASSISTANCE
Sarah Brown
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OT Clinical Lead
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Masters of Occupational Therapy, Bachelor of Education (Primary)
About Sarah
Sarah is an Occupational Therapist with 10 years of experience as a primary teacher. She works from a client and family centred approach to enable children and young people to participate and engage in their various environments by overcoming barriers. Sarah loves everything about her job, but most of all, she loves seeing her clients meet their goals and go on to live their best lives.
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In addition to her Occupational Therapy training, Sarah has also completed training to evaluate for the possible presence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and to become certified in Ayres Sensory Integration. She enjoys combining her knowledge of education from her teaching career into her therapeutic work.
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"I was driven to change career paths to help children and young people on a more one to one basis while facilitating engagement and participation in the various environments of their young lives. I love seeing clients create social connections through the various group settings we offer. There is a special magic in watching the natural connection occur in a safe, supportive and neuro affirming space."
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Amie Christiansen
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Therapy Assistant
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Studying - Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
About Amie
I work with a large variety of clients, however my background has primarily been in working with ADHD and neurodivergence. Through the practical use of an occupational therapist’s guidance, I would love to work with my clients to provide meaningful and impactful change to their everyday lives. My approach is strongly focussed on supporting my clients and ensuring they feel enabled and empowered to achieve their goals.
“I am passionate about studying and working in occupational therapy as it is such a diverse field with so many opportunities to help clients improve their quality of life. I am so excited to continue to develop my knowledge, professional ability and skills that I can use to assist my clients.”
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Jacob Williams
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Therapy Assistant
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About Jacob
Jacob is a Therapy Assistant at Sensational Healing Allied Health, with a focus on clients interested in fitness and nutrition. He is passionate about helping younger kids achieve their health and fitness goals, and he loves seeing their hard work pay off. Jacob is committed to professional development and is always looking for new ways to improve his skills and knowledge. He chose to become a Therapy Assistant because he enjoys working with specific populations and developing creative activities on the fly.
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"There are always new studies being released and the Health Industry has come a long way over the years, I am especially excited to see what happens in the next 10 years."
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Kyal Keyes
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Therapy Assistant
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About Kyal
I work with a diverse age group from early childhood to late teens and early adulthood. My role is to work with my therapists to help attain my client's goals through integrating learning with everyday life. My approach is based on working on focussing on strengths of my clients and helping to set clear goals. Then I take my clients through their everyday activities to help integrate their goals into every day life.
"I've been studying psychology because I want to help inspire others to see the value that they bring to the world. I hope that my profession can continue to help each person bring their unique gifts to their community, and understand their personal dignity."
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Maryam Deen
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Therapy Assistant
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Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (studying)
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About Maryam
Maryam is currently studying to become an occupational therapist and has a passion for working with children. She volunteers at her local mosque and tutors high school students. Maryam loves learning and enjoys hiding therapy activities in play so that therapy is always fun! She finds joy in the contagious happiness that children bring to the world.
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Nadine Dulieu
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Therapy Assistant
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Bachelor of Speech Pathology [studying]
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About Nadine
Nadine is currently studying to become a speech pathologist and is particularly interested in the area of child development and emerging language. She values building strong connections with her clients and taking the opportunity to learn from them. Nadine's favourite aspect of this role is being able to follow her clients' journeys and celebrate all of their wins, big or small.
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Pravagyan Bharadwaj
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Occupational Therapy (studying)
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Prav is currently studying Occupational Therapy and is passionate about working with young adults and children. She values collaboration with clients to create an uplifting and productive therapeutic environment where they can feel empowered to achieve their goals. Pravagyan tutors neurodiverse children and looks forward to growing her knowledge and skills to better enable her clients to achieve their goals in therapy.
Yuen Man Lee (Bonnie)
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Therapy Assistant
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Occupational Therapy (studying)
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Bonnie is a therapy assistant who is studying Occupational Therapy and interested in paediatric settings. Bonnie had previous tutor experience with primary and secondary school children to provide academic support. Bonnie is interested in neurodivergent children and teenagers. She enjoys working and collaborating with family members and children together to fulfil goals with different approaches to create meaningful changes to their lives
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