Welcome !
My name is Alex (she/her),
I am an Occupational Therapist with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Hons) from the University of Queensland (Jun 2019). Along with my professional qualifications, I also am multiply neurodivergent and have first-hand experiences of navigating everyday life with a disability.
My community OT experience has been diverse, ranging from working in Paediatrics through Adult Physical and Mental Health. I have worked both rurally and in the heart of Brisbane City, but no matter where I am, supporting Neurodivergent people, children, and families has always been my main passion.
My services provide neurodiversity affirming supports that allow my clients to live their own values. I’m always learning. I am passionate about supporting people in the areas of sensory processing, Interoception and emotional regulation, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), energy conservation/management (spoon theory) and impact on participation in daily life. For young children, I believe in taking a whole family approach with an emphasis on parent coaching for a child’s therapy, to increase the quality of life for everyone.
When I am not working, I enjoy pursuing my special interests, which currently include art.I also love listening to music repetitively, and on weekends, you can find me at the beach with my dog.
What is Neuroaffirming Practice?
Neurodiversity affirming practice is a therapy approach that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of human brains and minds. It challenges the traditional medical model, which views neurodivergent conditions as deficits or disorders that need to be fixed or cured. Instead, neurodiversity affirming practice views neurodivergent differences as natural variations of human diversity. This umbrella term goes beyond Autistic people and ADHDers. This service is most beneficial to ADHDers, autistic people and/or moderate to no intellectual impairment. The focus of neurodiversity affirming practice is to create safe environments that empowers individuals to explore and utilise their strengths while recognising and accommodating their challenges.
Authenticity – A feeling of being your genuine self. Being able to act in a way that feels comfortable and happy for you.
Acceptance – A process where you feel validated as the person you are not only by yourself but by others.
Agency – A feeling of control over actions and their consequences in your day to day life.
Autonomy – A state of being self-directed, independent, and free. Being able to act on your ideas and wants.
Advocacy – To speak for yourself, communicate what is important to you and your needs or the needs of others