Child stretching on an exercise ball

Occupational Therapy

Achieve your goals, however big or small

Occupational Therapy will help you to be heard, understood, and supported to be the best version of you.

It’s a broad discipline that aims to support you to achieve goals in many tasks from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep – and everything in between.


Note: we currently offer face-to-face Occupational Therapy in the Barwon Area (Geelong, Colac and Surf Coast), however if you are outside of this region we have the capacity to offer telehealth service delivery if appropriate.



What our service will look like for you:

Step 1: First Catch-Up

We want to learn about you and from you. We may already have some information, however we want to know:

  • What do you like to do?
  • How do you spend your time?
  • What are your interests?
  • What challenges you in your everyday life?

We know that not everyone likes to sit at a table or in a clinic to talk about these things!

As Occupational Therapists (OTs), we are flexible and accommodating to ensure you feel as comfortable as possible. We can have our first catch-up in your home, community, via telehealth or wherever you feel comfortable.

We can:

  • Go for a walk
  • Sit in a café or on your couch at home
  • Meet at a playground; or
  • Do something together you enjoy.

In our first catch-up, we might talk about goals that you would like to work towards or areas that you find difficult, however we can leave this to our second catch-up if needed.

Step 2: Assessment

Roughly 1-2 weeks after our first meeting, we will have another catch-up.

This time we will likely ask you more specific questions about how you go with your day-to-day tasks. We may have questionnaires or assessment forms that we use.  We may even ask to watch how you perform your daily tasks.

We like to ask you questions, as well as ask questions of the safe and supportive people you have around you.

Step 3: Goal Setting with YOU

We will build a team around you consisting of you and your supportive people — but you will be the focus of your support network.

Together we will come up with goals that you are motivated to achieve. Here are some areas of everyday life you may wish to focus on:

  • Personal Care Activities — showering, toileting, dressing, tying shoelaces, shaving and cutting nails.
  • Household Activities — meal preparation, making the bed, cleaning, gardening.
  • Community Access and Participation — public transport training, road safety, shopping, ordering meals, handling money.
  • Emotional Regulation — managing feelings of anger, anxiety and others.
  • Social Skills and Friendships — making and maintaining friendships, having conversations, stranger danger.
  • Executive Functions — planning and organising, concentration and attention, making and managing appointments, problem solving, time management, starting and initiating tasks.
  • Sensory Regulation — understanding sensory patterns, implementing sensory inputs for regulation, interceptive awareness.
  • Fine and Gross Motor Skills — throwing and catching, balance, coordination, handwriting, buttons and zips.
  • Employment and Volunteering — resume development, job readiness skills.
Assistive Technology

If needed, we will help you to access assistive technology and equipment that will increase your independence and enable you to complete everyday tasks for yourself across all environments. These include:

  • Equipment and Assistive Technology — mobility aids, continence aids, medication aids, chairs and beds which promote safe transfers and reduce pressure sores etc.
  • Home Modifications — easier access to the home and rooms within the home to promote independence.
Housing & Accommodation

OTs can also play a big role in having the right accommodation and in-home support sourced based on your needs. OTs complete assessments and develop reports to justify and recommend:

  • Supported Disability Accommodation (SDA)
  • Supported Independent Living (SIL)
  • Independent Living Options (ILO)

Step 4: Progressing Toward YOUR Goals (Intervention)

We will work toward your goals together. We like to make sessions hands-on, engaging and based around your interests and hobbies.

We have a wonderful team of OT’s you can trust, led with exceptional knowledge and experience.  We look forward to assisting you to achieve your goals and continue to live an independent and fulfilled life.


Occupational Therapy

Sophie Baker

Senior Occupational Therapist

Sophie Baker

Senior Occupational Therapist

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Sophie has been an Occupational Therapist since gaining her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in 2016.

Sophie primarily works with individuals aged 7–25 yrs with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Level 1 or 2), ADHD, Intellectual Disability, Anxiety and many others.

Her ultimate goal as an OT is to put herself in the shoes of the people she works with. Sophie has a particular interest in looking into individuals’ sensory preferences and matching these to the environment around them as best as possible.

Sophie is also a trained facilitator for the Secret Agent Society as well as the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®).

Sophie has always had a passion for ensuring everyone feels heard and understood. Seeing the smile on young people’s faces when she arrives and leaves keeps her coming back to work each day!

Kristina Stoitse

Occupational Therapist

Kristina Stoitse

Occupational Therapist

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Kristina has been working in the community sector since 2016 when she graduated from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy.

Kristina loves working as an Occupational Therapist in a community setting. She works with people on a long-term basis to improve daily life and participation in meaningful occupations.

Kristina has experience in functional assessments, equipment prescription, home modification, housing assessments, and capacity building and retraining.

Tom Newton

Occupational Therapist

Tom Newton

Occupational Therapist

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Tom graduated in 2021 with a Master of Occupational Therapy Practice from Latrobe University.

He is a dedicated and compassionate OT who works with individuals with any diagnosis who are aged 14 and over. Tom believes in tailoring his service to the unique needs, preferences, and aspirations of each person.

Tom’s notable areas of expertise lies in supporting individuals to live independently and understands the significance of fostering a sense of independence, enabling individuals to lead fulfilling lives within their communities.

Tom possesses skills in conducting home and living assessments, including those related to Supported Independent Living (SIL), Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), and Individual Living Options (ILO).

Krissy Donaldson

Occupational Therapist

Krissy Donaldson

Occupational Therapist

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Krissy completed a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Deakin University in 2021. While completing her degree, she worked as a Therapy Assistant and enjoyed expanding her knowledge and experience while providing supports to NDIS participants in the community across the Geelong region.

Krissy is passionate about providing client-focussed therapy by taking the time to get to know the person she is working with to understand their needs, wants and expectations in order to support them to achieve genuinely meaningful goals.

Krissy enjoys learning and keeping her knowledge and skills up to date through participation in professional development courses, reading relevant literature and engaging in professional discussions with colleagues. She has a particular interest in working with people who are experiencing neurological conditions, intellectual disability and mental health conditions.

Alexandra (Ali) Egan

Occupational Therapist

Alexandra (Ali) Egan

Occupational Therapist

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Ali has a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Deakin University and has worked in therapeutic roles in the NDIS sector since 2017.

Ali works with people aged between 2-17 and their caregivers. To ensure a child’s emotional health and well-being is supported she views challenges holistically and uses a strengths-based, neurodivergent approach when providing intervention.

She is passionate about Neuroscience and continues to build her understanding of the way a child’s brain and nervous system may operate, and better understand how they best learn and why they may behave in certain ways.

Her experience includes working with people with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Pathological Demand Avoidance, Borderline Personality Disorder, Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Ali is a Certified SOS Feeding Therapist and has experience in behavioural therapy. Ali has worked closely with external agencies such as the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, the Department of Education, Child Protection, Child Adolescent Mental Health Service, NDIS funded supports, schools, kindergartens, and childcare facilities.

Zahid Jalil

Occupational Therapist

Zahid Jalil

Occupational Therapist

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Zahid completed his Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Deakin University in 2022. Prior to joining the team at genU, Zahid worked as a support worker as well as a therapy assistant which allowed him to gain valuable knowledge and experience around working with participants in the community NDIS sector.

Zahid enjoys being able to build rapport with his clients to better understand their wants, needs and goals in order to support them in the best way possible.  Zahid has a keen interest in working with individuals who are experiencing mental health conditions and strives to provide support to participants in an inclusive manner.

Ashleigh (Ash) Feehan

Senior Occupational Therapist

Ashleigh (Ash) Feehan

Senior Occupational Therapist

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Ash graduated with a Master of Occupational Therapy practice from La Trobe in 2016.  Since then, she has enjoyed working with children from 2 years old to young adults within the home, education and community setting. Ash has experience supporting individuals with a variety of goals which is supported by specific training in the SOS approach to feeding, toileting, handwriting and Hanen training.

Ash is passionate about supporting teenagers and young adults to determine their own goals and learn functional skills that will ultimately support them to live a more independent life. She enjoys supporting young children to learn the skills required to play and engage at home and in education settings.