Hey there, I'm Rachel, founder and owner/operator of Connect Occupational Therapy.

Welcome! If you're on this page, you probably want to know a little bit more about me.

I started my career as a mental health occupational therapist in Wellington with Pathways, working in a strengths based manner supporting people with moderate - severe mental health challenges. I loved this job and only left because it was time to start my own family.

After a 6 year career break to be a stay-at-home-parent, I started providing parenting education for parents in Aotearoa New Zealand. This included digital downloads, an online course. I reached parents through Instagram, which I found a lovely way to connect with parents and promote how occupational therapy can help.

In 2022 I trained in The Safe and Sound Protocol (The SSP), which is a listening therapy based on a practical application of polyvagal theory. The SSP supports regulation and can the children I am working with feel safe and "at home" in their bodies. It underpins the way I work in occupational therapy. I continue to be a certified provider of The SSP and deliver it to families across Aotearoa New Zealand and in my clinic space or in their home.

I now specialise in paediatrics. From 2021 - 2024 I worked with 3 - 6 year olds and their parents at The Champion Centre. Since 2024 I have concentrated purely on offering private occupational therapy to families in Christchurch. I love working with families to help them "fill the gaps" for their child and help their child succeed, whether that's a child that is scared of going skiing, struggling with handwriting at school, scared of the wind at preschool, touching everyone and everything to the point of disruption, or having difficulty with sleep. Parents come to occupational therapy for many reasons, and it's great to be able to find the "right fit" for them and their child.

If your child is aged 4 - 11 and you are wondering whether occupational therapy might be the right fit, please fill out my enquiry form and I'll get back to your shortly.