Hello again… a little more about me

Hello, I’m Hollie — a mother of two daughters (and one little one I carry in my heart), wife, a mental health Occupational Therapist, Yoga Teacher and Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator with almost 20 years experience supporting people through life’s big transitions. My own experiences of motherhood — its beauty, heartbreak, identity shifts and complexity — were the doorway into the work I do today. I bring a grounded, body aware, matrescence and trauma informed approach to therapy that supports women and mothers. Below you will find a little bit more about me, my experience, perspectives and approaches in how I bring together support for your transitions and change.

  • My mission is to support women in finding confidence, compassion and connection as they balance their dual roles of mother and woman. I’m passionate about celebrating diversity in motherhood and place emphasis on supporting mothers to use their body as a guide toward their own empowered and authentic way of mothering.

  • I work with women across the lifespan — not just in motherhood — but through the transitional seasons of life:

    • Menstruation and early adulthood

    • Fertility and conception

    • Pregnancy and postpartum

    • Parenting and matrescence

    • Burnout, grief, or illness

    • Menopause and midlife

    • Recovery after trauma

    I help women reconnect with their emotions and bodies, clarify what really matters to them, and develop ways to live in line with their values. When we tune into both mind and body, it creates the awareness and confidence needed to engage meaningfully in life.
    You don’t need to be in crisis to reach out — sometimes you’re simply wanting to feel like yourself again, to return to your body, or to move through a stuck place with more awareness and support.

    In my clinical practice I support clients through private pay, mental health care plans, Workcover QLD, NDIS, DVA funded services.

    I also provide bulk billing services to 2 clients per month through my business.

    1 day per week I provide fully bulk billed perinatal mental health services through the Gidget Foundation.

  • I offer mother-centred, body-based occupational therapy that weaves together clinical expertise, relational safety, and deep respect for your lived experience. My approach integrates movement therapies (including yoga), somatic inquiry, and soft tissue and hands-on pelvic care — supporting both the emotional and physical layers of wellbeing.

    My work is grounded in:

    • Matrescence and motherhood studies

    • Matricentric feminism and co-occupation

    • Trauma-informed, neurobiologically integrated care

    • Occupational therapy models that honour identity, function, and participation in meaningful roles (primarily using OPMA, POMM by Dr Hannah Slootjes and KAWA)

    Many of the women I work with begin by noticing changes in how they feel in their body — whether that’s disconnection, overwhelm, shame, pain, fatigue, or a deep shift in identity. These sensations often start to impact sleep, relationships, confidence, or self-care. Whether you're processing birth trauma, navigating emotional overload, or seeking to feel more like yourself again — I walk alongside you with compassion and curiosity, informed by both personal experience and clinical knowledge.

    Matrescence

    A cornerstone of my practice is matrescence — the developmental process of becoming a mother. This process involves profound shifts in identity, biology, relationships, roles, and occupational engagement. It is not a single life event but an unfolding, layered transformation that intersects with broader systems and life stages. As an occupational therapist, I view matrescence through the lens of occupational transition, where evolving roles and routines ask for adaptation, reflection, and support.

    I’ve undertaken training in Amy Taylor-Kabbaz’s Mama Rising facilitator program (listen to our conversation) and am a certified Motherhood Studies Practitioner through my studies on the sociological lens of Motherhood with Dr Sophie Brock. These programs enable me to support women using both sociocultural insight and therapeutic care, acknowledging the often-invisible load of modern motherhood.

    Matricentric Feminism & Co-Occupation

    Another essential foundation of my work is matricentric feminism — a framework that centres the mother in social, political, and clinical systems that have historically ignored or marginalised her. This lens allows me to explore how external expectations, systemic gaps, and internalised beliefs shape how women live, mother, and care.

    I also integrate infant mental health principles, holding both mother and baby in mind. My work attends to the relational occupation of caregiving — a concept known in occupational therapy as co-occupation. These shared, dynamic experiences — feeding, soothing, sleeping, and bonding — are fundamental to attachment, identity, and wellbeing for both parent and child.

    By weaving these foundations into my OT approach, I help women understand themselves not only as individuals, but also as relational, sensory, occupational beings — capable of deep healing, attunement, and meaningful participation across all seasons of life.

  • What to expect in an OT session

    Whether we meet in person, via telehealth, or in your home, your sessions are shaped by compassion, collaboration, and care. Here’s what our journey might look like:

    1. Understand & Plan

    We begin with a conversation. I listen deeply and develop an occupational profile that explores your roles, routines, values, and where you feel stuck. We gently explore the challenges and transitions you’re facing, whether that’s postnatal overwhelm, identity shifts, or feeling disconnected from your body.

    🗸 Perinatal support
    🗸 Women’s mental health
    🗸 Exploring your sensory, emotional, and relational patterns

    2. Explore & Redefine

    Together we look at what’s working, what’s not, and what’s possible. Using body-based practices, education, sensory tools, and reflective dialogue, we co-create a path that feels safe, meaningful, and aligned with your values.

    🗸 Matrescence-aware therapy
    🗸 Support for nervous system regulation and emotional resilience
    🗸 Trauma-informed exploration of personal and occupational goals

    3. Connect to Your Needs

    This is where change begins. I draw on my training in somatic therapy, movement-based healing, and occupation-focused coaching to support you in reconnecting to your body, re-establishing meaningful routines, and engaging in life with more ease.

    🗸 Body-mind connection
    🗸 Restoring self-care and pleasure
    🗸 Mental health support for mothers and women

    4. Reflect, Reset & Rebuild

    Growth is not linear. We pause often to reflect on your progress and adapt therapy to meet your evolving needs. Whether you're healing from birth trauma, redefining your identity, or preparing for a new chapter, OT holds space for your whole self.

    🗸 Ongoing support through life’s transitions
    🗸 Responsive care aligned with your pace and priorities
    🗸 Creating sustainable wellbeing

  • Much of my work explores the intersection of mental health, physical health, and the lived experience of womanhood. This includes:

    • Pelvic health care, integrating hands-on support for pain, prolapse, birth injury, and intimacy challenges

    • Soft tissue and scar care, helping with healing after birth or surgery

    • Somatic practices, supporting nervous system regulation and emotional safety

    • Supporting body image and identity shifts that arise through motherhood, menopause, trauma or illness

    These approaches work together to restore a sense of safety, connection, and agency — especially when someone feels overwhelmed, dysregulated, or disconnected from their body or roles.

  • I have a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (2007) from James Cook University.

    I am completing a Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health, which will be finalised in late 2025, this has provided me with additional skills and expertise in supporting parents in the perinatal period with their mental health and relationships with their child/family. I also bring additional certifications in the following:

    • B. Occupational Therapy (2007)

    • PG Dip Soft Tissue Injury Management (2009)

    • Cert.Complex Lymphoedema Management (2012)

    • Yoga & Meditation Instructor (420hrs)

      - Core Vinyasa Yoga Teacher (200hrs) (2016)

      - Trauma Sensitive Yoga Teacher (20hrs) (2017)

      - Pre Natal Yoga (100hrs) (2018)

      - Myo Fertility Yin Yoga Teacher (80hrs) (2018)

      - Post-Natal Yoga Course (20 hours) (2020)

    • Holistic Pelvic Care (2022)

    • Holistic Pelvic Energy (2022)

    • Mama Rising Facilitator (2022)

    • Motherhood Studies Practitioner (2023)

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Training (2023)

    • Mental Health Endorsed by Medicare and OT Australia (2023)

    • Basic and Applied Skills in Perinatal Mental Health Assessment and Care (2023)

    • Gidget Foundation Workforce Development Program - Certificate in Perinatal Mental Health (2023 - 2025)

    • Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator (2023)

    • Currently studying Holistic Treatment of Pregnant & Postpartum Body (2025)

    I have completed trainings in the following areas that support the integration of tools and resources within

    • Scar Management and soft tissue injury care

    • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

    • Sensory Processing Frameworks

    • Supporting Eating Disorders using the HAES frameworks

    • Narrative and relational models

  • In addition to my clinical practice, I’m the National Convenor of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Special Interest group with Occupational Therapy Australia.

    I actively contribute to the development of education and workforce pathways for occupational therapists working in maternal and perinatal health.

    I am also currently a member of the Parenting with Disability Working Group within Gidget Foundation.

    My contributions include: