ABOUT AUTHENTIC SELF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Meet Mary
I am a registered Occupational Therapist (OT) with a particular interest in working with late-discovered autistic and/or ADHDer adults.
As an OT, I believe in the right of every person to engage in the doing of life, in their homes and communities, as this is how we learn, connect, become and express who we are.
I started Authentic Self Occupational Therapy in early 2023 to provide effective, strengths-based support for adults that identify as neurodivergent (autistic and ADHD/VAST), neuro-questioning and "neurotypical", experiencing long-term and often hidden difficulties with feeling overwhelmed, self-identity, executive functioning and relationships, impacting their capacity to move forward in life as their unique self.
My approach is warm, affirming, non-judgemental and compassionate, with a sense of fun. My focus is on a person's internal experience of their life and building self-trust , not meeting social norms. I thrive on learning about and from my clients, as we work together to gently build participation in the life of your choosing.
I live in Melbourne, with my family including the newest addition, Rosie, the tiny pup. I value time with my people, being in nature and as a Melbournian, eating out of course!
About Authentic Self Occupational Therapy
Authentic Self OT centres positive self-identity, wellbeing and self-determination. Our aim is to provide a safe, non-judgemental space to respectfully support people to live a satisfying, authentic life- their way. .
I offer intensive face-to-face, ONE to ONE programs for late discovered autistic/ auDHDer adults, incorporating the self-development method, Davis Concepts for Life and Autism Approach program. This method was designed by a gifted autistic person, Ron Davis, who understood people experience, think and learn differently, and honours neurodiversity as the natural, valued variation in humans.. Drawing from his lived experience, he developed a method to help people unlock their potential to be and express who they are, and want to be.
Concepts for Life & Autism Approach programs involve gentle teaching of the foundational, abstract concepts (such as Time, Change, Emotion, Cause, Effect, Sequence, Relationship) , that we need to think clearly with, to be able to thrive in our lives, but are not actually ever explicitly taught. Utilising visual learning and hands-on experiential methodology, allows a person to think with the concepts with clarity in everyday life.
Incorporating education and strategies for activity pacing, meeting sensory needs, self-regulation, at the completion of a program, participants are equipped with a framework and tools to make meaningful change, toward living a satisfying, authentic life.
My Melbourne-based practice is centred around offering intensive self-developmental programs, one-one, face-to-face, to late discovered adults.