Tina Bruce is one of three sisters and has always loved being around people.  Her early experiences of being bullied at school developed a deep empathy for others and drew her to occupational therapy.  She graduated in 2000 and after university, travelled and worked in London for 7 years.  She loves the creativity, joy and playfulness that working with children brings.  Tina enjoys supporting families and children to  build their self-awareness, knowledge and nurture their relationships and connection time.  Play, humour and fun are essential elements of her sessions. 

 

Tina has a curious mind and loves to learn.  She is always seeking to develop her knowledge and understanding of how she can best support families and their children.  She has completed post graduate studies in Sensory Integration, Neuro-Developmental Treatment, self-regulation, challenging behaviour, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Coordination Disorder, Executive Function, Social Thinking, Learn to Play, Developmental Individual Difference (DIR) Floortime (foundation and stage 2),  Mindfulness, Attachment Theory, Trauma Informed Practice, Coaching in Early Intervention and the Safe and Sound Protocol (based on Poly Vagal theory).  She always has a stack of books related to work on her bedside table! 

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The Spark Therapy Services is a vision that Tina has worked towards.  She is so grateful to work with an amazing team of therapists, who care deeply about working with children and families in a meaningful way.  Her long term goal is to create a Family Well-being  Hub, creating community and supporting children and their families to build strong relationships and flourish.

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Tina is a mother of 2 wonderful girls.  She loves being a mum, spending time with her family, outdoor adventures, craft and dancing. 

Serenity McEwin graduated from Occupational Therapy at Deakin University in 2014, and welcomed her daughter in 2015. Learning to be a mum whilst becoming an OT was such an exciting time for her as she felt each role helped her to be better in the other.

 

Serenity is a big kid at heart who is motivated by creating positive, fun and meaningful learning experiences for children.  Serenity is dedicated to maximising and developing the potential of children and their families. It is important to her that children leave a therapy session happy and their families leave feeling supported and confident to replicate strategies at home. Serenity loves nothing more than watching kids develop the skills necessary to achieving their goals.  Sharing the moment a child does something they’ve found challenging for the first time is the biggest privilege of her job. 

 

Serenity is passionate about fostering self regulation and social/emotional awareness in children to deepen their connections within their families, their play and their community. Serenity has undertaken further studies in Learn to Play, DIRFloortime, ABA Therapy, Learning without Tears, Social Thinking, resilience development, anxiety management, emotion coaching and positive behaviour support, sensory regulation, trauma informed care, fussy eating, and executive function. 

 

When she’s not at work you’ll find her playing with her daughter Audrey, spending time with friends and family (usually eating and drinking yummy things), at the gym thinking about her next pizza and dreaming of her next trip to Disneyland. 

In 2010 Angela moved to Melbourne from regional NSW, seeking a change from her 7 year career as a secondary school teacher. Angela McCosker completed a post-graduate Masters degree in Occupational Therapy at La Trobe University, in 2012.

 

Since then, she has enjoyed working within an inpatient palliative care hospital setting; a specialist autism school and recently private practice.  

 

With a preference for family centred, relationship building therapeutic approaches, Angela has the ability to communicate and engage with a wide range of individual strengths and challenges. She is passionate about understanding the individual needs of her clients and families.

 

Seeking out opportunities to develop her skills, Angela has completed additional training in the areas of DIR Floortime, play, feeding, sleep, trauma informed practice, toileting, social thinking concepts, movement and posture, parent coaching, sensory integration, mental health and handwriting.

Brooke Goldsworthy is a passionate Occupational Therapist, who graduated from Swinburne University of Technology with a Master of Occupational Therapy. Brooke discovered her passion for supporting children through her previous experience as a disability support worker and an integration aide at a primary school.

 

Brooke is dedicated about supporting children to develop the skills and abilities they require to independently complete the activities they want and need to do in order to live a meaningful life. She believes in a strengths-based approach to therapy, utilising each child’s unique abilities, interests and resources enabling them to reach their full potential. Brooke aspires to work in partnership with families, developing practical strategies and empowering them to achieve their therapy goals.

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Brooke has completed additional training in; DIR Floortime, sleep, toileting, mental health, trauma informed practice,  sensory processing and parent coaching. 

 

In her spare time, Brooke loves spending time with her family and friends, reading the latest new release or planning her next outdoor adventure. 

Giselle graduated in 2012 and has been practicing occupational therapy since. She has been working in private practice overseas and since moving here to Melbourne. She is a registered mental health practitioner and has been working with children and adolescents.

Giselle believes in using a child and family-centred approach to enhance children’s strengths, support them with their challenges, and help achieve their full potential. She values building positive relationships with children, establishing rapport through use of their interests. She believes increasing their motivation to participate and engage in the process paves way to improvements in goals. Giselle also values working closely with parents and families, making sure that therapeutic supports fit the family dynamics well.

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Giselle has completed additional training in; DIR Floortime, sleep, toileting, mental health, trauma informed practice, attachment, fussy eating, sensory processing and parent coaching. 

In her leisure time, Giselle loves taking photos of landscapes and their neighbour kangaroos!

Trish has always had a heart for kids, and been passionate about helping them. She grew up on a small sheep farm in East Gippsland with her parents, her three sisters and her three brothers....as well as with assorted cats, dogs, chooks, ducks, horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits etc. At 17, she moved to Melbourne to go to teachers’ college to become a Secondary Phys. Ed and Psychology teacher, and she has lived there ever since. She taught at several schools before having a family. During her family years she organised toy libraries, ran playgroups, helped provide parenting workshops, as well as studying Fine Arts and Primary Teaching. She ran a Gymbaroo centre for several years before doing a Masters of Education, and finally doing a Masters of OT.

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Trish has always had a concern for children who are not doing as well as they could be, and for the parents who care for them. Her M.Ed. research project looked at underlying physical developmental reasons why children might be struggling with learning at school. She has a broad understanding of physical development and neurodevelopment, and the way that both of those interact as a child grows. She has looked in-depth at Self-Regulation and the way that we manage our stressors and our energy, and she has a great understanding of the impact that that can have on social and physical development, and on behaviour. Trish loves sharing her knowledge and experience to encourage and help children, parents and families to understand and support each other at home, and to assist teachers and support staff to help and encourage their students at school. She loves the way that OT can utilise all of her skills and experience in a holistic way.

Trish loves spending time with her family, bike riding, reading, being at the beach or outdoors, travelling, and she is constantly learning and thinking about different ways to help people. She is often dreaming up adventures, or creating art or craft projects in her mind, and she sometimes actually manages to do them in real life when time permits!

Sharon completed her Bachelor of Applied Science and Masters of Occupational Therapy degree at La Trobe University. She has a background in education where she worked as a Physical Education teacher with students from the foundation years to year 12. Sharon has had a passion to work with people to achieve their goals since a young age and has also previously owned a personal training business.

 

Since graduating from university, Sharon has worked in the acute hospital setting in the Complex Assessment and Planning team and the Geriatric Evaluation and Management team to support occupational therapy based interventions and discharge planning that supported individual, client centred goals.

 

With her background in education, Sharon enjoys collaborating with children and their families to develop meaningful strategies, utilising a strength-based approach, to support the achievement of individual goals. Her experience as a teacher brings an understanding of time constraints within the classroom, and her experience as a mother brings an understanding of the juggle that parents experience with implementing therapy interventions within day-to-day life. Her approach to therapy is to be mindful of finding strategies that work effectively for the child and their family.

 

In her spare time, Sharon enjoys spending time with her family, walking the dog, reading, gardening, going to the gym and travelling.
 

Lauren lives with her family, including three beautiful children and a cheeky groodle on the Mornington Peninsula. She understands the challenges of being a working parent, managing busy schedules, balancing daily life and competing demands. 

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Lauren graduated from La Trobe University in 2000 and has spent time working in Australia and the UK in various settings including acute hospital, community rehabilitation, occupational rehabilitation and government services. In recent years, she has heard many stories of families struggling to find OT services for their children, which led her to change her focus to paediatric work. She has been an OT for more than 20 years predominantly working with adults and she’s excited to have the opportunity to use her knowledge and experience to help children and families.

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She loves to connect with kids through humour, craft, play and sport. She is passionate about discovering each child’s individual strengths and nurturing their growth and development. Lauren has experience working across multidisciplinary teams and looks forward to collaborating with families, teachers and other health professionals to achieve the best outcomes for each child.  She has undertaken learning in Self-Regulation, Autism, Neuro-biology and positive parenting and parent coaching.   

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Lauren grew up playing netball, basketball and tennis, and going to the footy to cheer on her beloved Saints. These days, she spends her weekends cheering on her kid’s teams and still loves to get outside and shoot hoops, play tennis or kick the footy with her family. She also loves long walks, going to the beach, reading a good book and drinking coffee.

Marisa completed her Master of Occupational Therapy Practice at the end of 2023, studying at La Trobe University. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) before deciding that OT was a better fit for her. She has always loved working with kids and felt that occupational therapy was able to give a more practical approach to helping children and their families achieve their goals.

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Marisa has almost a decade of experience working as a swimming instructor, which first ignited her passion for working with children and teaching them new skills while having fun. She enjoys instilling confidence in the children she works with and helping them conquer any challenges they may face. She knows that each child learns in their own unique way, so it is important to have an individualised approach to learning.

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During covid, Marisa worked as a disability support worker, assisting children with their school work and the transition back and forth from in-person learning to online learning. She also worked as an occupational therapy assistant with The Spark where she learned each child progresses at their own pace and how OT can support each child’s individual needs.

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In her spare time, Marisa loves going to the beach with her family, playing with her dog, Koda, reading books, and baking yummy desserts. She also loves swimming and taking photos of beautiful sunsets.

Lara is a dedicated Occupational Therapist with a passion for her profession. She uses child and family-based therapeutic approaches, extending a warm invitation to families to participate in therapy sessions. Lara’s primary objective is to equip her clients with enduring skills that empower them to realise their goals; such as riding a bike, having meaningful play with their friends, and being about to engage in their classroom learning activities. Through a combination of practical skill-building and fostering supportive relationships, Lara endeavours to facilitate the attainment of her clients' goals.

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With a commitment to individualised care, Lara tailors her therapy sessions to accommodate the unique needs of each client. This approach ensures that children are afforded the space to express their authentic selves, even if it entails exhibiting behaviours characterised by cheek, impulse, or not wanting to participate in activities.

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Beyond her professional endeavours, Lara finds comfort in outdoor activities, such as immersing herself in nature through leisurely walks or going to the zoo. 

Ruby graduated from LaTrobe University with a Bachelor of Health Science and a Master of Occupational Therapy and has spent the past five years working as a paediatric occupational therapist. Growing up in the Northern Territory within a bustling family of five, Ruby transitioned to Melbourne for boarding school during her late high school years. Ruby lives in the Northern Suburbs with her husband, daughter (nearly 2 years old), and their energetic dog. When not working, Ruby spends her days walking the dog, baking and enjoying the company of friends and family. 

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Ruby is dedicated to being a neuro affirming practitioner, and places a huge importance in collaborating with families to develop intervention strategies tailored to their distinctive dynamics and requirements. Ruby believes teaching self-advocacy as integral to her role, and is passionate and dedicated to ongoing professional development and staying abreast of best practices in her field. Ruby has completed additional training in; neuro affirming OT practices, Handwriting Without Tears, Parent Coaching, Key Word Sign, Emotional Regulation and Sensory Processing training.

Fiona loves being an Occupational Therapist and has worked clinically and in research in London, Scotland, Singapore, Perth and Melbourne for over 20 years.

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Having run a successful private practice working with adults with a disability, Fiona was excited when an opportunity came her way to start working with children.

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Fiona has spent the last few years, helping adults who are neurodiverse move out of home, to live by themselves or with others, in supportive housing. As part of her role, the About Me document was introduced by Fiona to help staff, working with her clients, to learn more about them and understand how best to provide care and support.

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How do they move and complete day to day activities? How do they learn? What are their strengths and interests? How do they process the sensory world around them? How does the environment influence their mood, behaviour and what they are able to do? How do they feel and regulate their emotions? What triggers behaviours of concern? What makes them feel safe? How do they communicate choice? Solve problems? Collaborate and negotiate? And how do they say no?

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What became obvious over the years, is that as useful as the document was to workers, the documents were often a source of new information to her clients and their families who had been born at a time where neuro-affirming practice was less well known and embracing inclusion and celebrating uniqueness was less accepted.

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Fiona wants to work with children and their families, from an early age, to help them to better understand the age-old adage What makes you, YOU.

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Having fun, encouraging curiosity and facilitating independence/skill enhancement are the building blocks of all of her sessions and supporting children to dream big and live their best life her goal.

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In her spare time, Fiona loves cooking, eating delicious food, spending time with friends and family and going on long walks with her dog Gussy. She has two children who bring her much joy (and heartache at times too.)

Maddie worked in Human Resources for 6 years before embarking on a career change and commencing a Master of Occupational Therapy Practice at La Trobe University in January 2024.

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Maddie decided to make the move to study Occupational Therapy as she was seeking a career that allowed her to make positive and meaningful contributions to other people’s lives. As a creative person, Maddie was also attracted to the fact that Occupational Therapists can use creativity in their approaches and problem solving.

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Maddie really values building genuine relationships with others and being able to support people to achieve goals. In her spare time, you will find Maddie cooking, tending to her veggie patch or working on a new piece on her pottery wheel.

Aiden worked in a children's sports facility for four years before venturing into the allied health field in search of a fulfilling career. This journey led Aiden to complete Certificate 4 in Allied Health Assistance while studying for a Bachelor of Health Science.

After completing placement for his Cert 4, Aiden decided to get started working as a therapy assistant while continuing his studies. He is committed to ongoing learning and improving his ability to deliver quality care.  Initially drawn to Occupational therapy due to the diverse nature of the work, Aiden has also discovered the satisfaction there is in providing quality care for others.

Outside work, Aiden enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking TikTok recipes and working out in the gym.

Carolyn was born and raised in the south-east of England and worked in London for ten years at a television research company.  Here she met her husband, and they moved to Melbourne in 2004. 

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Carolyn worked for a media research company in Melbourne and then took a break from work following the arrival of her daughter.  She was delighted to be given the opportunity to return to work and assist this fantastic team of occupational therapists in the valuable service they provide.  The role has not only allowed her to put a lot of her skills to good use—including writing and editing—but has also given her the chance to acquire some more.  Thanks to the launch of The Spark Therapy Services, Carolyn has had the very enjoyable experience of building her first time website.

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Carolyn has three wonderful children who are growing up far too quickly!  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and in quieter moments loves writing children’s stories and researching her family history.