The quest for safety is the basis for leading a successful life.

-Dr. Stephen Porges

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

  • Difficulty processing sensory information

  • Hyperactive or sensory seeking

  • Difficulty  with transitions or change in routines

  • Has meltdowns

  • Aversion to certain foods and textures

  • Challenges eating in different environments 

Does this sound like your child?

  • Difficulty following through with instructions

  • Often anxious and fearful

  • Reluctance to participate in social group activities

  • Struggles to play independently, seeks lots of input from adults

  • Strong preferences on clothing textures

Children who have difficulty processing the external world and/or challenges regulating their internal world often unconsciously sense a lack of safety and trust in their environment. This dysregulation can hinder a child’s ability to navigate transitions or changes in routine, participate in daily activities (meals, dressing, bathing, grooming, and sleep), engage in social interactions, focus on school, and be curious about new experiences. We work to build resilience by guiding children to have a greater awareness of their own internal experience, training for strategies to regulate and support their own sensory and nervous systems needs for  confidence participating in daily life.

At Integrated You we believe that play is a child’s work. It is through play that children learn to interact with their environments, be motivated to challenge themselves, and participate in activities that will help them to perceive and respond to their environment. Integrated You provides a play-based and interactive approach. The therapist identifies specific needs of the child, then continually adapts play activities, presenting new challenges for the child, and integrating these tasks with the child’s interests in mind. Through this process the child is then set up for improvements with self-regulation, postural control, motor planning and sequencing, eye/hand coordination, feeding, bathing, fine motor skill development, social and emotional development, and academic learning.

Pediatric Occupational Therapy

“Katie treated my daughter throughout infancy for Torticollis. She helped my daughter tremendously and is extremely knowledgeable. Katie is simply the best Occupational therapist in the area. As a mom and as a Speech Therapist myself, I would refer all children needing OT services to her! She really is the best to work with and I appreciate her so much!” - JF

Some of the modalities we use to create a personalized holistic treatment plan

Sensory Integration - Through the senses, children are able to make sense out of their physical bodies and out of the physical world, which leads to adaptive responses to the environment. The senses lay critical foundations for normal development, impacting on gross and fine motor development, speech and language production, social and emotional maturity, and behavior and learning. We strive to nurture these characteristics, provide safe outlets of expression and cultivate ways for your child to feel comfortable and confident about who they are.

Safe and sound protocol (SSP) - The SSP is a research-based, non-invasive application of Polyvagal Theory developed by Dr. Steven Porges. It is an integrative listening therapy showing significant results in helping lessen social and emotional difficulties, auditory sensitivities, anxiety and trauma related challenges, inattention, stressors that impact social engagement, internal agitation, irritability, and reactivity, and physical conditions exacerbated by stress. The SSP is designed to help your body shift out of your nervous system’s survival mechanism and orient towards healing, expanding your “window of tolerance” and resilience.

Craniosacral therapy (CST) - is a gentle hands-on technique that uses a light touch to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system. Relieving tension in the central nervous system promotes a feeling of well-being by eliminating pain and boosting health and immunity. CST is a gentle practice that focuses on releasing restrictions to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in order to balance the body's nervous system.

Feeding Therapy - Is your child a picky eater? Are meal times a battle? We use a no pressure, curiosity and playful exploration approach to feeding therapy to allow your child to WANT to try and eat new foods. Integrated You also considers what other factors might be impacting feeding such as psychological, physiological, social-emotional, and environmental components.

Family Education - Parent education gives you practical strategies for mindful and responsive parenting while supporting your child to be their best selves. This can include home organization systems, executive functioning strategies, school support and nervous system regulation, and so much more! We want you to leave our sessions feeling confident, calm, and empowered.

Embodiment - It is easy to become disconnected from your body when listening to the demands of life. We are often trained to ignore internal sensations and body signals so we can follow the rules of school, work, and society. We use science based mindfulness and grounding exercises, dance/movement exercises, visualizations, and self compassion practices to help you connect with your body sensations and connect them with your thoughts and actions.

Regulation & Resilience Training - Exercises and breathing techniques developed using the latest research in neuroscience that activate pathways in the brain and body to naturally restore and maintain physical and emotional balance. These improve health, mood, clarity of thinking, quality of sleep, feeling more calm and relaxed, strengthen your immunity, more ease in transitioning from one task to another, navigating new environments, engaging with new people, and experiencing more flexibility and adaptability when faced with stressful situations.