Rose completed a Bachelor of Sport Coaching & Exercise Science before completing a Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of Canberra. This has provided her a well-rounded knowledge and skills base which enables her to view her clients holistically. Rose delivers a comprehensive service that incorporates client, family, and occupation-centred approaches to practice. Rose has experience working with paediatric clients at EACH, ACT with a variety of diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Down Syndrome, ODD, Sensory Processing difficulties and Global Developmental Delay.

She specialises in delivering evidence-based occupational therapy services to assist client’s in developing their fine and gross motor skills, emotional regulation abilities, social skills, and independence when completing self-care tasks. Rose is very excited to be working with our clients and their families to help them achieve their meaningful occupation focused goals.

Rose in her spare time enjoys spending time with her friends and hanging out with her dog Pepper.

Rose sees children aged 2 years and older.

Cate has enjoyed collaborating with children and families for over 20 years to participate in meaningful occupations such as parent/child interactions, playing with same aged peers, completing daily routines, preparing for school, and participating in school and the community. Cate has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) and a Master of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy). Her master’s thesis explored the experiences of collaborative goal setting with parents of children with disabilities and occupational therapists. This research resulted in changed goal setting practices in the ACT. Cate is currently a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) candidate through Australian Catholic University investigating the feasibility of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance ApproachTM (CO-OP) to improve performance and participation for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and motor coordination difficulties. More information about the CO-OP Approach can be found here https://icancoop.org/pages/the-co-op-approach. 

Cate participates in research and uses contemporary, evidence-based practice to continually develop her occupational therapy and provide effective, quality services.

Cate is FASD informed and has previous experience working in a multidisciplinary FASD diagnostic service and provided services to children and families in Queensland. Cate is excited to join Canberra Development Clinic to offer motor assessments to children considering a FASD or Developmental Coordination Disorder diagnosis.

Cate is also available to provide developmental/play assessments to support young children (3–5-year-olds) develop their play skills. She is also available to support autism assessments of children any age.

Cate enjoys gardening, cooking, exercise, spending time with friends and cross stitching.

Nicholas is a registered Clinical Psychologist who has worked in private practice in Canberra for the past five years. Originally from New Zealand, he completed his internship year working in an Adult Community Mental Health Service. Prior to moving to Australia in 2016, he worked for a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in their co-existing mental health and drug and alcohol youth service. Whilst trained in a number of different therapeutic techniques, Nicholas predominately uses a cognitive behavioural therapy and schema therapy approach to his work.

Nicholas sees clients from across the lifespan, working with children, adolescents, and adults. Nicholas is experienced in working with a range of mental health presentations including trauma, mood disorders, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder, along with those who are neurodivergent.

Dr Sherly O’Hara is a qualified Educational and Child Psychologist from the UK. She moved to Canberra in March 2023. She has registered psychologist status in Australia.

In the UK she provided a highly specialist service within the NHS (National Health Service) CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service) to young people and their families within the multidisciplinary Neurodevelopmental Team. She offered assessments, diagnosis, and treatments to a wide variety of clinical presentations, including disabilities/intellectual disabilities, ASD, ADHD, other learning needs and mental health, for under 5s, and 5 to over 18 years age groups.

Sherly brings substantial experience and knowledge of conducting comprehensive assessments, including a variety of standardised and non-standardised assessments and screeners to explore Children and Young People’s cognition and learning, communication and interaction, and social emotional and mental health.

She firmly believes in enabling clients to be active participants in the decisions, processes and actions that involve them. She considers a key aspect of her role to model hope, positivity and to help with seeing that ‘things can be different’.