About Heather

 Who am I and why might it matter?

I am a Registered Occupational Therapist in Ontario, a spouse, and a mom to three young boys. I have worked with families of babies from birth to three for my entire 20+ year career.

I became passionate about supporting families through sleep challenges because of my own experience with sleep challenges with my first born. Not only did I see that my baby was struggling with sleep, but support was not available unless it involved crying it out.

I am on a mission to help families navigate their baby’s sleep and development through family-centred therapy, evidence, attachment theory, and empathy. When you have the information and tools you need to help your baby thrive, your confidence increases, and you can thrive as a parent, too!

As a regulated healthcare provider in Ontario, I provide receipts to those with extended health benefits that include Occupational Therapy.

I place great value on attachment theory and nurture-based parenting practices that support the biological, evolutionary, and developmental needs of infants and young children.

I support families by helping them focus on what they can change in their child's environment and routines as well as by changing perspectives on the challenges: what we understand, we can manage —through strategies, and through grace. Sleep, development, and overall wellness can be supported through nurturing parenting approaches, evidence-based knowledge and healthy home environments.

MY CORE VALUES ARE:

• that parents know their children best and want what is best for their children

• that connection, empathy, and relationships are the most effective ways to create change in our own families and to empower change in others

• that parents are capable stewards of their child's health and well being. When they are helped to trust their judgement and instincts, and are given tools they can actually use, they can thrive as parents and can help their children thrive too. 

COLLABORATION WITH PARENTS: 

You know your child best, and have your child's best interest in mind. My roles are to help you identify areas that are a struggle for your family, and provide you with information, strategies, and counselling for making decisions that are in line with your values, instincts and goals.  Whether this means joining my online Infant and Toddler Development Circle, learning about your baby’s sleep development in a sleep workshop, or working with me one-on-one, the vision is a peaceful family, a thriving child, and a parent who feels able to roll with the day to day challenges (most days, anyway).  Working together, we make a plan that fits your family and your goals. 

YOU, YOUR CHILD, YOUR ENVIRONMENT:

Families are complicated.  The roles we each have can change over time, our children are changing constantly, and each of these is affected by the environment we are in.  Understanding the impact that this all has on a family is important in setting up expectations and developing goals and plans to get where you want your family to go.

Environment is a key component of my intake process and intervention. We work together to create an emotionally- and physically- optimal environment for your baby to sleep.

For those specifically looking for support with healthy indoor environments, I have a website tailored to you! GraceUnderWater.ca provides information and resources about environmentally-acquired illness, and FamilyEnvironmentalHealth.ca outlines how to work with me to address your environmental health concerns. My experience with child development and family-centred practice means I take a holistic approach to supporting you through these challenges. Since sleep and mental health are often impacted by damp environments, I draw on the full breadth of experience and training I have in sleep, wellness, and family-centred care to support you.

CONNECT VIRTUALLY

Parenting is not "nine to five", and neither am I.  By offering video and phone consultation, I can connect with families wherever you are and at times that are more convenient than face-to-face.  Whether we connect on a Saturday morning, or after the kids are in bed, and whether you are in Thunder Bay or Niagara Falls, we can work together in ways that work for you.

I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

It’s helpful to know about the person you are hiring to support your family!

I HAVE BEEN AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (OT) FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

I have worked as an Infant Development Consultant with Peel Infant and Child Development Program in Ontario for eight years.  I felt privileged to be welcomed into people's homes, and into their unfiltered day to day lives.   

Before having my three boys, I completed my Research Masters in Rehabilitation Science.  My research focused on family-centred care.

More recently, I coordinated the Neonatal Follow-up Clinic at McMaster Children's Hospital.  This fast-paced clinic environment honed my skills in assessing infants and in providing appropriate and manageable recommendations and resources to families. 

My husband and I are raising our three growing boys through an attachment lens.  We are developing our parenting skills in 'real time' and have come to appreciate that making mistakes is a great way to learn --for both parents and children!  We see that learning takes place best in an environment of genuine curiosity and openness.

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

Being sleep deprived can impact your mental health and can make parenting difficult. It’s important to have a sleep consultant who understands this. Your mental health, and the mental health of your baby, deserve to be supported.

I have additional training in maternal mental health, and infant mental health. This reflects the importance of support for mothers and families during the early months and years of parenthood. I am currently working towards certification as a perinatal mental health professional. I do not provide maternal mental health services and encourage you to explore www.psi.net or maternal mental health providers in your area.

YOUR ENVIRONMENT MATTERS

As a parent, you work hard to provide an emotionally and physically healthy environment for your baby. Sometimes the pressure to create a healthy environment can lead to information-overwhelm and emotional distress. My passion for supporting families with healthy home environments focuses on attachment, emotionally responsive environments and healthy indoor air. 

When you receive support from me, attachment forms one key component of my work and the foundation through which I guide sleep support interventions and strategie.

Families specifically exploring the role that water damage and damp environments may be having on sleep and wellness have a unique set of needs and circumstances. I provide environmental health consulting through www.familyenvironmentalhealth.ca and environmental information is presented at www.gracenderwater.ca.  Evaluating and addressing environmental obstacles can improve parenting and child development.

NOW WHAT?

I would be happy to talk with you about whether I am the right person to meet your expectations for supporting your family's needs.

AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

Registrant of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario COTO.org

Member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists CAOT.ca

Member of the International Congress of Infant Studies infantstudies.org

Full founding member of the International Society of Environmentally Acquired Illness ISEAI.org

Supporting Member of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment CAPE.ca

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND PRESENTATIONS

Sensory Processing and Sleep, presented online to the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants, October 5 2020.

Facilitated Parent Meet-up (weekly/bi-weekly online event), LifeWithABaby.com March to July 2020.

Applying Gordon Neufeld’s Approach to Infant Sleep. Sleeposium Conference. May 2020.

Evaluating Infant Sleep Challenges from a Developmental and Physiological Perspective. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy Conference, Saskatoon, Online, April 2020.

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Infant Sleep Education. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy Professional Practice Webinar, Online, April 2020.

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Infant Sleep Education. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy Conference, Niagara Falls, May 2019.

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, AND COURSES (HIGHLIGHTS)

Connected Parenting (Non-Violent Communication course), (Oct-Dec 2020). Meta Mentoring, www.metamentoring.ca

Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training for Mental Health and Clinical Professionals. (16 hours). Post-partum Support International. Sept-Dec 2020. www.psi.net

Infant Sleep Educator Re-certification (online course, in progress, 2020), Bebo Mia.

Sleeposium (April 2020) Child Sleep Institute online sleep conference.

Broken Sleep? -Insights into Biology, Culture, and Parenting. (Australia online conference) (2019).

Certified Infant Sleep Educator (online course), Bebo Mia,  Toronto, Ontario (2016 cohort).

Basic Principles of Healthy Homes (online course), Healthy Housing Solutions Inc., Maryland, U.S.A. (2017).

Neufeld Institute, Making Sense of Anxiety (November 2014) (online course).

Neufeld Institute, Making Sense of Discipline (September 2013) (online course).

Neufeld Institute, Making Sense of Preschoolers (April 2013) (online course).

M.Sc. (Rehabilitation Science), McMaster University (2008).

Certificate of Infant Mental Health, York University (2003).

B.H.Sc. (OT), McMaster University (2000). 

B.Sc.(Human Kinetics), University of Guelph, (1998).