Currently accepting new families in Port Townsend & East Jefferson County
Pediatric occupational therapy · Port Townsend

Support that starts with your child, not a checklist.

Occupational therapy helps children take part in the things that make up their days — playing, eating, dressing, connecting, managing big feelings. I work in your home and out in the community, where real life actually happens.

Book a free intro call
15 minutes, no obligation

No diagnosis needed. No set packages. Start with a conversation.

Behaviour is communication. Play is the work. We're partners.

How I work

“Is this even an OT thing?”

It's the question I get most. Occupational therapy looks at how a child and their environment fit together — and where that fit could be easier. If any of these sound familiar, it's worth a conversation.

Mealtimes have become a battle.

Very limited foods, distress at the table, or a child who can't seem to sit through a meal. We look at the sensory side, the seating, the routine, and the pressure — and make eating feel possible again.

Getting dressed, bathed, or out the door takes everything you have.

We break down where the routine is actually breaking, adjust what we can, and build the specific skills underneath it — rather than pushing harder on a routine that isn't working.

Big feelings arrive faster than either of you can manage.

We work out what's setting things off and what your child is trying to communicate, then build tools and adjust the environment so those moments come less often and land more softly.

Sounds, textures, clothing, or movement seem to affect your child more than most.

Sensory processing shapes a huge amount of daily life. We figure out your child's particular sensory picture and what genuinely helps them feel regulated.

You're not sure how to play together, or how to help them play with others.

For babies and toddlers especially, play is where everything else grows from. We build foundational play and communication, and — as they get older — the social skills that let them join in.

Small hands are struggling with everyday tools.

Fine motor development affects everything from spoons to crayons to buttons. We work on it inside real activities, not drills.

You're waiting on a diagnosis, an assessment, or an early-intervention place.

You don't need to wait for a label to start. We can begin with what's happening right now.

Three things that shape everything I do.

Behaviour is communication.

Having come from a “behaviour management” background, I now see what's often called behaviour as a response — to something in the environment, or something internal. My focus is understanding what set it off and what need it was trying to meet, building that understanding within your child and your family, and then finding replacement strategies or environmental changes that meet the need properly.

Play is the work.

Therapy centres on the activity your child actually wants support with, done in real time so we can see what's helping and what isn't. It's very activity-based. For young children that often looks a lot like play — because play is their main occupation.

We're partners.

Like any therapy, this is relationship-based. I work in partnership with your child and your family, and welcome everyone in as it fits. Feedback is always welcome — open communication is how we build a relationship that growth and trust can happen in.

Two ways to work together.

Individual occupational therapy

$150 / hour

One-hour sessions in your home or out in the community, built around the everyday activities your child is working toward. I can also join your child during community programmes — a gymnastics class, swim lessons, after-school activities — whenever the provider is happy to have me along.

Any additional cost for me to take part in a programme is covered by the family.

Parent & family consulting

$150 / session

Individualised support for you, whether or not your child is taking part in OT sessions themselves. Strategies for what's often called “behaviour,” coping-skill development, and practical ways to grow participation in daily activities — dressing, showering, eating, chores.

What working together looks like.

The first session

We focus on understanding what you need, setting goals together, and getting a feel for your child's skills through observation and what you and your family share.

The sessions after

Activities that work toward those goals — knowing that goals shift and evolve as your child does. And we can always work on whatever need shows up that day.

Your schedule, your way

There's no commitment to a predetermined package of sessions. We can meet at regular intervals, or simply as needed.

Where we meet

In your home, or out in the community where the activity actually happens — the park, a class, wherever real life is.

About Julia

I'm an occupational therapist based in Port Townsend. I've spent the last six-plus years in paediatric OT, most of it in early-support work with babies and toddlers — birth to three — and their families, using a parent coaching model.

Before my master's in occupational therapy at the University of Washington, I spent five years as a mental health counsellor and paediatric behavioural specialist on the inpatient psychiatric unit at Seattle Children's Hospital. That work still shapes how I understand children, families, and behaviour today.

I've worked with children across a wide range of neurodevelopmental, genetic, and medical profiles, in homes, clinics, and developmental preschool classrooms.

I live in Port Townsend with my husband, our son, two dogs, and eleven chickens.

Areas of particular interest
  • Foundational play & communication
  • Sensory processing
  • Neuroaffirmative & autistic-affirming practice
  • Fine motor development
  • Social skill development
  • Self-regulation & coping
  • Daily-living skills
  • Home safety & set-up

Credentials: [MOT, OTR/L] · Licensed occupational therapist, Washington State · University of Washington

Questions parents usually ask.

Does my child need a diagnosis or a referral?
No. If something is making daily life harder, that's enough to start with.
Do you take insurance?
I'm a private-pay practice. That means no diagnosis requirement, no cap on sessions, no waiting on authorisations, and no pressure to fit your child into a billing category.[Decision: add a line here if offering superbills for out-of-network reimbursement.]
How long does this go on for?
As long as it's useful, and no longer. Some families come for a stretch and stop; others check in as things change. There's no package to commit to.
What if my child won't engage?
That happens, and it's information rather than failure. We adjust — and if your child isn't up for sessions right now, parent and family consulting is a genuine option.
How young is too young?
Not too young. Much of my background is with babies and toddlers, birth to three.
We're already working with early intervention or the school. Does this conflict?
Not at all. I'm happy to work alongside what's already in place, and to coordinate with your other providers if you'd like.
What area do you cover?
Port Townsend and East Jefferson County, in-home and community-based.

The best place to start is a conversation.

Book a free 15-minute intro call — no obligation, just a chance to talk through what's going on and whether we're a good fit for each other.

Book a free intro call
[email address] · [phone number]Port Townsend & East Jefferson County · in-home and community visits