Meet Paula, one of our mental health occupational therapists, who is one of our first clinicians to bring the Reach Life mission to the south-west of Western Australia. Paula works with individuals while using a holistic approach, aspiring to provide all individuals with the genuine care and support that they deserve. As a clinician, she wishes to accompany individuals on their own unique journey, offering support as they uncover their inner strengths and learn to embrace their potential.

Paula has been a qualified mental health occupational therapist since 2009. Since then, Paula has had extensive experience over diverse settings, including inpatient, community, and youth mental health services. Throughout her career, Paula has gained experience with acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, sensory modulation, dialectical behaviour therapy, schema, and narrative therapy. She was worked with various mental health concerns, such as anxiety, depression obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar, and psychosis. Paula is also skilled to work with perinatal mental health, relationship difficulties, grief and trauma, and difficulties caused by perfectionism.

Also offering supervision to graduate occupational therapists, Paula is passionate towards exploring the mind’s workings, improving engagement in meaningful occupations, and enhancing occupational performance by creating a safe space filled with hope, healing and wisdom. She exercises diligence in staying knowledgeable about the latest advancements in mental health treatment.

On her days off, Paula enjoys spending time with her family, partaking in bush walks, exploring local vendors, camping in local regional towns, checking out live music, exploring the coast land, and reading.