Playful Pathways Occupational Therapy
— PAEDIATRIC AND MENTAL HEALTH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Neuroaffirming support for wellbeing and everyday participation, at every age.
Playful Pathways Occupational Therapy provides neuroaffirming, person-centred paediatric and mental health occupational therapy for children, adolescents and adults. We are based in Willoughby and travel around Sydney's North Shore and Northern Beaches to provide community sessions in the home and education settings.
We work with children and their families to build confidence in the skills of daily life, from getting dressed and holding a pencil, to playing, learning and taking part at school. Every journey starts with what matters most to you and your child. Helping people feel safe, regulated, and able to be themselves at home, work, school and play and supporting wellbeing, without asking anyone to mask who they are.
What we do…
Support across the areas that shape everyday life
Here are some of the areas we commonly support for children, teens and adults, shaped around what matters to you.
Fine Motor Skills
Hand strength, pencil grip, cutting, buttons and zips, and the small precise movements that support school, work and everyday independence.
Gross Motor Skills
Body awareness, balance, coordination and movement skills that support play, sport, and confident, comfortable movement through the world.
Sensory Regulation
Understanding how sound, touch, movement and other sensory input affect you, and building environments and strategies that support regulation.
Emotional Regulation
Building awareness of emotions and nervous-system states, and developing regulation strategies that work for you.
Learning & Executive Function
Support for planning, organisation, attention, memory and task initiation - the executive functioning skills learning, at school, work or home.
Life Skills
Building confidence and independence in everyday routines — self-care, meal prep, money management and household tasks — at whatever pace suits you.
Play
Play is how many of the skills above actually develop. We use play-based approaches to build motor, sensory and social skills in a way that's engaging, not clinical.
Social Interactions
Support for building and maintaining relationships in a way that fits your communication style — without pressure to mask or perform neurotypical social norms.
Parent-Child Interactions
Strengthening connection and communication between parent and child, with strategies that support co-regulation and shared understanding at home.
Understanding Neurotype
Building self-understanding of how your brain works (strengths, needs and preferences) as a foundation for self-advocacy, without pathologising who you are.
Developing Strategies for Self-Management
Practical, individualised strategies you can use independently to manage sensory needs, emotions and daily tasks, building lasting capacity beyond sessions.
Meet the OT:
Sophie Culmer Whitlow
Occupational Therapist (BscAppSc - Occupational Therapy)
Sophie is a paediatric and mental health occupational therapist dedicated in support people of all ages to build skills, confidence and independence.
Sophie graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in Bachelor of Applied Science: Occupational therapy in 2017. She has extensive experience working with infants, children, adolescents. She has experience working with Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and those who have learning challenges, sensory processing differences, neurodivergence, anxiety, early childhood trauma, mental health challenges, gross and fine motor delays, dyspraxia, and speech/ language disorders.
Sophie believes that a strong foundation of regulation and connection is essential to building skills across all areas of life. Her approach to therapy is client-centred, which means tailoring strategies to meet the unique needs and goals of each child and family. Sophie is committed to providing a supportive, empathetic environment that encourages growth and empowers children to navigate their daily lives with greater ease and confidence.
Trainings, courses and interests:
DIR Floortime
Theraplay foundation course
Kelly Mahler - Interoception
Sensory Integration Therapy
Trauma informed practice
Neuroaffirming practice - ongoing professional development and reflection
Pretend Play
Passionate about the importance of regulation, connection and play for skill building
