An occupational therapist who reads your file before they meet you.
For children and adults. In our Strathfield South clinic or by telehealth, anywhere in Australia. Medicare, private health, NDIS, DVA, WorkCover, self-funded — we’ll help you work out what applies.
You don’t need a diagnosis to come. You don’t need a referral. Noticing something is reason enough.
Everyday tasks are harder than they should be.
Getting dressed, mealtimes, handwriting, the morning routine. The things everyone else seems to do without thinking are taking real effort in your house.
School or work has raised something.
Sensory needs, attention, organisation, keeping up in the classroom or at a desk. Someone has suggested an OT — or you’ve wondered yourself.
Home needs to work for your body.
After an injury, an illness, or with age — independence at home, upper-limb rehabilitation, equipment and modifications that fit how you actually live.
How our occupational therapists work
Occupational therapy is about the doing of daily life — the tasks, routines, and roles that fill a day. Our occupational therapists start by understanding what a normal day looks like for you or your child, and where it’s catching. For kids, sessions often look like play; that’s deliberate — play is how children show an OT what’s going on.
Sessions are 45 minutes for children and 50 for adults, with practical goals you set together. We draw on sensory-informed approaches, task and environment adaptation, and other evidence-based practices — matched to what you bring, not what’s currently fashionable. If we’re going to use a specific approach with you, we’ll explain what it is and why we think it fits.
If an occupational therapist thinks you’d also benefit from psychology, physiotherapy, or speech input — say, for a child’s communication alongside sensory needs — they’ll ask you before they mention it internally. Nothing about you moves inside our team without your say-so.
Your first session
Before you come in.
You’ll fill out a short form about a normal day — what’s working, what’s catching. Your occupational therapist reads it before they meet you.
The session itself.
For kids, it looks like play. For adults, it’s a practical conversation about tasks and routines, sometimes trying things in the room. Toward the end, your OT says plainly what they noticed and what they think would help.
After.
You’ll leave with a sense of whether this is a good fit, what a reasonable next few sessions look like, and what you’d do if you decide it’s not for you. No pressure to rebook on the spot.
Occupational therapy funding at a glance
With a GP’s Chronic Disease Management plan, Medicare rebates part of your session fee for up to 5 allied health sessions per calendar year. [VERIFY] current session cap.
Some funds cover occupational therapy. Coverage varies — HICAPS on the day.
No referral needed. Fee stated up front.
Self, plan, or agency-managed ([VERIFY] per registration). Reports written for plan reviews at no extra charge to you.
Occupational therapy questions
No. You can book directly. A GP referral (Chronic Disease Management plan) changes what Medicare covers, but it isn’t required to see us.
Mostly like play — on purpose. Play is how children show an OT what’s going on with movement, sensory processing, and attention. Your OT will explain what they’re looking at and why, in plain words, at the end of the session.
Yes, with your consent. We can liaise with teachers and learning-support staff, and write recommendations the school can actually use. School visits depend on location — ask us. [VERIFY school-visit availability]
For adults working on independence at home, we can assess your home environment and recommend equipment or modifications. Availability depends on where you live — ask us on the first call. [VERIFY home-visit availability]
Broadly: physiotherapists work on the body’s movement — strength, pain, joints, rehabilitation. Occupational therapists work on daily activities — how you dress, write, work, play, and manage routines. They often work together, and at Circlewell they share one file, so you don’t explain yourself twice.