Sarah De Jager

Sarah is an energetic and engaging therapist. She loves working with children and their families. Sarah has a natural gift with connecting and building trust with kids throughout therapy. She also values building that trust with parents by being supportive and providing a listening ear. Sarah has been practising as an OT in paediatrics since October 2019, and prior to this, was an OT in a Brisbane Hospital for almost a year. It was there Sarah learnt to build rapport and supportive relationships with families, especially during tough or uncertain times. Sarah has a passion for working with kids, so has always felt drawn to paediatrics.

Sarah worked with children and their families in a rural private practice during her first university placement. In this setting, she conducted school visits, facilitated group sessions and provided meaningful and client-centered therapy for fine/ gross motor challenges, emotional regulation and sensory processing difficulties.

Sarah also has extensive volunteer experience working with and building relationships with children at Kids Matters and at a local youth group/ camps.

• Extensive clinical training, supervision and work shadowing at Kids Matters (2016-2017 and 2019)
• Sue Larkey and Dr Tony Attwood – Austism Spectrum Disorder Conference (2018)

Sarah has a special interest in working with children with a range of occupational challenges. These challenges might happen at home, in the community, and at school. Sarah has experiences working with children with ASD, ADHD/ADD, classroom/learning difficulties including executive function challenges, sensory regulation challenges and handwriting issues. Sarah also has a special interest in Social Thinking Curriculum and uses this approach with most of her clients to support their social-emotional play and living skills. Sarah applies her knowledge in sensory integration and developmental play skills to shape her therapy sessions to help her clients achieve their goals.

Sarah loves to work collaboratively and closely with families, educators, and other professionals, to help her kids to grow in confidence and ultimately unlock their potential.

Sarah is an energetic, passionate and hard working therapist. She is passionate about searching for strengths in the child and families and using these to overcome challenges and difficulties faced in every day life. Sarah aims to create a supportive environment during therapy, where children and parents feel comfortable to ask questions and feel empowered.

Sarah prefers to take a holistic approach, which includes involving teachers, parents and siblings (if appropriate) into the therapy, this is important for transferring the skills and strategies discussed and practiced in therapy to be also used in those other contexts.

Sarah was born in Australia and is the eldest of her siblings and cousins. This is where her loving and nurturing personality has stemmed from, as she always loved to care for her younger family members. Her parents are both educators, and so she grew up visiting their classrooms and helping with craft, and various activities.

Sarah has been involved in her church’s youth group as a volunteer leader and director for the past 8 years. This involves running group games and building relationships/connecting with kids aged between 10–17 years old. Sarah has a passion for this ministry and walking alongside young people through some of life’s ups and downs.

Sarah has recently become a wife and subsequently become an (official) Aunty to 2 beautiful nieces, who she loves to play and spend quality time with by playing dolls, doctors, dinosaurs and hide and seek. She also loves to go the beach, tap dance, watch marvel movies/tv series and go to the Gabba to watch the Brisbane Lions play AFL and AFLW.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts you or the therapist may find that you are not a good fit. If your therapist feels that he or she is not best suited to you, he/ she will discuss this with you and recommend a more appropriate therapist.

If you feel that your therapist is not a good fit within the first three sessions, simply discuss this with our admin team who will find a more suitable therapist.