Meet Your Team

Hi, I am Sarah and the original occupational therapist who set up Barefoot as a private part time practice for myself back in 2011. These days I am an Animal Assisted Therapy Educator and include meditation and family programs into my farm-based clinical OT work. The rest of the time I am wrangling my 2 boys and overseeing all the animals and the Practice in general, including staff development and wellbeing. I love nothing more than time away at the Murray river with my family.

Bronwyn is our practice manager who has been working alongside Sarah at Barefoot Therapists since 2018. As the business has grown and evolved, so has Bronwyn’s role within the team. With a background in Childcare & Early intervention services, Bronwyn enjoys working with children and their families.  

Outside of her work hours, Bronwyn is a wife & mum to 2 children. Bronwyn fills her cup by regular walking, family adventures, Pilates, spending time at the beach and attending concerts and stage shows/musicals. 

Hello, I am Luke. I work with children supporting them in their therapy sessions at the farm and with the animals. I am also busy transitioning our working environment to the new farm so you will find me with the nailbag on, or working on the tractor for the next year or so.

Hello, I’m Brianna but some of my kids prefer to make up names for me!
I studied a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at Monash University. I have always loved working with children and am constantly amazed by their unlimited potential.

I am a National level swimmer so this takes up most of my time when I am not working, so you will usually find me at a swimming pool or the beach.

One day I hope to combine my passion for swimming and Occupational Therapy to become a certified Aquatic Occupational Therapist.

Hi I’m Lara and I have been an Occupational Therapist for 23 years. I took time off my career to raise my own three children, which has been my greatest education.

My professional development has included trainings such as DIR Floortime, Circle of Security parenting, and SOS feeding. My areas of interest include sensory and emotional regulation, caregiver education, and feeding. What I love most is seeing children and families thrive.

In DIR Floortime we look for ‘the gleam in the eye’. Seeing joy in children’s faces is my main goal. When I’m not at work I love going on adventures with my husband and kids, swimming in the ocean, and eating delicious food!

Hi, I’m Amy and I have 5 years’ experience as an OT mostly in the Specialist Education setting.

An area of interest for me is Self-Regulation and giving children the strategies to take control of how they handle their emotions. I am also a qualified Animal-Assisted Therapist with my dog Bear (pictured) who I hope will begin visiting the clinic in the not too distant future to engage with the you all!

When I’m not at work, you will find me cooking up a storm, painting, surfing, going for runs with Bear or going on weekend getaways in my van!

Hi, I’m Susan. I have been an Occupational Therapist for too many years to mention, and am Barefoot’s Senior Mental Health Clinician. I worked in adult mental health for many years, before making the change to paediatrics nearly two years ago.

What I love about being an Occupational Therapist is being able to use creative and everyday activities to support children to work towards their goals. I am passionate about the mental health and wellbeing of children, which includes supporting families through what can be a bumpy journey. I’m interested in the way a child processes their sensory world, as this can have a big impact on how they go about their everyday lives (the power of blowing some bubbles for calm breaths is amazing).

When I’m not at work you might find me walking my dog (Rumple), gardening, cooking, getting creative, seeing friends, going to the movies….and let’s not forget shopping

Hi, I’m Miranda! I’m the newest OT to Barefoot’s amazing team.

I studied a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at Monash University, and first worked in the NDIS space amongst all ages and disabilities. From here, my love for working with children grew and I decided to come on board and join the amazing work that Barefoot do. I love to embrace my creative side, and use this as a fun way to engage children in a range of environments. When I’m not at work, you can find me with my miniature dachshund Louie (or patting every other dog I see), putting on big dinners for my friends and traveling as much as possible around Australia and the world.

I look forward to training up as an Animal Assisted Therapist and combining my love of animals with therapy too ❤

Kara is our speech pathology team leader! She has spent her career working with children with disabilities and their families and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. She loves working with children of all ages and has a special interest in supporting children with limited or restricted diets.

When she’s not at work Kara can be found spending time with loved ones, including her dog Bo. Bo has been helping out in Kara’s recent zoom sessions

Mary has worked with horses since she was a child, and at 76 you will still find her riding Dusty on her days off. Mary works most days at Barefoot with the horses, and in some of our therapy groups. We value an age diverse team culture and Mary , a grandma of two boys with additional needs is part of that family feel that many people enjoy at Barefoot.

Hello. I am Alex. I am a qualified school teacher and a riding coach and I support children in their literacy and handwriting and general educational needs within the therapy team. My passion is horses and I lead the equine assisted therapy programs and look after farm management – I am happiest outdoors taking care of the Donkeys and farm animals. When I am not working you will find me riding my own horses out on the trail or competing in Eventing.

Hello! My name is Michaela and I’m working as a speech pathologist both at the clinic and the farm.

Working closely with people from all walks of life has always been a passion of mine, and I feel very lucky to get to do it every day! In particular, I am interested in supporting parents and young children to create playful and meaningful opportunities for communication. Working with clients to build their communication confidence and reach their full potential is also a key part of my work.

When I’m not at work I enjoy riding my horse, catching up with friends, going to the gym and heading out to local cafes.

Danielle is one of our sensational speechies who works in our paediatric team. Danielle loves working with families and children with additional needs to help them achieve their full potential. Danielle is passionate about early communication, speech and language intervention in addition to developing children’s social and emotional skills She is also hoping to become proficient in the area of paediatric feeding in the near future. She enjoys travel, spending time with friends and family in particular with her younger cousins, loves animals and plays guitar in her spare time.

Sarah joined the Barefoot admin team at the beginning of 2022. Originally from Wales, Sarah has a strong background in reception and administration. Though Sarah has been in Australia for 12 years with her husband, 3 children and dog Leo she can still be recognised over the phone by her Welsh accent. Sarah’s big loves in her life are her family, Garfield and singing.

Narelle is our head of reception with around 12 years’ experience working in Allied Health. Outside of work Narelle is a mum to 3 adult children and her fur baby Fletcher. Narelle enjoys spending her weekends in her caravan, travelling with family and friends. Narelle has been a Scout Leader for many years, sharing her love of camping and the outdoors with hundreds of young people over the years.