Team ookami
Emily Spencer
Occupational Therapist - BOccThy(Hons)
Emily is an Occupational Therapist who is passionate about celebrating all children and the inherent worth each individual brings to our world. Emily has been working as paediatric occupational therapist for 14 years across a range of early intervention, education, and community-based settings. In her work, Emily prioritises relationship building and connection, meeting children and families’ where they are at and bringing compassion, curiosity and creative problem solving to each relationship. Emily values life-long learning and focussing on professional growth both in herself and through sharing her knowledge with others.
Outside of work you will find Emily spending time with her young family, fussing over her Golden Retriever, reading, sewing or getting out in nature!
Becky Newton
Occupational Therapist - BOccThy(Hons)
Becky is an experienced Occupational Therapist who has been fortunate to work in a range of settings over the years. She is passionate about early intervention and loves working alongside families with a belief that establishing genuine connection enables her to offer psychologically safe, effective and individualised support.
Becky enjoys working with a kind and knowledgeable team at Ookami Kids. She is passionate about trauma informed and neurodiversity affirming practice, and aims to incorporate unique interventions such as animal assisted therapy, mindfulness, and massage into her OT 'toolkit'.
Becky has two incredible daughters and loves to spend time with them. She also enjoys being outside surrounded by animals and nature on her little farm.
Felicia Brennan
Occupational Therapist
Felicia is an Occupational Therapist who has a diverse background in early childhood intervention, education and community based settings. Felicia has a strong belief in the power of connection and a commitment to a strength-based approach which aims to empower children and their families to thrive toward meeting their goals. Felicia loves working as part of a passionate team who are committed to professional growth and to the delivery of high quality evidence based practice.
Beyond Ookami Kids, Felicia enjoys spending time with her family, catching up with friends and listening to podcasts while going for walks.
Emma Blackie
Occupational Therapist
Emma is an Occupational Therapist who is passionate about working with children and their families. She has a kind, calm and non-judgemental nature and aims to ensure sessions are creative and engaging.
Emma enjoys many types of movement, and outside of work will be running, dancing, swimming or cycling. In her spare time, she also enjoys hanging out with her friends and family or going on adventures in nature.
Emma is excited to continue to develop her skills and knowledge through working closely with a range of families and the supportive Ookami team.
Nicki Mannes
Physiotherapist
Nicki is Physiotherapist with over ten years of experience working in paediatrics in a variety of settings including education, early intervention, community and public health. Nicki enjoys working in a multidisciplinary team. She is passionate about early screening and intervention for our most vulnerable children and loves working with babies and very young children. She is also very experienced working with children with complex disabilities and helping them to reach their potential through assistive technology, capacity building and collaborative therapy.
In her spare time, Nicki loves to spend time with her young family, adventuring new places and going for a run.
Katherine Scott
Speech Pathologist
Speech Pathologist (BA Linguistics, MSpPath)
Kat has experience across early childhood intervention and disability services supporting clients with speech sound disorders, speech and language development, and infant feeding and swallowing. Kat is dedicated to ensuring all people have a ‘voice’, whether through speech and/or the exploration of other AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) strategies. Her areas of interest include neurodiversity, AAC, and early speech and language development. Kat is a mother of three with an understanding of busy
(neurodivergent) family life and enjoys working to empower families and caregivers to support their children’s development through meaningful daily interactions at home and in the community.
Sara McKenzie
Allied Health Assistant Team Leader
Sara is an Allied Health Assistant with a passion for supporting young people to achieve to their full potential. She has many years of experience in the early childhood, early intervention field, both in education support and allied health assistant capacities. Sara enjoys interacting with children through play-based learning experiences. She forms connections through learning about individual strengths and interests and incorporating these into her sessions. Sara has a primary focus on building positive relationships with children and their families through meaningful and engaging interactions, in order to best support them to achieve their goals.
Away from Ookami Kids, you will find Sara spending time with her husband and two daughters, sharing her love of performance at a local performing arts school, running or walking her dog and enjoying books with a twist.
Matt Wilson
Allied Health Assistant
Matt is an Allied Health Assistant with varied experience working with children of different ages and abilities. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Ballarat and is currently working towards a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at Australian Catholic University. Matt believes strongly in empowering children to find their own goals, and in the importance of a proud support network to help them get there.
In his free time, Matt enjoys running, seeing live music and going on adventures with his wife and pets.
Caroline Adams
Business Manager
Caroline has been working in administration & finance for 30 years and has 12 years of experience working in schools, of which 7 have been spent as the Business Manager in a Specialist School setting.
Caroline thrives on a challenge and loves creating systems and processes that make everyone's life easier and more efficient. Caroline is delighted to be a part of a kind, compassionate team and a growing business. She is excited to be working in the paediatric therapy space, to assist Team Ookami to continue to offer a quality service that aligns with early childhood intervention best practice.
While often behind a desk, Caroline loves when she gets to see the beautiful kids she works for, something she makes time for as often as she can!
In her spare time, she keeps fit by taking long walks with her gorgeous groodle Alfie. The things that spark joy for her are spoiling her family, knitting, gardening & enjoying the peace & quiet lazing in the hammock.
She is passionate about supporting the team at Ookami Kids and is looking forward to spending the years ahead learning & growing with the team!