Meet Jamie
Jamie Blank – Director &Paediatric Occupational Therapist
Jamie graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Otago Polytechnic in 2010, previously working as a teacher's aide for disabled children in her hometown of Nelson for several years.
Jamie’s professional career has been rich and varied, with her foundation years spent in acute and community child-adolescent mental health services and later moving into rehabilitation, and private pediatric services. She has seen and supported children with a diverse range of physical and neurodevelopmental disabilities, mental health disorders, trauma & and attachment disorders, and developmental delays.
During her years working in public health, Jamie became increasingly aware of the gap in services for children needing access to occupational therapy. This led to her establishing her private practice, formally known as Sensory Pathways OT to support the children and families in her community who were essentially falling through the cracks.
Jamie’s areas of specialty and interest are supporting children with social-emotional challenges, anxiety, sensory processing disorders, dyspraxia, trauma, ADHD, Autism, and Pathological Demand Avoidance. Supporting parents as they navigate the terrain of raising a child with additional sensory needs is also an area of deep passion for Jamie, who, as a parent of an autistic child herself understands the challenges of family life and parenting a child with differences. Family-centred, holistic practice that leads to improving a child’s challenges while empowering parents and educating others to better understand a child’s needs are at the heart of Jamie’s work and approach.
Addressing the physical, mental and psychosocial well-being of neurodivergent children and parents has become a passion for Jamie over the past few years. Supporting parents and families to build their neuro-village is so important to the success of a young person and the health and wellness of those supporting them.
Jamie is well known across the Wellington & Kapiti region for her work with children and has established and maintained relationships with local health and education services over her many years as an Occupational Therapist. Jamie’s engagements have included presentations to parents, therapists, teachers, day-care providers, and child protection services on various topics, including child development, sensory processing, regulation through movement for children, nature-based therapy approaches for children, and the impact of trauma on children’s sensory processing and regulation and supporting children with pathological demand avoidance.
When not busy juggling a busy caseload and helping to manage the N & T Team, Jamie enjoys family time with her husband, two boys, and the grandparents, as well as walking in nature, reading and listening to podcasts, sewing and screen printing, and loves any excuse for a coffee and a chat up with friends.
Jamie has completed the following training:
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Jamie’s most recent training and professional development:
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The SpIRiT of Paediatric Therapy - Tracey Stackhouse
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Therapeutic Listening Program- Vital Links
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“How Does Your Engine Run?” The Alert Program for Self-Regulation
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Sensory Modulation and trauma-informed care- Tina Champagne
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The five ways to well-being- MH Foundation
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Clinical supervision training- CCDHB
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The Traffic Jam in my brain- Genevieve Jerrob
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Occupational Therapy in Nature- Lisa Haverly
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Autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance- Emma Spencer
Jamie is a registered Occupational Therapist in Aotearoa and is also a member of the OTNZ-WNA.