A scenic view of a beach with waves crashing onto the shore, viewed from a high vantage point with green bushes in the foreground, mountain hills in the background, and a partly cloudy sky.

Who we are

We have treated thousands of patients, often taking the most complex cases.

We have completed thousands of assessments.

We have precepted dozens of students.

We have developed new grads into proficient therapists and lifted up therapists to become new seniors.

At times, we have steadied the ship and been the glue keeping services running. At other times, we have rocked the boat, stood up and spoken up for what we believe. We have geared up and led our services through adversity; we have stepped up to develop new initiatives; we have teamed up with team members who have different skills.

We have led and supported quality improvements; we have presented dozens of in-services and trainings. We reflect on what we do and are still learning and growing from our patients, professional literature and each other.

We are from NZ.

We are competent professionals.

We are Senior OT Courses.

Meet the Team

  • Senior OT - Developer

    Michael is a senior occupational therapist who has practiced in several clinical areas. He is currently working a split role in Older Adults Mental Health and a community rehab service.

    He chaired the working group which delivered The Inaugural Older Persons Mental Health  Occupational Therapy Symposium in November 2016 to support professional development for occupational therapists working in older person’s mental health.

    Over the last twenty years he has completed numerous teaching presentations with five conference presentations including;

    “Leading the Change” Allied Health Conference, May 2016, OT Role Development on an Older Persons Inpatient Mental Health Ward.      

    “Cognitive Stimulation Therapy on an Older Person’s MH Ward,” NZ and Asia Pacific Dementia Conference, Nov 2016 

    “The Inaugural Occupational Therapy Older Persons Mental Health Symposium”, Occupational Therapy NZ National Conference, Sept 2017 Poster Presentation.

  • Senior OT

    Cheryl has over 25 years’ experience working as an Occupational Therapist (OT) both in the UK and here in Aotearoa. Cheryl lives in Nelson where she spent nine years working in Older Persons Mental Health (OPMH) in both community and inpatients settings and was responsible for introducing and establishing the use of the Pool Activity Levels (PAL), the Allen Cognitive Levels Screen-6 (ACLS-6) and Sensory Modulation within the Service and wider DHB.

    Cheryl has acted as organiser and convener of local OT study days, developed and provided ACLS-6 training and subsequent study groups, presented at OT conferences, and acted as local representative for the national steering group for Sensory Modulation.

    In addition, Cheryl has personal experience of supporting a person living with dementia and is a board member for Alzheimer’s Nelson.

    For leisure Cheryl enjoys family time, tramping, acting, singing and op shopping!

  • Senior OT

    Mariette is a highly experienced occupational therapist with over 15 years of clinical practice across inpatient rehabilitation and community mental health services for older adults. She holds a Bachelor of Health Science in Occupational Therapy from Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

    Throughout her career, Mariette has worked extensively within multidisciplinary teams to support individuals in achieving greater independence, well-being, and quality of life. Her approach is grounded in evidence-based practice and a deep commitment to person-centred care, with a particular focus on the unique needs of older adults navigating complex health challenges.

  • Senior OT

    Emma Scholes is a the Senior Occupational Therapist at He Puna Waiora.

    With over 17 years’ experience across acute, community, and early intervention mental health services, Emma brings expertise in recovery-focused practice, cognitive and sensory assessment, functional evaluation, and risk management, alongside a strong background in leadership, training, and service development.

    Emma has contributed to multiple steering groups, delivered a range of clinical trainings, and holds experience in Cognitive Remediation Therapy, sensory modulation.  She is committed to supporting high-quality practice and collaborative learning in mental health settings.

“No one has it all together, but together we’ve got it all.”

— John Bertolucci