Carly Coleman
Occupational Therapist and Director
Carly graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2000 and has worked in Paediatrics ever since. She worked in multi-disciplinary teams in Australia and Ireland before starting her own private practice in 2011.
Carly has completed extensive training to become certified to the Fellowship level in DIR / Floortime model of practice and has completed many courses since then to continue to stay up to date in the areas of relationship, sensory-motor play based therapy. Carly is passionate about understanding a child's nervous system and adapting the environment and the demands to meet that child's individual needs. She is a fierce advocate for neuro-diverse children and takes time to listen and be present with each child she works with. Carly enjoys working with and partnering with parents to help them understand the individual profile of their child in order to match the environment and parenting strategies to suit that child.
In addition to DIR / Floortime certification, Carly has completed extensive training in the areas of Trauma-informed Practice, Sensory Integration, Challenging Behaviours, Polyvagal Theory, Assistive and Augmentive Communication and has completed Levels 1 and 2 Introductory to Auslan (sign language). She is a certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider. Carly is a registered Medicare Mental Health provider.
Carly has vast experience working with children of all ages however has a passion for working in the field of Early Intervention working with children who have complex needs.
In her spare time Carly loves spending time with her husband and three teenage children walking and swimming at the beach and hanging with her two dogs.
Carly Ritchie
Occupational Therapist
Carly is a Registered Occupational Therapist with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours). She has extensive experience supporting children of all ages in the disability space, primarily early intervention and works closely with families to build skills, connection and confidence in everyday life.
Carly’s approach is relational, neuroaffirming and connection based. She believes meaningful progress grows from safety, trust and shared joy. She is passionate about meeting each child where they are with empathy, intuitive care and playfulness, and has a natural ability to find and nurture the unique sparks that light each child up. Carly is caring, fun, bubbly and a little bit quirky, which helps her build genuine and joyful relationships with the children and families she supports.
She has experience working with children with a diverse range of needs and unique individual profiles including but not limited to ADHD, autism, intellectual disability, neurological conditions and developmental delay. Carly has a special interest in children with complex needs.
Carly practices from a trauma-informed and polyvagal-informed lens and has a strong interest in developmental and relationship-based therapy. She is trained in DIR Floortime (DIR 101) and is a Certified Safe and Sound Protocol provider. Additional training includes:
Attachment Matters (Kim Barthel)
Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (Dr Ross Greene)
Neuroaffirming Social Emotional Acuity (
Sensory Modulation (Tina Champagne)
Praxis and Executive Functioning
Carly is committed to ongoing learning and reflective practice so the children and families she works with feel understood, supported and empowered.
Vanessa Maruca
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Vanessa is an Early Childhood trained teacher with over 10 years experience. She has worked in long day care services and was also a service coordinator for a local family day care scheme. Vanessa is completing her Occupational Therapy Assistant course and is hoping to study further to become an occupational therapist.
Vanessa is bubbly, playful, observant and enthusiastic. She has a strong belief in providing a safe and secure environment in which children may flourish and develop their individuality to their greatest potential and believes in the power of play. Vanessa gets immense satisfaction from seeing children overcome challenging tasks and achieve their potential.
Vanessa is married with two children. She loves spending time with her family, cooking, going to the beach, listening to music and going to the gym.
Dani McKerrel
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Dani is an Early Childhood trained teacher with over 18 years of experience working with children all over Australia. She is also a trained yoga teacher and shiatsu therapist. Dani is loving working with children on an individual level at Northern Beaches Children's OT as a Therapy Assistant.
Dani is intuitive, observant and playful. She focuses on building connection through respect and attentiveness to the needs of each child. Dani seeks to really understand how each child thinks, feels, perceives and experiences the world. She believes that this helps children feel seen, safe and supported, and from this evolving perspective assists them in meeting their goals.
Aidan Coleman
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Aidan is a therapy assistant currently studying Occupational Therapy at Australian Catholic University. You could say OT runs in the family—Aidan grew up surrounded by the world of paediatrics and is passionate about supporting children to thrive. He brings warmth, patience, and a touch of creativity to his sessions, often incorporating music as a powerful therapeutic tool.
Outside of work, Aidan enjoys singing, playing guitar, heading to the beach, playing soccer, and hanging out with family and friends.
Bianca Protze
Administrator
Bianca is our remote administrator with over 10 years of experience within the medical field. She embodies compassion and patience, always ready to lend a listening ear and offer support to patients and colleagues alike. Her gentle demeanour and empathetic nature create a soothing and reassuring presence within our practice.
Born in Germany, Bianca now loves living between our serene beaches and nature here in the Northern Beaches. Beyond her work, she has two boys and a range of animals she cares for, including dogs, cats and Dave the Bearded Dragon. She finds joy and creativity in the kitchen, and she takes delight in crafting cakes and cupcakes which impress at birthday partys.
Please message her for any questions you might have, big or small.