What Is Trauma-Informed Occupational Therapy?

Trauma-informed occupational therapy blends the practical, whole-person lens of occupational therapy with an understanding of how trauma lives in the body and nervous system. Rather than treating trauma as something to revisit in detail, this approach focuses on helping you feel safe, regulated, and grounded in daily life. Sessions draw on the autonomic nervous system, sensory processing, and daily routines to support recovery at a pace that feels manageable for you.

You Don't Have to Carry This Alone

Many people come to occupational therapy after a life transition, a period of burnout, or ongoing anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulty. Most have a trauma history, though many prefer not to dive deeply into it, and that is completely okay. Sessions prioritize safety and nervous system regulation over trauma excavation, with no pressure to move faster than feels right. Care is available to adults and older teens, 16 and up, including women, non-binary and gender-diverse clients, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Meet Rachel Schooley, Registered Occupational Therapist

Rachel holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from McMaster University (2016) and is a member in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II), holds a Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Trauma Research Foundation, and is an ADHD-Certified Clinical Service Provider and Certified Grief Informed Professional. Her approach is primarily somatic and grounded in the autonomic nervous system, drawing on the Structural Dissociation model, the Safe and Sound Protocol, Polyvagal Theory, Internal Family Systems, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and CBT. She brings an occupational therapy lens to how daily routines and sensory systems interact with nervous system regulation and overall wellbeing, offering dynamic, client-led care rather than a fixed protocol.

Conditions We Work With

Rachel provides trauma-informed occupational therapy for adults and older teens navigating PTSD and complex PTSD, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and grief or loss. Every plan of care is tailored to your goals and pace, with somatic and nervous-system-informed strategies woven throughout.

What to Expect

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Free 15-Minute Discovery Call

Talk through your goals and preferred approach before booking your first session.
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Client-Led, Trauma-Informed Sessions

Care shaped around your pace, blending somatic and nervous-system-informed approaches.
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NIHB-Covered Treatment

Rachel is an approved NIHB provider, so eligible clients can access fully covered care.

Occupational Therapy Alongside Our Full Care Team

Occupational therapy is one part of the multidisciplinary care available at Sudbury Health Collective, alongside physiotherapy, naturopathic medicine, and psychotherapy under one roof. If you are also working through relationship challenges, stress, or perinatal and birth trauma, our psychotherapy team is a natural complement to trauma-informed OT. Every appointment at Sudbury Health Collective is one-to-one, with the practitioner you book present for the full session.

Frequently Asked Questions

No formal diagnosis is required. Many clients come in navigating burnout, anxiety, depression, or a difficult transition, with or without a specific diagnosis.
Rachel is an approved NIHB provider, so eligible clients can access fully covered treatment. Many extended health plans also cover occupational therapy. Check with your provider for details specific to your coverage.
Rachel primarily works with adults, plus some older teens. The minimum age for her caseload is 16.
Not if you don't want to. Sessions prioritize safety and nervous system regulation, and many clients prefer not to revisit trauma in depth. Care is dynamic and client-led.

Start Your Healing Journey

Book a free 15-minute discovery call with Rachel Schooley

Trauma-informed occupational therapy is available in person in Sudbury or virtually across Ontario. Reach out today to get started.

BOOK NOW

Sudbury Health Collective

888 Regent St, Suite 100
Greater Sudbury, ON
P3E 6C6

7055860138

admin@sudburyhealthcollective.com

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