Nicolette Gowan

MScOT, MBA, OT Reg. (Ont.)

The Invisible Accommodation: Why Relationships Matter More Than Equipment

Communication breakdowns, misunderstandings and strained workplace relationships can undermine even the best accommodation plans. This presentation explores the often-overlooked relational side of workplace accommodation and the role of occupational therapists as facilitators of trust, collaboration and sustainable workplace success.

Antonella Finateri

BScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

How to Talk to the Worst Parts of Yourself: The Unconditional Welcome

The idea of “unconditional welcome” is that instead of fighting, judging or trying to get rid of the parts of ourselves we dislike, we can learn to welcome them with curiosity and compassion and love them unconditionally.

The “worst parts” of ourselves, such as anger, fear, shame, jealousy, avoidance, controlling behaviour or self-criticism, often developed as attempts to protect us or meet an important need. Rather than asking, “What is wrong with me?” we can ask, “What is this part of me trying to do for me?”

Elizabeth Jones

HBSc, BSc (OT), OT Reg. (Ont)

Walking Together Across the Bridge to Healing

When employees encounter a work-related mental stress injury, they may feel trapped in their home, alone and overwhelmed. This presentation highlights the healing nature of exposure therapy, reactivation using art as a medium, and the benefits of group therapy.

Julie Entwistle

BSc., BHSc. (OT), MBA

The Secret Recipe to Entrepreneurship: Julie’s 11 Herbs and Spices

Using humour and leveraging her background as a child raised in the business world of KFC, Julie will reveal the secret recipe that creates successful subcontractors and entrepreneurs. The behaviours of self-employment that lead to the best outcomes for clients, customers, colleagues, families and individuals will be revealed.

Marlene Morse

BScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Neurodiversity: Work Differently

Neurodiversity-informed accommodations are not about lowering expectations; they are about reducing barriers so employees can function, contribute and remain at work. As occupational therapists, we are well positioned to translate individual needs, job demands and environmental barriers into practical, sustainable workplace strategies.

Kerry Ann Suteu

MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Body Based Approaches to Down Regulation

Rather than using a cognitive or “top-down” approach to emotional regulation, we can use more physical and body-based techniques as a “bottom-up” approach to help our clients get out of their heads, into their bodies and learn how to self-regulate.

Ian Brisbin

BA (Hons.) Political Studies/History, LL.B

From Duty to Opportunity: The Evolution of Employers’ Duty to Accommodate

Ian will distill over two decades of experience as a personal injury and employment lawyer, together with the challenges of his own lived experience, into an engaging explanation of the progression of our understanding of accommodation in the workplace.

Hailey McLeod

MScOT, BA General Studies, OT Reg. (BC.)

From Burnout to Embodied Practice: A Somatic Approach to Occupational Therapy

This presentation uses an honest OT journey from clinical burnout to embodied practice to explore how integrating somatic awareness and nervous system regulation transformed clinical presence, observation and sustainability across workplace settings. Colleagues will leave with practical tools for regulated therapeutic presence and a new lens for understanding the body as a clinical asset for reducing the risk of burnout for themselves and clients.