Michelle is the visionary founder and director of Gumboots Child Therapy. With a passion for helping others and a commitment to child development and wellbeing, she established the business in 2016 with the goal of providing compassionate, personalized therapy services to those in need. Her extensive experience in the field, combined with a deep understanding of the importance of physical and mental health, has shaped the foundation of Gumboots Child Therapy into a trusted resource for individuals seeking support. 

Michelle is a dedicated and compassionate paediatric Occupational Therapist with experience in supporting children, particularly those with differing abilities and special needs. After graduating with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Monash University in 2009, Michelle began her career working with children with moderate to severe delays at Windermere's Biala Early Childhood Intervention Service. She has since gained valuable experience in various community health services, including Monash Health and Eastern Access Community Health (EACH)/ Knox Community Health, and Central Bayside Community Health Services. 

In addition to her community work, Michelle had been a casual tutor at Australian Catholic University between 2016-2020, where she assisted with the simulated placement and third-year paediatric Occupational Therapy students. She is passionate about best practice therapy and believes in the power of collaboration between caregivers, educators, and health professionals. 

Michelle is a certified Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP) therapist and has supervised new graduate OTs entering the pediatric field.

Michelle is a mum to 3 children and practices what she preaches in terms of attachment, emotion coaching and sensory regulation with her own children.