Wide Bay Therapy helps people do the things that matter to them

When Christine decided to start her own occupational therapy practice, she had a simple goal: to make it easier for people in Gympie and the surrounding region to access the support they needed, without having to travel down the coast.

Explaining what she does is a common part of Christine Watson’s job. Some confuse occupational therapy with physiotherapy, while others hear the word ‘occupation’ and assume it has something to do with helping people find a job.

The reality is much broader.

“When you get an illness or a disability, or something happens in your life, we are the people who help you live an independent life and achieve all the things you need to achieve to have a good quality of life,” shares Christine.

For a child, that might mean playing, going to school, making friends or learning to read and write. For an adult, it could be returning to work, preparing a meal, showering independently or getting in and out of the car.

In other words, it’s about the everyday things that matter to people, and helping them find ways to keep doing those things when illness, injury or disability makes them harder.

“That can look like a lot of different things.”

When Christine started the business in 2018, she was working on her own. Today, the practice has grown into a team of occupational therapists, a speech therapist, a practice manager and admin support, all based locally in Gympie.

The clinic is located on Henry Street, in a beautiful old Queenslander surrounded by greenery. It feels more like stepping into someone’s home than arriving for an appointment at a clinic.

“I’ve always had this vision that people feel like they are coming home, where they feel relaxed and calm,” says Christine.

For the kids who visit Wide Bay Therapy, it’s a space to play, explore and have fun. Activities are designed around each child and the skills they’re working towards, but from the outside, it might simply look like play.

“It’s very rare that kids don’t want to be here.”

After all, one of the rooms is called the ‘Jungle’.

But play is only one part of what happens at Wide Bay Therapy.

The team works with people across all stages of life, helping with the everyday tasks that can become difficult.

Christine also has specialist training in driving assessments and driving with disabilities, autism assessments, and complex home modifications where she helps people make their homes safer and easier to navigate. That might mean an accessible bathroom, a ramp, changes to a kitchen or even a lift, often working alongside builders to develop plans.

For Christine, it’s this variety in the way she can help people that she enjoys most about being an occupational therapist.

The Wide Bay Therapy team supports people throughout Gympie and offers outreach to Cooroy, Tin Can Bay and Cooloola regions, the South Burnett and Wide Bay areas.