A neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ affirming private pay occupational therapy practice
Who I work with
Hey there 👋🏻 I’m Rachel, the owner and occupational therapist behind What’s Next OT. And I’m so glad you’re here.
Since you are, I’m guessing that you’ve been searching for an OT who’s:
LGBTQIA+ friendly
Strengths-based
Understanding (and celebratory!) of neurodiversity
If so, welcome.
You’re in the right place. After existing in spaces both personally and professionally that aren’t built to support neurodiversity or queerness, I made it a goal to be that space myself. I work with adults ages 18-35 who identify as neurodiverse and/or LGBTQIA+.
So if you’ve been looking for support with figuring out “what’s next” for you in your life, let’s chat for 15 minutes to see if we’d be a good fit to work together.
OT Services that come to you
I believe that therapy should take place in the most natural environment possible. So I travel to where it’s convenient for you to meet.
Having a therapist that comes to you means:
You can wear your comfy clothes during our sessions.
If it’s a nice day and you want some sun, we can go outside.
Your pup, friend, or family member can hang with us while we work on your goals from your living room.
Location:
Anywhere within ~10 miles of Sayville, NY.
Hours:
Saturdays 10am-4pm
After school M, T, or W upon availability
(During the summer I can travel further- so if you’re more out east, you can still reach out!)
I provide OT with:
When you work with me, I will always encourage you to be your most authentic self.
And if you’re still figuring out who that is, I will provide a safe space for you to do that work.
Want to try out a new name? I’m down.
Want to see how it feels to use different pronouns? Let’s see how it goes.
Wherever you’re at, I will be here to support the evolution of you.
Authenticity
I will always empower you to be an active participant in planning each session we have. I want you to feel comfortable when we work together. Whether that means using a fidget while we chat, or turning off The Big Light, I’ll give you the space to feel in control of each aspect of the work we do together.
Autonomy
A Strengths-based Approach
I’ve read way too many IEPs and reports that focus on what someone can’t do. You will not find that with me. I practice from a strengths-based lens, which means that I will focus on the things that you are good at, what your interests are, and what lights you up to provide you with relevant session ideas and the “just right challenge” to get you closer to where you’d like to be.
Services
I currently offer private-pay services only (I am not in network with any insurance carriers).
1 - Initial Consult Call
This free, no-commitment consult call will help us both decide if we’re a good fit to work together. If we are (yay!) then I’ll use the info you share with me to choose relevant assessment tools to learn more about you during our evaluation session.
2 - Evaluation
I know this part can sound a little intense, but trust me, we’ll make this fun. I use assessment tools that will help me learn about what’s important to you, and what makes you you. Then from there, we’ll work together to write goals to focus on during our work together. Evaluations are $250 and include a print-out of your full report.
3 - Therapy Sessions
After we finish up the evaluation together, we’ll get to start our sessions! I’ll always touch base with you for session planning to make sure we use each time we meet to work on what you want to focus on. Sessions can take place within your home environment.
Sessions start at $125 for 45 minutes. Rate is subject to increase based on travel distance and/or credit card processing fees.
Maybe your “what’s next” is about:
Dating and/or Sexuality
Are you:
Looking for how to make your dates more fun and authentic?
Trying to see if dating apps could work for you?
Just trying to figure out what your sexuality even is?
These are all things we could talk about and work on together.
Navigating friendships and other relationships
Maybe you:
Are about to live with a roommate for the first time.
Feel frustrated that your family doesn’t fully understand your sensory profile (more on that below).
Are good at making friends but struggle with keeping them.
Friend and family relationships can be tricky. If this is a challenge area that’s important to you, we can take a closer look at what’s going on for you together.
Daily Life and Routines
Do you want to:
Figure out ways of organizing that actually work for you?
Feel more prepared for the week instead of getting the Sunday Scaries?
Get better with being on time for school or work (or maybe early for once)?
Then I want that for you, too. The world is a confusing place for us ND folks! But since I travel to you, we’ll be able to really figure out what systems and routines are working for you, and which ones maybe aren’t. Then we can work together to come up with actionable steps you can implement asap.
Sensory Needs
If you feel like:
You’re the only one at work who can hear the electricity
You need a lot of down time after a social-gathering and aren’t sure why
or
You love your partner but hate how they chew
then you might benefit from exploring your sensory profile to learn more about yourself and the way you process sensory information. This can impact you in a lot of areas of life, so I’d be glad to help you do this self-discovery.
We can address any and all of those things in our sessions.
Looking for something I didn’t mention but still think we’d be a good fit to work together? Reach out! OT is all about meeting people where they’re at— so tell me what you’re thinking and we can go from there.
How I got here
I’ve been a pediatric (primarily school-based) OT for almost 4 years now. And within those 4 years, I’ve loved
getting to support students in meeting their goals while having fun, too
educating teachers on strategies to help their students learn better within the classroom
talking with families and sharing about how amazing their kid is
But I know there is a need in the community for adult services. And I hope to fill that gap.
Within those 4 years, I also learned a lot more about the way my brain works. Learning that I fit the criteria for OCD made so many things make way more sense to me. And I’m still on a self-exploration journey myself.
So all of this is to say that you are valid. Whether you have a neurodiverse diagnosis (Autism, ADHD, OCD, etc.) or are just beginning to discover your neurodiverse traits— you are safe with me, and being a part of your world would be an honor.
And I would love to hear your story, next.
Hi again.
