Meet the Team
Holly Gawthorne
Occupational Therapist / Director

I grew up in Camden, NSW and lived there until I was 20. Since then, I have lived in Gerringong, Newcastle, Lightning Ridge, Perth and now Darwin. 

I studied at Western Sydney University (Campbelltown Campus) and I have a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy.

I always wanted to work in healthcare in some capacity, and met my first OT when I was in hospital with a broken spine 2 weeks before my HSC exams! I was drawn to how diverse the profession is, and love how many different areas we are able to work in.

I just love how much FUN I get to have everyday - who wouldn’t want to play games and hang out with legends all day?

On a deeper level, I love building connections with children and their families. I feel so lucky that families trust me and welcome me into their lives, and get so much joy out of being able support them to reach their goals.

I am so inspired by the little people I get to work with, and truly think I have the best job in the world.

There are 2 things I am really passionate about: 

• Supporting Rural Kids

• And Supporting the workforce of Occupational Therapists. 

I was working as a sole trader for 18 months, and realised that I missed being around other people/having colleagues (but I also LOVE getting to run my own business and get to do things my way). So I decided it was time to expand, and was lucky enough to hire some INCREDIBLE therapists.

I never want Eucalypt OT to get too big, as I think that's when companies can get a bit disconnected and lose the quality that they started with. All I have ever dreamed of is a small group of OT’s who are passionate about providing the highest quality service to rural kids - and I am so lucky I have found that. 

I have a special interest in sensory processing and reflex integration. I love to learn about how development can impact the central nervous system, and how this can impact our emotions, physical skills and cognition.

I also enjoy helping children to understand their diagnoses in a neuroaffirming way to help them feel confident and be able to self-advocate.

Body Socks and Lycra Tunnels!

Sushi! 

Outside of running Eucalypt OT, I also have a clothing brand called Kooly Collective and a podcast called Holly the OT Podcast! I love getting to be creative in different ways and being able to connect with some many different people.