Staff Spotlight: Mandy, Occupational Therapist

Meet Mandy, our Occupational Therapist with decades of experience in the field. She completed her Bachelor of Health Science in Occupational Therapy degree from Auckland University of Technology in 2008, and built her leadership strength by taking on managerial roles in the industry and finishing a Diploma in NZ Business Leadership and Management.

Known by her peers as a very empathetic person, Mandy takes the practice of OT as her way to make a difference in people’s lives. This was especially important for her after someone important to her was diagnosed with mental health and developmental delays. Mandy made a resolve to ensure that more people and their whanau can access the proper support needed to take on daily challenges and lead a better life.

As part of the Better Days team, Mandy has shown stellar competency in empowering participants. A true testament to her abilities was when she worked with a person who struggled for the most part of her adult life to be heard and understood because of her disability. With Mandy’s support, together with a Physiotherapist, the participant is now successfully achieving her goals with independent Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and has a great multidisciplinary team helping her.

Mandy sees the team as a dynamic and ever-learning group that strives for continuous improvement in their methods and frameworks.

When she’s not busy at work, Mandy tends to her beloved Bonsai. She very much enjoys the art of Bonsai and especially adores making her own pottery. She also belongs to the Auckland Bonsai Society.