Root to Blossom Lifestyle OT

08/21/2025

Great read!

Love this snippet: “Curiosity creates a state of openness, not just in the mind, but in the nervous system. When we meet others with curiosity rather than judgement, our brains are wired to engage, empathize, and co-regulate. It’s a state of safety and connection.” 🩷

At Relationship Matters courses we often encourage participants to “stay curious”, but what is it about curiosity that is so powerful? Why does it soften people’s defenses, deepen connection, support learning and open the door to healing within us and with others? The answer lies deep in the n...

08/21/2025

🌿 Root to Blossom Lifestyle OT: Our Approach

Root to Blossom offers mental health-informed occupational therapy that supports nervous system regulation as the foundation for meaningful, purposeful living.

We help people:

🌿BE who they truly are
🌿DO what they want—and sometimes need—to do
🌿BELONG to communities where they feel safe, seen, and celebrated

Our approach is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and rooted in the belief that healing and thriving happen when your sensory needs, environments, and life roles are in alignment.

What our work may include:

✨ Individual sensory needs exploration, with tools like the Sensory Matrix to support self-awareness and personal development
✨Practical tools and development of routines for managing well-being, tailored to your unique nervous system and life demands
✨Yoga-based therapeutic practices to foster regulation, embodiment, and resilience
✨ Engagement in a therapeutic listening program, such as the Safe and Sound Protocol, to support emotional regulation and connection

Whether you're navigating parenting, returning to work, or simply seeking more ease in your daily life—we’re here to walk alongside you as you reconnect with your true self.

We also support those feeling overstimulated by the pace of modern life, exhausted from constantly meeting others’ expectations, or disconnected from their own needs—helping you find clarity, calm, and connection in a world that often feels too busy and too loud.

www.roottoblossom.ca

08/13/2025

🌸 Meet Carly Fredette, Occupational Therapist (OT)

At the heart of Root to Blossom is Carly Fredette—a compassionate, trauma-informed occupational therapist who believes that healing begins with co-regulation and connection.

Carly is:
- 🧘‍♀️ Yoga-trained, blending movement and mindfulness into therapeutic care
- 🌿 A Sensory Intelligence Certified Practitioner, helping clients understand and honour their unique sensory profiles
- 🎧 A Safe and Sound Protocol provider, using therapeutic listening to support emotional regulation and connection.

Her work is neurodiversity-affirming, deeply trauma-informed, and rooted in the belief that you are enough—today, tomorrow, and always.

Whether you're navigating parenting, returning to work, or feeling overstimulated by the demands of daily life, Carly offers a space to reconnect with your true self and build a life that feels safe, meaningful, and aligned.

📍 Now based in Calgary, AB
💻 Offering virtual services across Alberta, BC, and the Territories
🌱 Accepting new clients for September 2025

08/13/2025

🌿✨ We’ve moved… and we’re blooming in a new city! ✨🌿

Root to Blossom Lifestyle OT is now based in vibrant Calgary, Alberta! While our roots are planted in Calgary, our virtual services continue to grow far and wide—supporting individuals across Alberta, BC, and the territories.

We specialize in mental health occupational therapy, helping you reconnect with your routines, roles, and sense of purpose. Whether you're navigating burnout, anxiety, life transitions, or simply seeking balance—we’re here to walk alongside you.

📍New city, same heart.
💻 Virtual care
🌱 Root to Blossom—because healing is a journey.

Columbia

06/28/2024

Call to action - please consider signing this petition to support advocacy for more and better extended benefits coverage for occupational therapy services in Canada!

05/07/2024

🌟 May 7th: National Child & Youth Mental Health Day 🌟

As adults, we play a crucial role in supporting the mental health of children and youth. Here are some ways we can provide co-regulation and create a nurturing environment:

🔸Be Present: Give children your undivided attention. Put away distractions and truly engage during interactions. Your presence communicates that they matter.

🔸Create Safety: Ensure physical safety and also foster an emotionally safe space. Encourage open communication without judgment. Consider sensory needs—provide cozy corners, fidget tools, or calming scents.

🔸Model Self-Regulation: Children learn by observing. Demonstrate healthy emotion management—breathe deeply during stress, express feelings verbally, and problem-solve. Consider using sensory self-soothing strategies for your self-regulation.

🔸Build Trust: Treat children with respect, validate their feelings, and honor their autonomy. Trust grows when they feel heard and respected.

Remember, our actions shape their well-being. Let’s create a nurturing environment where children feel safe and valued. 💙🌈

05/06/2024

Free virtual event (“Connecting with Kids”) tomorrow evening with one of the most amazing occupational therapists around - Kim Barthel!


https://may7icare.ca/event-with-kim-barthel/

For over 20 years, FamilySmart has shared our lived experience of child & youth mental health challenges to help others and to enhance quality experiences between people. We get it.

05/06/2024

Embrace Compassion: CMHA Mental Health Week 2024 💕

Join me in celebrating the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week from May 6-12, 2024. This year, they are shining a light on the transformative and healing power of compassion. 💚

Let’s unite in kindness:

🔸Understand that everyone’s mental health journey is unique.

🔸Support each other with empathy and care.

🔸Share your stories and listen to others.

Together, we can create a more compassionate world. Let’s make mental health a priority, not just this week, but every day. 💕

05/06/2024

05/03/2024

Your sensory processing patterns are not wrong and they do not need to be fixed. They simply just need to be UNDERSTOOD.

Dr. Winnie Dunn, a distinguished professor of occupational therapy and renowned sensory expert, emphasizes that our sensory processing patterns are part of what make us unique. When we understand our unique sensory processing, we can unlock the potential for greater harmony between how we experience sensory input and how we navigate life. It's about aligning our sensory world with our daily experiences to support fulfillment and satisfaction.

At Root to Blossom Lifestyle OT, I specialize in creating awareness and understanding of your unique sensory needs. Through a comprehensive sensory assessment, we’ll build a personalized toolbox of strategies to empower you to live a sensory lifestyle that supports regulation and meaningful engagement in life activities.

05/01/2024

This is probably the most frequently asked question I receive when I share my profession with others. To be honest it is not the easiest question to answer (even after 14 years of being an OT!). If I had to sum it up in one sentence, here is my answer:

✨Occupational therapy is a health profession that supports people LIVE life in a meaningful way. ✨

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists provides the following definition:

“Occupational therapy is a type of health care that helps to solve the problems that interfere with a person’s ability to do the things that are important to them – everyday things like:

🔸Self-care - getting dressed, eating, moving around the house,

🔸Being productive - going to work or school, participating in the community, and

🔸Leisure activities - sports, gardening, social activities.”

If you want to learn more, please feel free to connect!

04/29/2024

My name is Carly Fredette and I am located in British Columbia 🇨🇦

As an occupational therapist and yoga practitioner, I value the importance of the mind body connection to support physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

My passion lies in mental health and I have a special interest in looking at life from a sensory lens.

As an individual with a highly sensitive nervous system and a mother to a beautifully neurodivergent kiddo, I have an abundance of personal experience with being overstimulated, noticing how that shows up in my mind and body, and taking action to work through my dysregulation.

My aim is to support you to:
🔸build awareness of how your nervous system works
🔸implement practical and accessible strategies for self-regulation
🔸identify modifications that can be made to your environment (hint: many of my ideas will be sensory-based!)
..so that chronic overstimulation and dysregulation no longer stop you from LIVING the LIFE you want.