theintentionalot

theintentionalot Virtual and Mobile Holistic Occupational and Sound Therapy for the emotional, physical and social development of your child and self.

I was nominated again for Best of Whitefish for The Intentional OT.I’ve won the past two years, which still feels a litt...
03/24/2026

I was nominated again for Best of Whitefish for The Intentional OT.

I’ve won the past two years, which still feels a little surreal, and I’d love your support again this year.

If you’ve worked with me, brought your child in, or come to a sound bath, this is a really simple way to support the clinic.

Click on the links 🔗 in my bio to find the voting page with

It takes about 10 seconds, and you can vote once a day. Don’t forget to vote for my clinic partners for your favorite physical therapist if you have interacted with for treatment.

I appreciate you more than you know.

Heavy work is one of the most effective ways to support a child’s nervous system.When the body gets deep pressure, pulli...
03/16/2026

Heavy work is one of the most effective ways to support a child’s nervous system.

When the body gets deep pressure, pulling, pushing, and full body effort, it gives the brain clear information about where it is in space. That input helps the system settle instead of staying in a constant state of seeking or overwhelm.

Purposeful play helping you do hard things well.

🚧 Construction Update for The Intentional OTConstruction has started on 4th Ave in Columbia Falls.We want families to kn...
03/09/2026

🚧 Construction Update for The Intentional OT

Construction has started on 4th Ave in Columbia Falls.

We want families to know that the clinic is still open and accessible, and we have set up an easy parking option during construction.

Parking instructions:

➡ Drive around via 3rd Ave to access the alley behind the clinic
➡ Park between the orange poles in the designated area in our back parking lot, or along 6th Street in the designated handicap spaces
➡ Walk around to the front entrance

Thank you for your patience while the city completes this work. We appreciate the flexibility and look forward to the improvements coming to the neighborhood.

First part of Herman & Wallace Pediatric Pelvic Floor is done. Yay!This course was dense with hours of prerequisites. In...
03/02/2026

First part of Herman & Wallace Pediatric Pelvic Floor is done. Yay!

This course was dense with hours of prerequisites.

In my clinic, bowel and bladder struggles are rarely just about p**p and p*e.

The kids I see are also navigating anxiety, ADHD, autism, sensory differences, low muscle tone, and nervous system dysregulation.

If a child is stuck in fight or flight, their body stays tight. Tight muscles do not empty well.

If a child has low tone, they slump on the toilet and cannot push effectively.

If a child has ADHD, they miss early body signals and wait until it is urgent.

If a child has sensory differences, the bathroom itself can feel overwhelming.

This training deepened my understanding of how breathing, posture, core strength, and the pelvic muscles work together. It helped connect the dots between constipation, accidents, bedwetting, and nervous system regulation. It also reinforced external, trauma-informed approaches and practical strategies families can actually use at home.

If we want better sleep, better regulation, and less shame around accidents, we have to understand how the body works.

This training fills an important gap for the families I serve. And I am just getting started

Take time for you. Restorative Yoga + Sound BathDowntown KalispellKarina from Flourish Yoga & Massage will guide a 45-mi...
03/01/2026

Take time for you.
Restorative Yoga + Sound Bath
Downtown Kalispell

Karina from Flourish Yoga & Massage will guide a 45-minute restorative practice. Accessible for beginners.

Then I’ll lead a 45-minute sound bath focused on nervous system down regulating.

Sunday, March 8
5:00–6:30 pm
540 South Main Street, Kalispell
$35

Space is limited. RSVP in advance.

Being a neurodivergent OT means prioritizing regulation and focus, especially when diving into complex stuff. Here are s...
02/28/2026

Being a neurodivergent OT means prioritizing regulation and focus, especially when diving into complex stuff. Here are some strategies that help me succeed because sitting for long periods isn't exactly my thing.

02/18/2026

Sometimes OT is quiet.

It’s not always big swings or obstacle courses or handwriting drills.

Sometimes it’s sitting just outside the fort.
Listening.
Regulating your own nervous system first.
Letting a child think, sort, and feel through play while knowing you’re right there.

Safety doesn’t always look like doing.
Sometimes it looks like steady presence.

When a child can process inside their own world and still feel you nearby, that’s regulation.

This is helping them do hard things well.

“I like being here.”For a kid with sensory overload and panic, that means his body isn’t on guard.Before behavior plans....
02/13/2026

“I like being here.”

For a kid with sensory overload and panic, that means his body isn’t on guard.

Before behavior plans.
Before pushing independence.

Regulate the nervous system.
Everything else grows from there.

We turned our ladder swing into a sensory. Climbing in and pulling up builds shoulder strength. That stability is what h...
02/13/2026

We turned our ladder swing into a sensory.

Climbing in and pulling up builds shoulder strength. That stability is what helps the hands work better for coloring, cutting, writing, buttons.

The gentle swinging gives the vestibular input their body is asking for. When the movement is contained and they get to control it, you can actually see their system settle. Balance improves. Regulation improves.

It looks like a fort.
It’s actually strength, integration, and nervous system work layered together.

This is OT.

02/11/2026

This week in OT looked like this.

Coloring that was really shoulder girdle stability and visual motor work.
Heavy hands in sensory bins for regulation.
Balance and core to support fine motor control.
Big feelings on paper while we noticed what the body was doing.

And potty training that goes way beyond the toilet.
Interoception.
Bowel and bladder awareness.
Learning what pressure, urgency, and fear feel like in the body.

This is nervous system regulation and improving function so they can do hard things well.

02/10/2026

If you’re talking to someone with a PDA profile, language matters more than most people realize.

A lot of resistance isn’t about refusing. It shows up when pressure sneaks in. Even small phrases like “hurry up” or “you need to” can make the nervous system lock up.

What often works better is saying what you see and sharing your own experience.

Here are your shoes.
I notice you’re by the door.
I’m feeling worried about leaving on time and trying to figure out how we can handle that together.

This kind of language keeps autonomy intact and makes room for problem solving.

Address

535 4th Avenue W. Columbia Falls
Columbia Falls, MT

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