Jessica M

Occupational Therapist

Jessica received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Alberta after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Mount Royal University. She has lived, studied, worked, and played in the Cochrane area for her entire life. Jessica has always had a curiosity for understanding why people do what they do, and found her passion in rehabilitation to help people engage in the activities that are most important to them. She believes strongly in balance within life, between our various roles as individuals, family members, friends, workers, etc, and between the activities that fill our time, including self-care, productivity, leisure, and rest. Jessica believes that Occupational Therapy has a role in facilitating and maintaining wellness via promotion of engagement and participation in meaningful activities by developing and following healthy routines.

Jessica has worked her career in private practice with a strong focus on vocational rehabilitation, supporting clients in returning to work following acute injuries as well as necessary leaves of absence due to chronic illness. She has experience in completing comprehensive functional cognitive assessments to help clients understand and utilize their strengths while compensating for their challenges, as well as both home and ergonomic assessments. Jessica also has experience in working collaboratively with her Physiotherapy colleagues in the management of concussion symptoms and the progressive return to activity following a brain injury, as well as the management of chronic conditions. She enjoys working on an interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation professionals in a collaborative manner to best support clients in meeting their overall goals.

Jessica is committed to continuous learning. She completed a graduate research project in the area of ergonomics, presenting her team’s research at the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist’s annual conference. She has completed additional training in Ergonomics, Functional Cognition, Brain Injury Rehabilitation, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Exposure Therapy. Jessica has plans to complete post-graduate certificates in Vestibular and Concussion Management as well as Chronic Pain Management in the fall of 2025. She is a Registered Occupational Therapist with the Alberta College of Occupational Therapists and holds memberships with the Society of Alberta Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and friends, crafting, and playing games. She has recently begun re-prioritizing reading for enjoyment after years of reading for learning only, and is enjoying this as a form of rest (and occasional escape) from the new demands of being a first-time mother.