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Occupational therapy support and functional capacity assessments
Welcome to Common Ground Occupational Therapy
About Us
Hi there!
I’m Simone, a senior Occupational Therapist, Positive Behaviour Support Practitioner and founder of Common Ground Occupational Therapy, with a big love for all things mental health, human connection and helping people build lives that feel meaningful to them.
I trained as an Occupational Therapist and over my 12 years as an OT, I’ve worn many hats – clinician, team leader, mentor, supervisor and PBS practitioner. After almost five years working within a large organisation supporting NDIS participants, I developed a particular passion for mental health, psychosocial disability and understanding complex behaviour.
But the biggest change in direction came with my most important role yet – becoming a mum.
Taking time away from work after our little one was born gave me space to reflect on the kind of clinician, mum and person I wanted to be. I wanted to be present – both for my family and for the people I support.
And so, Common Ground Occupational Therapy was born.
What began as me taking a leap into sole trading has grown into something I could not have fully imagined at the time. Common Ground has since transitioned into a company under Root & Sprout Pty Ltd, and we are now taking the exciting next step of expanding our team and our services into Positive Behaviour Support.
While Common Ground is growing, the heart behind it hasn’t changed.
We don’t want to grow simply for the sake of getting bigger or filling calendars. We want to grow well. That means taking the time to build meaningful, long-term relationships, investing in great practitioners, doing things with heart and continuing to walk alongside people as they build lives that are meaningful to them.
Why “Common Ground”?
The name Common Ground came to me during my postgraduate studies in mental health. I remember listening to a discussion about how our understanding of mental health care has evolved.
Decades ago, the focus could often be summarised as “a pill, a bed and rest.”
Today, the vision is refreshingly more human: “a job, a home and a friend.”
Those words stayed with me.
And they mean more than simply having employment, a house and someone to talk to. A home means having somewhere you feel physically and emotionally safe. A job represents purpose, meaningful occupation, contribution and something worth getting up for. A friend represents connection, relationships, belonging and knowing that you matter to other people.
These aren’t luxuries. They are human needs.
No matter our background, language, culture, disability, diagnosis or life experiences, this is our common ground. We all need somewhere to feel safe, something meaningful to do and people who make us feel connected, valued and supported.
That philosophy continues to shape the next chapter of Common Ground.
As we expand our Occupational Therapy and Positive Behaviour Support services and welcome new practitioners into the team, I want to preserve what made this business special when it was just me: curiosity about the person behind the diagnosis or behaviour, genuine relationships, clinical quality, and the belief that even when life is complex, meaningful change is possible.
Common Ground may be growing, but we will keep doing things with heart.
I hope Common Ground can be part of your journey towards a wonderful life!
Warmly,
Simone Gouws
Founder & Practice Lead
Common Ground Occupational Therapy