The people you will actually work with

A small team, chosen carefully. We would rather grow slowly with the right practitioners than quickly with anyone available.

Simone Gouws

Simone is the founder of Common Ground and an Occupational Therapist with more than 12 years of experience across South Africa and Australia, working predominantly alongside people with disability and complex mental health needs. She is also an Advanced Behaviour Support Practitioner and brings together an OT understanding of everyday life with a strong interest in behaviour, mental health and what helps people genuinely participate, belong and thrive. Her approach is practical, relationship-focused and grounded in the belief that before we talk about diagnoses, behaviours or support needs, we need to understand the person and the life they want to live.

Common Ground grew from Simone’s desire to practise a little differently. Becoming a mum prompted her to step away from large organisations and build something smaller, more personal and connected a place where good clinical practice and genuine human relationships could sit comfortably alongside each other. She believes support should happen with people rather than to them, and that sometimes the best therapy happens in ordinary places and ordinary moments — at home, over a coffee, learning a new skill or getting back into the community.

At the heart of Simone’s vision for Common Ground is the simple idea of “a house, a job and a friend” somewhere to belong, something meaningful to do and people to share life with. Not everyone’s version will look the same (and it shouldn’t!), but Simone believes our job is to help people build more of the life that matters to them. Because at the end of the day, a good life is the goal — therapy is just one of the tools that can help us get there.

Simone Gouws

Founder | Occupational Therapist | Advanced Behaviour Support Practitioner
Location: Adelaide

Works with

Adults and young people, disability, complex mental health needs

Registration

Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (AHPRA)

Contact

info@commongroundot.com.au

Our practitioners

Every clinician who joins Common Ground receives structured supervision and the time to do the work properly.

Alyssa Dickinson

Core Behaviour Support Practitioner | Psychology

Location: Gold Coast & Brisbane
Alyssa brings a wonderfully unique perspective to behaviour support. Her background includes postgraduate studies in psychology, experience supporting people with disability, neurodivergence and mental health challenges through animal-assisted programs, and more than a decade working in animal training and welfare. Together, these experiences have shaped her calm, observant and curious approach to behaviour.

Alyssa is person-centred, neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed and grounded in human rights, with a strong belief that behaviour is communication and that understanding the why matters. She works alongside people, families and support teams to understand what may be happening beneath the surface and find practical strategies that support safety, dignity, choice and a better quality of life.

That fits naturally with our Common Ground idea of “a house, a job and a friend” and nobody said the friend has to be human! With more than a decade spent working alongside animals, Alyssa certainly knows something about the special kind of connection our four-legged friends can bring.

Carla Matthews

Core Behaviour Support Practitioner | Social Worker (AASW)

Location: Cairns
With more than 20 years of experience as a Social Worker across government and community services, Carla has walked alongside people through many different chapters of life, including trauma, family violence, mental health challenges, disability and other complex circumstances. Her experience has taught her that there is always more to a person than what we see on the surface.

Carla believes behaviour is communication, and takes the time to understand the person’s story, strengths, relationships and what matters most to them. She brings a warm, practical and strengths-based approach to behaviour support, grounded in human rights, respect and genuine partnership. Drawing on trauma-informed practice, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychological First Aid and strengths-based approaches, she works alongside people, families and support teams to find strategies that make sense in everyday life.

For Carla, the Common Ground idea of “a house, a job and a friend” captures what behaviour support should ultimately be about — not simply changing behaviour, but helping people build a life with greater belonging, purpose, connection and choice. After more than 20 years in social work, Carla knows there’s rarely a neat and tidy answer to being human but a little curiosity and someone genuinely willing to walk alongside you is a pretty good place to start.

Let’s find your common ground

Tell us a little about what you need. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit, and how soon we can start.

Make a referral

Call 0460 785 121

Occupational therapy and positive behaviour support across Adelaide, built on unhurried relationships and clinical quality.

A home. A job. A friend.

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We acknowledge the Kaurna people as the Traditional Custodians of the Adelaide Plains, where we live and work, and pay our respects to Elders past and present. Common Ground is a safe place for people of every culture, ability, gender and sexuality.