Welcome to Yakini Therapy Group!

Therapy, grounded in play, relationships, and real life.

Driven by a deep commitment to advocating for human rights and equality, reducing occupational deprivation and fostering inclusive communities where everyone can lead fulfilling and quality of lives.

Yakini offers a range of therapeutic services in the Gippsland region of Victoria, utilising evidence-based strategies and practical approaches. Our team works together to enhance each participant’s experience, ensuring our practices adhere to the highest standards of our industry.

Yakini Therapy Group brings over 20 years of experience across disability care as a carer, nurse, support coordinator, and advanced behaviour support practitioner.

We know systems.

We work exclusively in the paediatric space, using developmental, play-based approaches. No rote programs. No forced handwriting.

No “sit still and comply” therapy.

Just meaningful play, guided with clinical intent, where growth happens naturally.

Therapy at Yakini is developmental, play-based, and relationship-focused, guided by the principles of the DIR/Floortime® model.

Sessions involve parent-child play interactions, where:

play is chosen by the child
the therapist supports parents to adjust interactions to suit their child’s learning profile
challenges are introduced gently and intentionally, the just-right challenge

These moments allow children to move up the developmental ladder in a way that feels safe, motivating, and achievable.

Parents Are Central — Not Observers

Parents are active participants in therapy.
We believe parents are best placed to support their child’s development through everyday interactions.

Our role is to:

build your confidence
give you practical strategies
help therapy extend into real life — at home, school, and in the community

we believe that behaviour support and occupational therapy are deeply aligned disciplines

At Yakini Therapy Group, we believe that behaviour support and occupational therapy are deeply aligned disciplines, grounded in the shared goal of improving a child’s quality of life through understanding, participation, and meaningful connection.

Occupational therapists make exceptional behaviour support practitioners because we are trained to look beneath the behaviour, to understand how sensory processing, regulation, development, environment, and relationships shape a child’s capacity to engage with the world.

Likewise, behaviour support practitioners bring a critical lens of curiosity, asking why a behaviour is occurring and what the child is communicating through it, rather than attempting to simply reduce or manage it.

This intersection creates strong clinical reasoning and robust justification for intervention. When behaviour is viewed as communication, and occupational performance is understood within the context of development and regulation, support shifts from compliance-based responses to capacity-building, relational, and trauma-informed practice.

At Yakini, this integrated approach allows us to:

identify the underlying drivers of behaviour
support regulation before expectation
design interventions that are developmentally appropriate and play-based
empower families with practical strategies that work in everyday life

We see the alignment between occupational therapy and behaviour support as a match made in heaven, not because it blends roles, but because it strengthens clinical insight.

Together, these perspectives create thoughtful, ethical, and effective support that respects the child, values their communication, and builds skills in ways that last.

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About Yakini Therapy Group

Our Mission

At Yakini Therapy Group, we aim to provide top-quality Allied Health services to Participants living in Gippsland, Victoria.

A Truly Holistic Approach

We strive to promote a safe, healthy and equality for individuals with disabilities for them to have the best quality of life.

Yakini integrates Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology knowledge within a developmental framework.

our Occupational Therapist and Behaviour Practitioner, is:

currently completing University speech pathology units
enrolled in a Postgraduate Certificate in the Diagnosis and interventions of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Undertaking ADOS assessment training in 2026

This allows therapy to consider:

communication
regulation
sensory processing
emotional development
together — not in isolation.

Our Behaviour Support Practitioner (often referred to as “PBS practitioners”) assess the influences on an individual’s behaviour, and design interventions to both increase a person’s quality of life and reduce challenging behaviours.

Our Team

Our Mission

Our team is comprised of highly trained and experienced Allied Health professionals and Allied Health Assistants who are dedicated to delivering exceptional service.

With a deep understanding of people, their environments and the responses and behaviours as a result of these.

Yakini is 100% person-centred and set goals to improve a person's quality of life. Life enrichment, choice and human rights are prioritised alongside strategies to reduce the negative impact of challenging behaviour in a person’s life.

Yakini support is delivered under a clear and accountable framework. and every intervention is provided as a customised and working solutions to meet participants unique and individual needs.

At Yakini, we believe in the power of collaboration.

Allied Health Assistants

Our AHAs operate under direct OT supervision, supporting:

daily routines at home
community participation
classroom strategies
implementation of therapy plans

This ensures continuity, quality, and practical carry-over.

Yakini Therapy Group is proudly rural and community based.

We understand the realities of regional families, travel, access, waitlists, and real-life demands. Our services are practical, flexible, and designed to support families where they actually live and learn.

Twenty years in disability. Still learning. Still curious!

Empathy in Action: Journey to Making a Difference

Kristy-Lee, known as KL to those close to her, began her journey in a small town in central west NSW. Her path has taken her across multiple states, including Canberra and Darwin, where she has encountered challenges and sought achievements.

As an individual with AuDHD, KL learned early on the importance of hard work, empathy, and, most importantly, resilience.

KL's upbringing was marked by her role in raising her sisters and navigating life alongside two cousins in wheelchairs. These lived experiences instilled in her a profound passion for caregiving, pursuing equality and advocacy.

This passion led her to become a disability and aged care worker, a role where she first realised her potential to make a tangible difference.

Her educational journey in nursing and human biology further fueled her desire to help, blending academic knowledge with heartfelt care.

KL dedicated a decade to public service, ensuring those in need received support with dignity. Her role as a NDIS planner was a pinnacle of her career, allowing her to tailor care and support for individuals with disabilities, crafting plans that met their needs and aspirations.

Completing an Honours degree in Occupational Therapy, with a clear goal to enhance her skills and extend her impact, she has developed a passion in occupational deprivation, capacity building and occupational injustice, wanting to use her skills to help others who have not had the most advantageous increase their independence and quality of life.

Volunteering has also been a significant part of KL's life, from contributing to committees like Pride Darwin to advocating for community inclusion. Each volunteer position has been a step towards understanding how she can contribute to a society that values all its members.

KL's life is a testament to hard work and the belief that everyone deserves compassion and a chance to thrive.

In founding her business, she aims to embody these values, creating a space where empathy meets excellence and every client's needs are met with the same dedication and love she learned as a young caretaker.

Today, KL strives for perfection in all she does. She is committed to exploring the depths of human behaviour and finding innovative ways to enhance the lives of those she collaborates.

Like her journey is far from over, KL lives by the belief that each day is filled with possibilities, and every individual she meets reminds her of why she started on this path.

KL is a dedicated disability advocate committed to promoting community accessibility and overcoming obstacles. Her support services are available across Gippsland, including Sale and Traralgon.

Welcome to Yakini Therapy Group!

Therapy, grounded in play, relationships, and real life.

Parents Are Central — Not Observers

we believe that behaviour support and occupational therapy are deeply aligned disciplines

About Yakini Therapy Group

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our Mission

A Truly Holistic Approach

Our Team

Our Mission

Our Mission

Allied Health Assistants

Twenty years in disability. Still learning. Still curious!

Empathy in Action: Journey to Making a Difference

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