Meet the Team

Joy graduated from the University of Queensland in 1992 and completed a Master of Science (Hand Therapy) in 2003. She has worked both in Australia and the UK within the public and private sector. Whilst in the UK, she had the opportunity to manage a large team of occupational and physiotherapists as work as a clinical lead within a regional specialty unit for hand and plastic surgery. Joy has presented at both national and international conferences in Australia, the UK and the USA and has taught at a number of universities in the field of hand therapy. She has published in the field of hand therapy. Joy is a course presenter/developer for the Australian Hand Therapy Association. She is a past president, and Life Member, of the Australian Hand Therapy Association. With over 20 years’ experience in hand and upper limb rehabilitation, Joy enjoys sharing her knowledge of hand therapy but remains passionate about achieving a personal best for each and every patient.

Colette graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 1994 from the University of Sydney. Throughout her career she has worked across the public and private sector both in Queensland and the UK with experience in most areas of Adult Health Care. After a number of years in neurological rehabilitation, burns and plastics her interest in hand and upper limb rehabilitation became a focus and she has worked exclusively in this area since 2004. Colette worked as the clinical leader in hand therapy at the Mater Adult Hospital for four years prior to commencement with EKCO Hand Therapy in 2013. She presented at the AHTA national conference in 2009 and enjoys providing undergraduate and graduate mentoring and education.

Emma Allardyce graduated as an Occupational Therapist from Deakin University Victoria in 2009. Since then, she has worked in a variety of acute and rehabilitation adult caseloads before finding her passion and focusing her clinical practice in hand therapy. Emma has been working in hand and upper limb rehabilitation at The Princess Alexandra Hospital since 2013, before joining the EKCO team in August 2015.

India graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2014 from the University of Queensland. Since graduating, she commenced her career as an Occupational Therapist working in a private hand therapy clinic in Cairns, before moving back to Brisbane to join the EKCO team in 2017. India has completed a number of professional development courses and is the chair of the mental health and well-being committee for the team.

Jodie Ottley graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland in 1993 and has worked in a variety of clinical and management roles both in Australia and the UK in public and private sectors. Her clinical roles have included working within hands, lymphoedema, plastics, burns and orthopaedics. Jodie has also worked as an Occupational Therapy Department Manager. Jodie commenced working in hand therapy in regional Queensland prior to joining the EKCO Hand Therapy team in 2002. She has continued to work within hand therapy over the subsequent years, returning to regional centres, before recommencing with the EKCO team in 2015. Jodie is the Clinic Co-ordinator for our Brisbane Private Hospital clinic.

Jackie graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 1992. She first became a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) in 1995 and served on the national executive as well as a term as the State Co-ordinator. She has worked in public and private Hand Therapy clinics in Australia and England, including her own private hand therapy practice on the Sunshine Coast. Jackie has lectured at an under graduate and post graduate level and has presented many upper limb workshops for therapists training.

Sarah Hislop graduated as an Occupational Therapist with honours from James Cook University in 2003. She worked in a variety of acute and rehabilitation caseloads in Geelong before commencing in hand therapy in 2005. She has continued to work exclusively in hand therapy from this time, working in public hand therapy clinics at the Geelong Hospital and the Townsville Hospital. She first joined EKCO Hand Therapy in 2008 subsequently fulfilling a number of different roles within the team.

Anna Wishink graduated from the University of Queensland in 2015 with a Masters of Occupational Therapy. Following graduation, she worked in hand and upper limb research before joining the EKCO team in 2016 completing a fellowship program. Anna has completed a number of professional development courses and currently coordinates a journal club. Anna has competed internationally as a junior tennis player. 

Sally graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2000 and has worked in Australia, England and Ireland in a variety of clinical areas including hand therapy, burns and plastic and spinal injuries. Sally commenced working at EKCO Hand Therapy in January 2015 and while she loves treating all hand conditions, is particularly interested in treating traumatic injuries, wounds and oedema management and sport injuries. She is a member and trained in the Kinesio Taping method. She is a strong advocate for the profession and sits on a number of local and national forums for the AHTA. 

Adam has been the Practice Manager for EKCO Hand Therapy since July 2019. Bringing a wealth of knowledge with over 28 years of experience in the health care industry, he has worked in both corporate and allied health. He is known for his warmth, compassion and ability to foster meaningful connections with internal and external stakeholders. 
Adam's responsibilities include the day to day operational requirements of EKCO clinics, and overseeing the team of Clinical Administrators.

Sophie graduated from the University of Queensland in 2023 and is currently advancing her expertise through the EKCO Hand Therapy Fellowship Training Program. After completing her block placement in hand therapy, Sophie discovered a passion that ignited her commitment to pursuing a career in this field. Sophie is enthusiastic about assisting individuals in resuming their daily activities, including work and a diverse range of hobbies.

Gilkey graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 1991 and has worked exclusively in hand and upper limb rehabilitation since 1994. Leesa - who actually prefers to be called Gilkey - has spent the last fifteen years working as a hand therapist in Australia. Gilkey is a member of both the Australian Hand Therapy Association and the American Society of Hand Therapists. Her passions include splint fabrication and working with tendon injuries.

Christina graduated with a Masters in Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland in 2001.  She has worked in a variety of settings throughout the UK and Australia, before focusing on Hand Therapy full time in 2004.  Christina became a Member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association in 2006 and has previously served as both a State Representative and Membership Secretary.  Constantly looking for the next challenge, Christina has completed research projects on scar management, splinting for rotation deficits of the forearm, and most recently midcarpal instability; all of which she has presented at both national and state conferences.  She was co-author of her first published paper in November 2015.  Christina has a special interest in wrists, trauma and sport injuries, and also teaches hand therapy courses for the AHTA.

Dana graduated from James Cook University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Occupational therapy. Following graduation, she worked in the private hospital rehabilitation setting in Adelaide, South Australia. She moved back to Queensland to pursue her passion of hand therapy and joined the EKCO team in April 2021 through the fellowship program.

Cat Carter graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2006. Upon graduation, she worked in public health in Australia and the UK in both hospital and community settings where she gained experience across a variety of caseloads including mental health, cancer care, orthopaedics, lymphedema, vascular and hands. It was working in hands in a hospital setting that sparked Cat’s interest in hand therapy, and so she made the decision to join EKCO in 2022 to focus on clinical practice in hand therapy. Cat is working towards her full accreditation (AHT) with the Australian Hand Therapy Association.

Daniel received his Physiotherapy degree from Charles Sturt University in 2016. Since graduating Daniel has worked at Canberra Hospital in a variety of settings including hand therapy, and has also gained experience working in a private practice physiotherapy clinic in Wollongong. In 2020 Daniel made the move to Brisbane to join EKCO and follow his passion for hand therapy. Daniel has successfully completed the Hand Therapy Fellowship program at EKCO.

Emily Marchant graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. At the completion of her studies, she gained experience in private practice prior to joining the team at EKCO in 2016. With a strong interest in hand therapy; she is constantly building on her knowledge as well as her overall professional development. In addition to this, she is currently working towards achieving accreditation with the Australian Hand Therapy Association. While she has a passion for treating all hand conditions, she has a particularly keen interest in the treatment of traumatic injuries as well as wound care.

Emma graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2003 and identified a keen interest in hand therapy from this time. She has worked extensively in the public health system in both adult and children’s hospitals, providing quality care for people with hand and arm challenges, including acute and chronic injuries and illnesses and tone and contracture management. Emma enjoys working with all age groups to promote function of the hand.

Georgia obtained her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from the University of Queensland in 2019 and has worked in hand therapy ever since. She completed a traineeship with Territory Hands in Darwin where she worked for 18 fun months before joining the EKCO team in September 2021. She is a dedicated learner and enjoys the opportunity to work alongside the high calibre of surgeon’s in Brisbane. She can be found between the CBD and Brisbane Private Clinics.

Helen graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2018. She has practised in a variety of fields across Queensland including community, NDIS, and Aged Care. She was very excited to join the EKCO team in 2023 to pursue a career in hand therapy and is currently completing the EKCO Fellowship Program.

Hannah graduated as a Physiotherapist from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand in 2014. Following her graduation, Hannah began work in the Taranaki District Base Hospital in her small home town of New Plymouth. After 4 years of working as a rotational physiotherapist, Hannah joined the Acute Stroke Team, where she provided acute assessments, treatment and management of Stroke patients of both the upper and lower limb. Hannah maintained her musculoskeletal and respiratory knowledge by working part-time in an ED acute assessment role and providing her services to the ICU. In 2020, Hannah was fortunate to be offered the Associate Hand Therapy position at the Taranaki District Base Hospital. In 2022, Hannah completed her New Zealand Hand Therapy Registration, moved to Brisbane and started working for EKCO.

Sam graduated from the Australian Catholic University in 2021. Sam was quick to find his passion for Hand Therapy, having his first taste in his first semester of university. Sam is an Associate member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association and is currently working towards achieving accreditation with the Australian Hand Therapy Association. Whilst being passionate for treating all hand conditions, Sam is a keen sports fanatic and has a strong interest in sporting injuries. Sam is highly motivated to help his patients reach their goals and getting them back on the sporting field, work, everyday tasks or other interests.

Jay graduated from the University of Queensland in 2010 with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. She began working in hand therapy in 2011. Jay has worked at the Redland Hospital, Logan Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital prior to joining the EKCO team in 2013. She has a strong interest in treating trauma and tendon injuries.

Caleb graduated from James Cook University with a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy (Honours) in 2022. During his studies, he has worked with a variety of caseloads and practice areas including paediatrics, community rehabilitation, public health and vocational rehabilitation before finding his place in hand therapy. Caleb has relocated from North Queensland to join the EKCO team.

Kate Harkin has over 20 years’ experience in managing upper limb injuries. She has been a full member of the AHTA since 1995 and has served on the National Executive. Kate has lectured both in Australia and overseas and was a 1997 Churchill Fellow.  She undertook a six month training fellowship in hand therapy in centres of excellence in the USA.

She has also undertaken post graduate studies in hand therapy through Curtin University (WA) and has been involved in research on tendon injuries. She is published in the American Journal of Hand Therapy on ‘Compliance to Hand Therapy Programs’. Kate established the EKCO Hand Therapy Unit 20 years ago.

Will is an Occupational Therapist who graduated from the University of Queensland in 2023 and is currently undertaking a Fellowship Program at EKCO Hand Therapy to further develop his skills in the hand therapy space. Previously, Will has worked in the paediatric sector and enjoys working with patients from all walks of life. Will prioritises high quality care, developing meaningful connections with his patients and promoting functional solutions that allow people to achieve the most out of life.

Katie Licciardello joined the EKCO team in 2010 on return from working in the United Kingdom for a variety of hand therapy services. She has worked exclusively in treatment of the hand and upper limb since 2007 when she managed the hand therapy service at Geelong Hospital. Since graduating as an Occupational Therapist from James Cook University in 2004, Katie has provided treatment to a range of orthopaedic, burns and plastics, neurological and rheumatology caseloads in acute hospital and rehabilitation settings.

Kerry du Plessis graduated as an occupational therapist in 2005 from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Since completing her degree, she has worked as an occupational therapist within a variety of community and acute hospital settings in both South Africa and Queensland. Kerry joined EKCO in 2015 to pursue her career in hand therapy.

Lauren Tomasel graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2005 from the University of Queensland. Since graduating she has worked in adult rehabilitation settings, specialising in the area of occupational rehabilitation and providing services such as functional capacity evaluations, task analysis, rehabilitation and workplace assessment. She has completed post graduate studies in the management of soft tissue injuries through James Cook University. Lauren joined the EKCO Hand Therapy team in 2010 and is an associate member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association.

Jasmine graduated from the University of Queensland in 2021 with a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy. She then entered a private community practice, working in the disability and NDIS sector through 2022 and 2023. Hand therapy being her reason for becoming an OT, she retained a personal passion, sought opportunities for experience in this field, and began a Fellowship with EKCO Hand Therapy at the start of 2024. Jasmine is building her skills and working towards accreditation with the Australian Hand Therapy Association. Her therapeutic focus prioritises the return to prior ability and collaboration with clients to explore any necessary adaptation of function to get them back to doing the big and little things of everyday life.

Louise graduated from the University of Queensland in 2015 with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. Since graduating, she worked in the public sector in both hospital and community settings and gained experience working with children and adults. Louise has always had a keen interest in hand therapy and joined the EKCO team in 2017 through the Fellowship program. She enjoys managing wounds and treating hand and forearm fractures. Louise is constantly building upon her knowledge base.

Lucia graduated from the University of Queensland in 2015 with a Masters of Occupational Therapy. Following graduation she worked at Princess Alexandra Hospital in various caseloads including hand therapy, plastics, rehabilitation, and orthopaedics in acute and outpatient settings. She made the decision to join the EKCO team in 2021 to focus on her passion for hand therapy.

Natacha Moucheron graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 1999 from the University of Queensland. She has worked in a variety of caseloads at the Gold Coast Hospital before focusing her clinical practice in hand therapy in 2009. Natacha then relocated to London where she worked in hand therapy at a respected London Hospital. Natacha became a member of the EKCO team in 2011.

Kara completed her Bachelor of Physiotherapy with Honours, graduating from The University of Queensland in 2014. She has worked in a variety of clinical areas including inpatient, outpatient and community care, specialising in oncology and palliative care whilst working in Far North Queensland. In 2018, she moved into the field of hand therapy, gaining experience at Cairns Hospital Outpatient Hand Therapy clinic followed by specialised training at Apricus Health in Townsville. Kara has had the privilege of observing in-theatre with leading upper limb and hand orthopaedic surgeons, and has a passion for helping clients reach their personal goals and return to full function in their work and leisure activities. 

Philippa received her physiotherapy degree from Macquarie University in 2016. Since graduating, she has worked at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney in a variety of acute, rehabilitation and outpatient roles. Philippa has worked at Lismore Base Hospital where she refined her skills in orthopaedics and fracture management and commenced work in the field of hand therapy. In 2019, she joined the EKCO team and completed the EKCO Hand Therapy Fellowship.

Rowena Allan graduated with a Masters in Occupational Therapy Studies from the University of Queensland in 2007. Since graduating she has worked in a variety of caseloads including inpatient adult rehabilitation, outpatient hand therapy and community based aged care. She joined the EKCO Hand Therapy team in 2012 and completed a 6 month Hand Therapy Fellowship.

Rachel graduated from Australian Catholic University in 2021 with a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy (Honours). After completing her studies, Rachel delved into gaining experience in both the community and private sectors. Through her work, she has had the opportunity to assist individuals of all ages and backgrounds, helping them overcome various challenges to improve their quality of life. During this time, a deep passion for hand therapy stirred, recognising the immense impact it can have on a person’s well-being and functionality. To advance her knowledge and skills and begin her journey is supporting people with hand injuries, Rachel has embarked on EKCO’s Hand Therapy Fellowship training program. 

Sarah received her Occupational Therapy Degree from the University of Queensland in 2019. Upon graduating, she worked in a private practice NDIS role treating a diverse caseload including intellectual disability, physical disability and cognitive disability. In 2021, Sarah joined the EKCO team to pursue a passion in hand therapy and is completing the EKCO Hand Therapy Fellowship

Rachel graduated from the University of Queensland as an Occupational Therapist in 2014. Her enthusiasm for hand and upper limb rehabilitation arose as a university student through her clinical placements. Rachel began her career in hand therapy in regional Queensland in January 2015, prior to joining the EKCO team in June 2016. She has presented a research poster at the AHTA conference and is a strong advocate for her patients.

Sathish graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the Tamil Nadu MGR University, Chennai, India in 2001 and completed a Master of Occupational Therapy (Musculoskeletal condition) from the Manipal University, India in 2004. He has worked as an Assistant Professor and Senior Occupational Therapist in India for three years. He moved to Australia and worked in public hospitals and ran his own private hand therapy clinics in Hervey Bay for nine years. Sathish joined EKCO in 2017 and enjoys working with a wide variety of clinical conditions. 

Taryn Collins graduated as an Occupational Therapist from the University of Queensland in 2004. Upon graduation, she worked in a large hospital setting, gaining experience across a variety of caseloads including rehabilitation, orthopaedics, lymphedema, vascular and hands. Working in hands in a hospital setting was Taryn’s passion and she made the decision to join EKCO in 2018 so that she could focus on her clinical practice in hand therapy. 

In 1996, Terra graduated with a degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Since then she has worked in a variety of public and private Occupational Therapy clinics throughout Canada and the United States and, in 2002, obtained a certification in Hand Therapy(USA). She became a full member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) in 2009 and served as the Queensland Divisional Representative in 2013. During a brief stint in California from 2014 to 2017, Terra was an Adjunct Professor at Stanbridge University where she lectured at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She served as a postgraduate research advisor on projects focussed on Yoga as a therapeutic modality for complex regional pain syndrome and on goniometric measurement techniques for wrist flexion/extension. She is currently undertaking her PhD at the University of Queensland.

Tomoko graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2007 from the University of Queensland. Since then she has worked in a variety of caseloads across both the public and private sectors in Australia and as well as in Canada. She worked in brain injury and geriatric rehabilitation for a number of years before focusing only on hand and upper limb rehabilitation. Tomoko completed a hand therapy fellowship in 2017 in Vancouver Canada and was certified in hand therapy under the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC). She has been a speaker at the British Columbia Hand Society annual meeting in 2018, and enjoys providing undergraduate and graduate mentorship and education.

With over 30 years in finance, administration and customer service, Amaris brings dedication, enthusiasm and experience to her role of Senior Administration Officer. Her focus is on providing patients and therapists with the best possible care and support, upholding the EKCO values of passion, understanding and resourcefulness.

Jane started with EKCO in March 2015 and has been working as a medical receptionist for over 10 years having worked in GP practices prior to starting with EKCO. Jane enjoys providing the best possible customer service experience for patients.

Peita holds a Diploma of Business Administration and has worked in a variety of broad roles before finding her passion and specialising in medical administration. Peita is passionate about great customer service and loves being a member of our Brookwater team