Tiana Jolly

Introduction

Ko wai au?
Ko Ngāpuhi tōku iwi
Ko Ōtepoti tōku kāinga
Ko Tiana Jolly tōku ingoa.

I am passionate about helping kiritaki live the lives they want to live, by doing the things that matter most.  Occupational therapy is about doing; the everyday activities that sustain us, such as sleep, self-care, movement, work, study and play.  Guided by Te Whare Tapa Whā, I support kiritaki to strengthen the walls of their whare, taha tinana (physical), taha hinengaro (mental/emotional), taha wairua (spirituality), and taha whānau (family/social), so that wellbeing can be restored in a holistic, balanced and meaningful way.

I walk alongside kiritaki to build routines, manage energy, and reconnect with hobbies, whānau, and their community.  My approach is solution-focused, client-centred, and trauma-informed, drawing on tools such as sensory regulation, mindfulness, pacing, graded exposure, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.  I offer therapy in the clinic, at home, online or out in the community - wherever best supports each person’s journey.

Alongside individual work, I co-facilitate group programmes, including Tōku Māori, Rainbow PTSD, and Freedom to Fly.  These collective spaces reflect my belief that we do not heal alone, but rather through whanaungatanga —a sense of belonging and shared understanding. 

The whakataukī “he tangata, he tangata, he tangata”—it is the people, it is the people, it is the people—guides my mahi, reminding me that people and relationships are always at the heart of what I do.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Otago Polytechnic

Bachelor of Science (Psychology), The University of Otago

Paediatric Foundation course (Neuro-developmental therapy), NZ Bobath Association

Experience

I’m a New Zealand Registered Occupational Therapist with 20 years of experience supporting people across a variety of settings and stages of life. I have worked in hospital wards including orthopaedics, neurology, neuro-rehabilitation, and general medicine, as well as in community rehabilitation, long-term supported care, schools, early childhood centres, and people’s homes. My experience includes supporting adults with physical and neurological conditions such as stroke, cardiac disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chronic pain, and fatigue-related challenges.

I have also worked extensively with tamariki and their whānau across preschool, school, home, and community settings — providing therapy that includes sensory integration, sensory-motor development, support for independence in life skills, play therapy, therapeutic riding, and neurodevelopmental approaches. This work has involved supporting children with a wide range of complex developmental needs.

Currently, I work with kiritaki both individually and as a co-facilitator of groups that incorporate approaches like psychodrama, mindfulness, breathwork, somatic enquiry, and creative expression.