Pathways
Your journey is your own.
Some people enjoy quietly exploring ideas before reaching out. Others arrive with a referral, ready to book. Some are health professionals wanting to deepen their practice. Some want to understand themselves a little better, and some are curious about a more mutual connection with their dog.
You are welcome to follow one pathway, several, or something of your own. They exist so you can choose what feels meaningful to you.
What is on offer
Each of these is a place we might start. They overlap, and many people move between them.
Executive functioning coaching
Most of my work is coaching around executive functioning: planning, starting, switching between tasks, organising, remembering and keeping going. I enjoy partnering with you on the challenges you have already identified and the ones that emerge along the way, at a pace that suits you.
We look at where the effort goes within a specific activity or your whole routine, and whether changing the task, the tools or the place could make a difference. We also look at what matters most to complete in your day, and keep that in focus from the start.
Starting an activity and moving from one thing to the next are executive functioning skills. We explore what you have tried and what makes them tricky, and make space for breaks along the way.
If writing takes a lot of energy, we can trial typing and speech-to-text together and find what suits you.
For work and study, we look at what contributes to the challenge within the tasks, and plan the supports together.
Understanding yourself and your needs
Many people arrive wanting to get better at self-advocacy or unmasking, and many have never had the space to understand themselves and their needs first. Your needs are real and valid, and getting to know them can be a way into everything else. Self-advocacy and unmasking may grow from there, at whatever pace you choose.
A conversation about what is easier and what is harder in life can be a good first step. It helps you and me map out the easy bits and the harder bits, and begin a plan of support.
A Sensory Profile describes how you take in sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch and movement. Everyone has one. Knowing yours can help you plan for different situations, and helps others find ways to support your comfort.
A Core Gift interview draws on traditional wisdom that everyone has a purpose and a meaningful drive to contribute. We explore what matters most to you right now, and ways to bring more of it into your days.
A Nature Connection exploration uses a range of tools and your own experience to find ways of fitting intentional nature time into your life.
Energy, rest and burnout
Burnout and exhaustion each have their own shape. Together we explore what contributes, how to notice early warning signs, and what might support rest and recharge over time.
We look at how your energy is being used and what matters most to you, so energy and rest can be shared out with intention. There are different kinds of rest, and we find out which kind suits you at different times, including how your sensory preferences fit in.
Moving toward what matters
Occupational Performance Coaching helps you set goals, solve problems and learn more about yourself while you work toward what is important to you.
Compassionate communication builds the skills often called self-advocacy and assertiveness. You learn to recognise your needs, hold space for yourself with kindness, and ask someone else for what you need. This may include finding a middle ground.
For practitioners
Professional and clinical supervision for allied health professionals who would like a neurodivergent-affirming supervisor. I have completed the Professional Supervision Program through Occupational Therapy Australia.
I am passionate about lifelong learning, and I enjoy exploring with you what matters most in your work. Sometimes that is a big question. Often it is one small, practical step toward a practice that feels more sustainable and meaningful.
How appointments work
Appointments take place online by telehealth, at a pace that suits you.
We start with what you would like to be different in your day to day. Together, we picture what a better day might look like, and notice what is already working, even a little. We also get clear on what matters to you, so the steps we choose fit your values.
Between appointments there is often one step to try, and what that looks like varies a lot, depending on what you are ready for. It might be thinking something further through, or applying an actual step, such as organising one part of your home like a desk, or imagining where you would like to start and what you would like a room to make possible.
We review as we go, and you can change direction, take a break or finish whenever it feels right.
Your first appointment
Your first appointment is about taking the pressure off. It is a chance to find out whether I pass the vibe check, and whether you would like to work together further. We explore what you need right now and how you would like to approach it. You get to know me, and I get to know you.
Ready to book?
Book securely online through Halaxy, and choose a time that suits your availability. Current fees are shown in the booking system, so you can see the cost before you choose a time.
Note: If accessing from a phone, it is often easier to directly access this site than use the booking widget. https://www.halaxy.com/book/appointment/dominique-hewat/occupational-therapist/848971/712771
After booking
After booking, you receive a getting started form and a service agreement by email. If you have already completed the form, you only need the service agreement. They help me understand your needs and check that DiscoverWE is likely to be a good fit before your first appointment. I take time to review them, and I will contact you if I have questions.
If anything about the process feels tricky, Connect and I will do my best to help.
The client portal
If you would like, I can set you up with a secure Halaxy client portal. We can talk about it at your first appointment, and you can decide then whether it suits you.
The portal is a private place to:
- see your upcoming appointments
- change or cancel an appointment (more than 24 hours before the planned appointment)
- update your contact details
- complete forms, and view documents I share with you
It uses two-factor authentication, which means you confirm it is you with a code each time you log in. This makes it more secure than email for sharing personal information and documents.
If the portal does not suit you, that is fine. We can find another way that works for you.
Fees and funding
You can see current fees in the Skip to booking before you choose a time.
Paying privately. After your appointment you receive an invoice by email to pay by electronic funds transfer. A receipt is available on request.
Private health insurance. If you have extras cover for Occupational Therapy, you may be able to claim a rebate. Let me know and we can confirm the process, including whether you need to register me as a provider with your health fund. After each session you receive an invoice, then a payment receipt to use for your claim.
Medicare: Mental Health Care Plan. I hold a Mental Health Endorsement under the Better Access to Mental Health program, so you can access Occupational Therapy through a Mental Health Care Plan. After arranging a plan with your GP, ask for a referral to Dominique Hewat. The referral is a signed and dated letter that includes your name, date of birth, address, symptoms or diagnosis, the number of services (up to 10 individual services), and a statement about whether you have a GP mental health treatment plan, shared care plan or psychiatrist assessment and management plan. More information is on the Services Australia website.
Medicare: Chronic Disease Management Plan. If you have a chronic medical condition likely to last at least six months, you may be eligible for up to 5 services per calendar year through a Chronic Disease Management Plan or Team Care Arrangement. Your GP can tell you about eligibility, and can use the referral requirements guide or a letter with the required details.
For either Medicare plan, attach your referral to the getting started form after booking. After each session you receive an invoice, and once I've received your payment, a paid receipt to submit to Medicare. Medicare pays a portion of the fee and you pay the difference. Care plans cover time in appointments, and report writing or other time outside appointments is paid for privately. More about claiming is on the Services Australia website.
NDIS. DiscoverWE is not a registered NDIS provider. You can use NDIS funding if:
- your plan is self-managed or plan-managed, and
- your plan includes funding for Improved Daily Living: Occupational Therapy.
If both apply, you can book as usual and add your NDIS details to the getting started form. Your NDIS coordinator can help you check.
Just looking for now?
You are welcome to wander through the Thought Garden, where you may stumble upon reflections or ideas, exploring wellbeing, participation, intentional living and more.
An evolving village
DiscoverWE continues to grow and evolve over time. As new ideas emerge and we learn alongside our community, additional pathways, learning opportunities and resources may become available.
If something you are hoping for is not here yet, you're invited to share your feedback through Connect, to visit again in the future, or to explore the Thought Garden to see what has been growing.