About Us
Our story, our purpose, our team.
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Our Story
Remote Occupational Therapy was founded in January 2023 by occupational therapist Joanne Terpstra. While travelling and working across Australia for two years, from busy cities to regional and remote areas, Joanne saw firsthand the challenges many Australians face in accessing the disability services they need.
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Over and over, she noticed the same barrier: before people could begin therapy services, access the right accommodation, receive help with daily tasks, get an adeqaute level of NDIS funding or more, they needed a detailed occupational therapy assessment and report. Yet many providers did not have the time, resources, or expertise to offer these assessments, leaving people waiting months or even years for essential supports.
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Drawing on her relevant clinical experience working in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria, and New South Wales, Joanne recognised that telehealth could be the solution. By offering assessments remotely, she could reach people anywhere in Australia, especially those in regional, rural and remote areas, which make up the majority of our vast country and where services are hardest to access. ​
Since then, Remote Occupational Therapy has helped clients in every state and territory in Australia, including supporting those in very remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to access disability housing, or clients living on farms in wheatbelt regions to successfully increase their funding so they can cover their essential support needs.
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Providing services via telehealth also means lower costs for clients. Without travel fees or regional/remote rates, families can make the most of their funding. All that's needed is a phone or a device with a camera, a stable internet or phone connection, and often a supportive person to help share information.
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Today, Remote Occupational Therapy continues to grow with the same passion and purpose that inspired Joanne from the beginning: to provide compassionate, professional, and accessible occupational therapy assessments that give every Australian the best chance of accessing the supports they need to live well.
Our Team
Joanne (Jo) Terpstra - Owner and Occupational Therapist
Jo is an experienced occupational therapist who has worked with people of varying ages and backgrounds in paediatric, adolescent and adult contexts. She has worked in clinical roles in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales, and Victoria; gaining experience supporting people to access the services they need, including those in regional, rural, and remote areas. She also continues to work clinically in her local community in south west Western Australia, providing therapy services alongside her work with Remote Occupational Therapy. Jo has worked extensively with people accessing the NDIS and is confident navigating the ever evolving disability sector. She is passionate about supporting people to identify areas in their life they would like increased autonomy and success in, valuing collaboration at every step of the process. Jo consistently advocates for people's needs and wants through her quality assessment and report writing process. ​
Pearl Roycroft - Occupational Therapist
Pearl is an occupational therapist who is passionate about fostering a sense of community and connecting people with the support they need to live meaningful lives. After several years of working across the mental health, disability, and juvenile detention sectors, Pearl took some time off to travel Australia and explore our deep connections to land and culture. She has worked in both urban settings and remote Aboriginal communities across the Kimberley and Goldfields regions, as well as in rural Vietnam. These experiences have greatly enriched and broadened Pearl’s approach to occupational therapy. Throughout her career, she has supported people facing a wide range of barriers, including physical, intellectual, cognitive, developmental, neurological, and psychosocial disabilities, as well as those experiencing social injustice. Pearl has joined Remote Occupational Therapy with a strong desire to pursue justice and equity for the people she works with and to make tangible change in their everyday life.
Office Hours
Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 5:00pm
(Western Australian Time - UTC+8)
Remote Occupational Therapy acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands across Australia where we live and work. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their enduring connection to Country, and to Elders past, present, and emerging. We honour their wisdom and culture, which continue to guide and enrich our shared communities.