As a registered Occupational Therapist with more than 10 years experience, Carlen thrives on offering a diverse range of services. Carlen has experience as a Advance Care Paramedic with the Qld Ambulance Service prior to becoming an Occupational Therapist which means Carlen has a unique ability to assess the complex intersection of a broad range of complex medical conditions, rare conditions and disabilities. Carlen has a broad range of interests and experiences, driving passion for learning and a strong need to ensure quality, efficient and effective services are provided.

Carlen’s interest in human behaviour, blended with his training in Occupational Therapy drives him to seek to integrate intellect and emotional experience. Training in Occupational Therapy with a background in Paramedical Science and further training in cognition, neurodiversity and mental health provides him with a unique approach to assessment and intervention. Driven to consider not only the individual person, (and interpersonal factors) but also the complex environmental factors that impact our ability to be successful in what is meaningful to us and our roles.

Carlen thrives on the detail oriented, clear and concise nature of Expert Witness Report Writing. Carlen has honed the skills necessary through the medically focused Paramedic degree and years of service with the QAS before completing a Masters of Occupational Therapy and furthering these skills through professional development in Medicolegal report writing. Current Occupational Therapy practice keeps him clinically relevant and up to date.

Carlen is very adept at ‘switching hats’ and enjoys direct therapy and assessments and report writing.

Carlen keeps his clinical skills relevant through delivering direct therapy. Relationship & Family Therapy services to private clients and some NDIS home visit services are provided through KOT. Clinic based Private, Medicare and NDIS ongoing therapy interventions with children, adolescents and adults are provided through his second company, Kaizen Allied Therapy Services, that he co-directs with his good friend and colleague, Natasha. Carlen has extensive experience with those who have challenging behaviours, both within the NDIS and private clients. Carlen is experienced in assisting those in the Child Protection system and a range of minority groups and diverse backgrounds.

Carlen’s rich experience and knowledge base has meant he has had the opportunity to deliver Professional Development training to Occupational Therapists around Australia in the Cognitive Disabilities Model for several years. Furthering his career as a Clinical Lead, he supervised other therapists, conveying his passion for learning through sharing knowledge and creating engaging learning platforms for other clinicians before moving on to open two companies of his own, both with different focuses.

Carlen graduated from the University of Sydney with a Masters Occupational Therapy in 2015. With a background as an Advanced Care Paramedic, Carlen became a lead clinician for an NGO involved in an initiative that commenced as a LINK funded research project with the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The project aimed to create continuity of care for individuals who presented to the Emergency Department with a high frequency. It involved working between community-based organisations, Emergency Department and other government organisations, providing training to the staff and working directly with the individuals. Through this program, statistically significant success was achieved at reducing the frequency of presentations and the research project became the Working Together to Connect Care Program. The following years saw Carlen start his own private practice and eventually move to Toowoomba where he began working as an Occupational Therapist for a company. As his reputation for high quality services grew rapidly, he grew their team significantly over several years. At that point, he chose to move on and challenge himself further which saw the beginning of KOT.