Where Therapeutic Wellness Meets The Great Outdoors

IMPACT Occupational Therapy Enhances Mind and Body Function Through Activity, Recovery, and Performance

Specialized therapy for trauma-exposed professionals and their families, healing from burnout, injury & loss

It’s my privilege to work with our remarkable frontline professionals and leaders who put their lives on the line every day to serve, care and protect, and with those who support them:

 

Serving Those Who Serve

First Responders, Search & Rescue, Military, Veterans, Public Safety, Health Care, Aviation, and Families

Get Support Early

OT’s like myself, specializing in mental health and cognitive performance, help you when you’re injured by first identifying what symptoms are keeping you from living and performing the way you need to.

Some examples of symptoms you may be experiencing include:

  • Feeling a lack of purpose

  • Poor sleep quality or insomnia

  • Decreased reaction time necessary for your job

  • Decreased attention and awareness

  • Feeling overwhelmed or burned-out

  • Decreased motivation  

  • Inability to multi-task

  • Poor memory 

  • Difficulty planning and executing tasks 

  • Feeling “heavy,” an increased sadness or depressed 

  • Increased use of alcohol, smoking or drugs

  • Experiencing intrusive negative thoughts

  • Increased fear or anxiety

  • Feeling irritable or angry

  • Having a decreased libido  

  • Holding negative impressions of the world

  • Feeling overreactive and impulsive

  • Experiencing unwanted flashbacks 

  • Feeling isolated or disconnected from family, friends or your workplace

  • Feeling “broken”, unlike yourself

  • Struggling with your relationships

I then work with you to manage your symptoms and to help re-build your strength, resiliency, health and wellness. I also support and educate your family and your employer if appropriate and with your consent, while helping to facilitate and support your successful return to work. 

Healing Through Doing: Optimizing Brain Health

The research is clear, exercise is the single most important thing that we can do to improve our mind and physical health.

It also shows that there are considerable health benefits to being outdoors. These two, combined with professional support provide the gold standard for injury prevention, recovery and performance.

This is why I’ve designed a professional therapy practice to serve you in the great outdoors, whenever possible, incorporating movement and exercise into each session. My role is to progress your healing and to keep you accountable to your goals.

Services

  • Individual Therapy Sessions

    For trauma-exposed professionals, frontline and leaders who are having difficulty with their mental performance, health, wellness and function. I combine therapy with the great outdoors to best support your healing and recovery.

    If we need to modify our sessions due to weather, alternative locations are available and will be arranged via phone, video or in office.

  • Family Therapy Sessions

    For partners, children and those providing support. You can’t do it all. Supporting a loved one can impact your health as well and put strain on your relationship.

    l offer self-care strategies, support and education. As much as possible we strive to get outdoors, however I am able to arrange sessions via phone, video or in office.

  • Workshops, Training and Education

    Tailored for your team. Some topics include:

    Prevention of injury such as burnout, occupational stress and PTSD

    Healing from concussion and TBI

    Critical incidence response and stress management

    Performance optimization through health and wellness practices

  • Group Therapy Sessions

    Connection and camaraderie is such an important part of healing, recovery and performance. If there is interest, I am able to organize and facilitate a group session with your peers.

    Groups can also be organized for interested partners, families and children.

“Thank you for your service” should not mean the sacrifice of you and who you are to your family, friends and comrades. I’d be honoured to work with you to help you get your life back!

I’m Tonya Kilmer. A Canadian Armed Forces Veteran (Medic - 11 FD AMB), registered Occupational Therapist and trauma survivor myself. I understand the journey and impact of trauma, extreme stress, grief, and loss that extends well beyond ourselves - to our children, partners, family and friends.

I also know what life looks like on the other side.

My lens as an Occupational Therapist is on healing through doing the things that bring meaning and purpose to your life.

  • Prevent injury - mind and body

  • Heal following an injury and return to meaningful, purposeful living

  • Adapt to your environment so that you can be as independent and as healthy as possible

  • Optimize your mental and physical performance through health and wellness practices

  • Manage high stress and prevent burnout

  • Improve your sleep

  • Improve your relationships

  • Return to work in the most supportive way possible

  • Come back from trauma, grief, loss, Occupational/Operational Stress Injury (OSI), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

There are many things in life that force us to adapt. While injuries make that process more difficult, they can also pave the way to powerful come-back stories. As your occupational therapist I help you to write that story, working with you to:

My Approach

The evidence is clear: Fresh air and movement combined with professional support is the gold standard for optimizing our mind and physical health. I combine the great outdoors with therapy for what I believe, will give you the best, most sustained outcome.

My goals are three-fold:

  1. To help you get your life back following injury, to optimize your performance and to prevent re-injury.

  2. To tailor each session for you based on who you are, your interests and your goals. This will get you the greatest result in the shortest amount of time.

  3. With your consent, to educate your family and support network about your injury and your recovery so that they can best support you.

What to Expect

  • What to expect from a session:

    1. Get in touch with me at IMPACT OT by phone or through the contact form to connect. 

    2. We'll schedule a phone call to discuss any concerns you’re having with your day to day function and how it's affecting you. 

    3. If we decide that we're a good fit, we'll schedule your initial appointment. This will be a 1 hour session, weather permitting, at a local outdoor location. If the weather isn't conducive, or if you prefer, we can schedule our session via Telehealth (video or phone). 

    4. Each subsequent session will progress your healing, getting you back to doing the things you want and need to do, and to the quality of life you deserve.

  • Sessions can take place at a local trailhead for a walk or hike, on the beach for a walk or paddle board, or at the outdoor gym to incorporate resistance work and cardio activity. All exercise and movement activities will be combined with trauma-processing to help the brain and body heal.

  • Life happens and weather doesn't always cooperate. Some days getting out of bed, let alone the house, feels impossible.

    When needed we can meet indoors, over the phone or via video. I work with you exactly where you're at, in whatever way works best, to move you forward and to help your recovery.

  • Each session is $175 per hour.

    • Yes. Most extended health care benefit plans cover the cost of Occupational Therapy.

      You will need to contact your health care insurance provider before your first session to determine your coverage amount. While I am not able to bill your provider directly, you are welcome to submit your receipt to them for potential reimbursement.

    • I work independent of insurers such as the Workers Compensation Board (WCB), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), Department of National Defence (DND) and Long Term Disability (LTD) companies. *See the next Q&A "What if I'm off work or retired due to an injury and have a claim with an insurance provider?"

    • If you have an Employee Family Assistance Program that you would like to use and will cover the cost of therapy, please provide me with their contact information so that I can add myself to their list of funded providers.

    • If you have a claim with an insurer you are welcome to work with me in addition to the benefits that you may be receiving through them.

      Our sessions and the work that we do together will remain completely confidential, as I work independent of insurance companies.

    • Your insurer may still choose to reimburse you for our sessions, but each case will be dependent on a discussion with your case manager and their decision. I am happy to support you with this process.

  • While trauma-exposed professionals are my primary focus group, I would be pleased to take you on as my client if it's the right fit for both of us.

    Please contact me by phone or through the contact form so that we can arrange a time to connect.

  • Yes, I am fully bilingual.