At Milestone, we recognize the many barriers that exist for women to fully take control of their health and well-being. Our occupational therapist (OT) can help you take our team’s treatment recommendations and put them into action with practical, sustainable changes in your everyday life.
Therapist: Susanne Williams, BSc OT, Reg. OT (AB)
Designed to support:
• Implementation of lifestyle strategies and team recommendations
• Everyday function, organization, and habit formation
• Self-advocacy in the workplace
• Sleep routines and behavioural strategies
• Self-care and energy conservation
• Burnout and stress management
• Brain fog and executive function skills
• Specialized support for women living with ADHD and/or Autism
• Environmental changes and ergonomics at work and at home
• Workplace productivity and return-to-work planning
Structure:
• 2 - 3 sessions typically spaced one month apart
• May include personal goal setting and additional functional assessment (with consent)
• Fee: $200 per session (Receipts provided for extended health/HSA)
Occupational therapy is offered as part of Milestone’s integrated care model, helping connect your care recommendations with practical strategies for everyday life. If you’re curious whether OT may be right for you, or have questions about how Susanne can support you, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Occupational Therapy
1. Do I need a referral to see the occupational therapist?
2. Why does Milestone offer occupational therapy as part of comprehensive menopause care?
3. How does occupational therapy work with my Milestone Care Model?
4. What does occupational therapy help with?
5. What happens at my first appointment?
6. How many sessions will I need?
7. How much do appointments cost?
8. Is occupational therapy covered by Alberta Health Services (AHS) or provincial insurance?
9. Do you provide receipts for insurance or HSA claims?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No, you do not need a referral to see an occupational therapist. However, as part of the Milestone Care Pathway, it may be recommended when appropriate as part of your comprehensive assessment and can help you to put your carefully curated menopause care plan into action.
Because we know that menopause can impact your whole life and how you are able to fully live it. It is a whole body transition that can affect how you think, feel and function. It can also affect your roles, routines, relationships and identity. Having an occupational therapist as part of your Milestone care team means that your physical, mental and emotional health symptoms can be addressed, both at home and in the workplace.
We recognize that your Milestone care pathway may feel both exciting and overwhelming at first. We also understand how challenging it can be for a woman in this phase of life to fit new habits into her already full daily schedule. Our OT can help you create a personalized plan to start you on your journey, based on what matters most to you.
With your consent and where helpful to your care, your occupational therapist can collaborate with members of your Milestone care team to support a coordinated approach. Together, we can help connect the physical, emotional, and practical pieces of your care, turning recommendations into strategies that feel realistic and sustainable in your everyday life.
Our occupational therapy program is designed to support a wide range of common challenges and symptoms that are often under-addressed in perimenopause and menopause, such as:
• Juggling demands and routines at home, at work and with family/friends
• Shifting roles within family (caring for aging parents, supporting adult children)
• Poor sleep
• Physical changes - fatigue, pain, stiffness
• Mood swings, burnout, stress and anxiety
• Brain fog and cognitive changes (e.g. organization, memory)
Your initial session is 60 minutes and is a conversation. We begin by listening to your symptoms, your history, your goals, and how menopause has been affecting your day-to-day life. From there, you may wish to create some personalized goals. Your occupational therapist may also recommend further screening tools, or deeper exploration into current habits, routines and expectations at home and at work. She may also offer a home or workplace visit as a follow up to support your function and/or safety in those environments, if this would be beneficial for you.
2 or 3 sessions are recommended, however this is always determined by your unique needs and goals.
Initial and follow up sessions are $200.00 each
Occupational Therapy (OT) at Milestone is not covered by Alberta Health Services as a publicly funded service. However, many extended health benefit plans do cover occupational therapy. We recommend checking your plan's coverage for OT services before your appointment.
Yes. Official receipts are provided for all appointments and can be submitted to your extended health benefit plan or Health Spending Account (HSA). Your occupational therapist is a registered occupational therapist, so receipts are issued accordingly.