Annaliz

Annaliz graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from Griffith University on the Gold Coast in 2018. Soon after, she began working at Centre of Movement, a neurorehabilitation clinic specialising in intensive therapy. As the clinic’s first employee, Annaliz primarily worked with children experiencing neurological, chromosomal, and genetic disorders, supporting clients as young as three months old.

Over four years, she advanced to the role of senior therapist, contributing to the clinic’s rapid growth and training a multidisciplinary therapy team. This growth included welcoming international clients from Singapore, Dubai, and New Zealand.

During this period, Annaliz developed expertise in neurological and physical interventions for complex disorders, undertaking specialised training in Primitive Reflex Integration, the Bobath Approach, Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI), Neurodevelopmental Treatment, the Feldenkrais Method, and emotional development. These experiences strengthened her ability to manage complex paediatric conditions and laid a foundation for leadership in the field.

While working at Centre of Movement, Annaliz pursued a Master of Disability Practice, deepening her expertise in disability legislation and the NDIS Act. This degree fueled her passion for disability advocacy and enhanced her skills in navigating the NDIS space to advocate for clients effectively. Annaliz has since completed the degree and is preparing to publish a thesis based on this work.

After leaving Centre of Movement, Annaliz joined Strong and Courageous Kids Therapy Services as their first Occupational Therapist. There, she built and led the Occupational Therapy department while continuing to support clients with conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Autism, and more. This role expanded her clinical expertise through in-clinic sessions, community visits, park therapy, and hydrotherapy, further enhancing both her clinical and leadership capabilities.

Outside of Occupational Therapy, Annaliz is deeply passionate about creativity and adventure. She enjoys writing poetry, crafting, hosting dinner parties, having picnic days, and reading Stoic philosophy. An avid martial artist, Annaliz trains and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, freestyle wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing, karate, and judo. In 2024 alone, she has competed in seven competitions, aiming to reach ten by year’s end. This year also brought the significant achievement of earning two black belts before moving to Victoria, a move made with excitement and curiosity for new adventures.