Our Team

Kristy Deeks

Administration Manager

I joined the Potential team in January 2017 to provide administrative support for our therapists and clients. I have a background in allied health, having studied and worked in the field of health promotion and exercise physiology.  While travelling overseas, I gained experience in administration and continued down this path when I returned to WA.  My interest in working with children developed through helping my own children, one of whom has dyslexia and ADHD, navigate the world around them and the challenges they encounter along the way.

I love getting to know all of our clients and their families and I aim to make everyone who enters our clinic feel welcome and supported.  

Lynn Davidson

Administration ASSISTANT

Prior to relocating to WA, I lived in the UK where I taught English language skills in the higher education sector, later transitioning into further education to teach ESOL.  I enjoyed teaching students from diverse cultural backgrounds and found it rewarding to watch them grow in confidence and ability.  

In WA, I predominantly worked in administration in state and local government before returning to the classroom in a supportive role assisting children with special needs in mainstream education. 

I joined Potential Therapy Services in late August 2022 as an Administration Assistant.   I like being part of a positive and enthusiastic team passionate about helping and supporting young people achieve their potential.  The nicest part of my working day is when I get to meet and chat with our lovely clients and their families at the clinic.   

When I am not at work, I can be found playing badminton, table tennis or taking long walks on the beautiful south coast beaches.

Emily Warmington

Senior Occupational Therapist

During my 20 years as an Occupational Therapist I have predominantly been working in regional and remote locations with children and adults with disabilities.  I really enjoy paediatrics and love getting to know the young people that I work with and helping them to discover their strengths and unlock their potential.  I am passionate about sharing my knowledge of movement, the brain and behaviour to help each individual and the adults in their daily lives understand their abilities and learn how to maximise their strengths and minimise their weaknesses, preferably while playing, connecting and having fun! 

I have undertaken additional study in a large variety of Occupational Therapy interventions including  Bobath Neurodevelopmental Therapy for children with Cerebral Palsy, The SOS approach to feeding, Conquering the Wees and Poos, the Alert Program for sensory self regulation, the Deep Pressure Protocol for Sensory Defensiveness, DIR Floortime, Hanen You Make the Difference, seating and postural assessment, FASD and trauma, Perceive Plan Recall Perform model….

In my free time you will find me enjoying time with my family and friends, dancing, cooking or enjoying the great outdoors. 

Amanda Hilton

occupational therapist

After finishing my Occupational Therapy degree, I worked in Perth and travelled to Kalgoorlie, Karratha and Port Hedland supporting adults to return to work after sustaining a workplace injury. Having worked in this area for several years I realised that my passion lies within working with children and their families.

After spending almost every second weekend coming down to the South West, I realised that I was ready for a change and to get out of the hustle and bustle of Perth. Towards the end of 2022 I relocated to the South West to kick start my passion for working with children. I am passionate about early intervention and working closely with families to support their child’s independence and engagement in everyday activities. I enjoy that we have a multi-disciplinary team at Potential which makes it easier to deliver family-centred services to assist in achieving goals as a team. I like to ensure my therapy sessions are fun, engaging and meaningful for all of my clients.

In my spare time you will almost always find me at the beach, reading a good book, exploring nature and playing board games with family and friends.  

Sophie Lumby

physiotherapist

I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2022 with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and attained the Australian Physio Association award for excellence and commitment to Paediatrics. I started at Potential in October 2022 which has been the most supportive environment possible with the amazing group of Physiotherapists, OTs, and Speech Pathologists we have here.

I have always known I wanted to work with children and spent countless years nannying and babysitting whenever I could. During my final year of my Physio degree, I spent 10 weeks on placement in Broome working with kids with a range of challenges and disabilities. That placement made it clear to me that I wanted to move rurally and work as a physio with kids when I completed my degree. The South-West seemed like the perfect place to move upon graduating to start my career as a physiotherapist to get away from the busy city and back to my country roots from growing up in the UK countryside.

My approach to physio is to make the sessions as enjoyable as possible, masking the therapy aspect and emphasising the fun ways we can integrate physio into daily life’s, especially with our amazing Sensory Gym here at Potential. I am committed to helping our families achieve the best for their children in our clinic, at home or in the school environments.

When I am not working I will more often than not be outdoors exploring the South-west region doing anything from hiking, camping, or spending time at the beach with friends and family (or enjoying time with my two gorgeous dogs.)

Craig Lillico

psychologist

I moved from Perth to the southwest 11 years ago and later began studying psychology. After completing my university studies, I moved to southwest Queensland to work in a multidisciplinary private practice. In Queensland, I supported people across the lifespan and across a broad range of issues. Since returning to WA, I worked in the employee assistance program space. However, I have developed an interest in working with younger people and their families and feel very privileged to be a part of a passionate and dedicated team at Potential Therapy Services for Children.

 When not working, I enjoy jogging and beach runs, and going for a swim in the ocean or simply exploring the beautiful place we live in.

Cara O’Brien

senior speech pathologist

Since joining the team at Potential in 2016 I have developed a love for working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide family cantered practice, at our clinic as well as in the community at the school or home of my clients.

I am a trained facilitator of the Hanen: It Takes Two to Talk program, DIR Floortime therapy approach and Social Thinking Curriculum. I am also trained in Key Word Sign, PROMPT and PODD as means to facilitate communication and articulation. My belief that everyone has and deserves a voice has fuelled my interest in and knowledge of alternative and augmentative modes of communication such as PECS (picture exchange communication system), Proloquo2Go, PODD/SimPODD, Nova Chat and other App based communication systems.

I am passionate about providing services to children with a range of communication difficulties and their families and believe in making therapy fun and engaging, yet still evidence based and effective. However, working in a rural private practice has its benefits and I am grateful for the range of practice areas my caseload presents, therefore allowing me to maintain my skills in areas such as language, articulation, literacy, fluency and social skills.

Outside of work you will find me spending time with my dog, in my garden or exploring different craft and DIY projects.

Emily Stajov

speech pathologist

I completed my Masters in Speech Pathology in Canada, and worked in Vancouver and Perth before settling in Busselton. I am passionate about early intervention and supporting parents with strategies to improve their child’s communication. I strive to incorporate children’s interests into activities to foster intrinsic motivation to communicate. I have experience working with autistic individuals, as well as children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), language delay and speech sound disorders. I love supporting individuals with AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) including low tech communication boards and high tech app-based systems. 

I have completed trainings in Hanen: It Takes Two To Talk, DTTC (Training for Childhood Apraxia of Speech) and Introduction to DIR Floortime. I have recently become interested in working with young people with dyslexia or reading challenges and have enrolled in the Sounds Write Training in mid-2024.  

In my free time I love going to yoga classes, running, and going to the beach with my husband and little boy.