Andria Anderson MOT
Occupational Therapist
Co-Founder of Collective Therapy.
Co-Creator of ANTS in your PANTS: Managing Big Feelings.
Co-Creator of ANTS in your PANTS: A Trauma Informed Tool for Teachers.
Andria is a Occupational Therapist that has been working in the area of paediatrics for the past 14 years. Most of this experience has been in the area of mental health. Prior to OT school she worked as a Education Assistant and with many children and their families.
‘Being a mom of 2 boys myself I can relate to the day to day of parenting and the energy needed. My passion to support families and teachers has come from my years working on the Child Psychiatry Unit Inpatient Unit. Seeing the struggles of some of these kids and their families endure made me push to find solutions. Creating these frameworks was a way for me to take the knowledge and experience I gained and share it. So teachers and families could find strategies that will be helpful.’
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Alison Thomas BEd.
Special Education Teacher
Co-Creator of ANTS in your PANTS: A Trauma Informed Tool for Teachers
Ali is a Special Education Teacher who has taught within schools and specialized learning and hospital settings. As a specialist teacher, she has focused on working with students with complex mental health and learning needs. Through this work, she has focused on the power of teaching with compassion and establishing unconditional relationships as a foundation for fostering self-regulation and academic growth for students. She has been part of initiatives to implement trauma-informed care and teaching strategies.
The ANTS in your PANTS framework was developed out of her passion for connecting with teachers and support staff from across British Columbia, recognizing the desire that educator’s have for a deeper understanding of challenging behaviors and the need for practical strategies to use in the classroom.