Hi, I'm Nicola McCarthy (Nicola Futeran).

I completed my Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) (Honours, First Class) at The University of Sydney. As a graduate occupational therapist, I worked at Giant Steps, a specialised school supporting children with profound autism and significant challenges participating in everyday life. For almost four years, I worked within the classroom environment every day, gaining hands on experience helping children build independence and regulate their emotions and sensory systems in a complex world. Most importantly, I found new ways to enhance their quality of life.

I then spent two years working in the private paediatric space across multiple clinics and mobile services, supporting a wide range of children and families with diverse strengths and needs.

I went on to found my own business, Dive In Paediatric Occupational Therapy! I created Dive In Paeds OT to help fill a gap for families by offering a flexible, highly individualised service that is moulded around each child, their family, their strengths and their goals.

The name "Dive In" reflects both the therapist I am and the service I strive to provide. I truly dive into every session: committed, hands on and passionate about supporting the children and families I work with. I aim to bring genuine care, dedication and energy into the therapy process, helping children build the skills they need to feel confident, capable and independent in their everyday lives.

I want families to feel that I genuinely love what I do, because I do. I value building strong relationships and making therapy feel fun, practical and meaningful. I'm known for going above and beyond (and then a little bit more!) to support every child and family I work with.

Supporting children with disabilities and additional needs has always been a significant part of my life. I began volunteering in the disability space at 14 years old, including weekly after school visits with a young girl with a disability. Today, I am the Director of Camp Sababa, an annual four-day overnight camp supporting over 50 children and young adults with disabilities.