Why I do this work
the journey that led here
I’m Heather, a therapist, researcher, and mother.
Over the past two decades, I’ve worked within the healthcare system, walked alongside families in crisis, and navigated serious illness and loss within my own family.
Through these experiences, one thing has become clear: there are important parts of the healthcare journey that often go unspoken.
This space exists to help bring them into the light.
The two journeys that shaped my life
I’ve worked as an occupational therapist for over 15 years, across paediatrics, rehabilitation, and aged care. In recent years, I’ve focused on researching how spirituality is understood and addressed in healthcare - particularly in occupational therapy.
My PhD explores how professionals can better support the existential, spiritual, social and emotional needs of their clients - an area that is still under-discussed in healthcare across the world.
I approach this work with an awareness that my perspective is shaped by my personal experiences, cultural background, and social location. I strive to engage in ongoing self-reflection and research to better understand how our personal backgrounds and professional approaches may influence clients' experiences in healthcare settings.
Clinical and academic work
This work is also deeply personal. When our youngest daughter, Emily, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, our family entered the healthcare system in the most vulnerable way imaginable. While we were supported by many kind professionals, we also encountered silence, overwhelm, and a system that didn’t quite know how to hold space for what we were facing. That experience reshaped my understanding of what care truly means.
In the midst of that time, I began writing as a way to process the grief. Those reflections became The Suffering of a Child, a deeply personal account of parenting through illness, sitting with suffering, and trying to find meaning in the midst of it all. The Spirit of Care is, in many ways, a different legacy of that story - a professional offering born from personal experience, created for those seeking clarity, presence, and deeper connection within the healthcare journey.
Lived experience
What guides this work
Compassion over correction
I believe in listening first, always.
Curiosity without assumption
Each person brings their own beliefs and story.
That's where they should be met.
Spirituality as part of the whole
Most people carry deep questions about meaning. These belong in our care conversations.
Lived experience matters
Healthcare professionals are also people.
Their stories shape their care, too.
Heather So delivers excellent, evidence-based workshops that thoughtfully integrate spirituality as a core framing of occupational therapy practice, grounded in respect for each individual's lived experience. Her sessions equip clinicians with practical, person-centred resources that can be immediately applied to support meaningful, values-driven practice.
- Dr Robert Pereira
Heather equips us to open up a non-threatening space to explore spirituality with our clients - an often neglected and undertrained area of OT practice.
- Vanessa
Spirituality is a vital and fundamental part of life, and it's deeply meaningful to have it recognised and supported in healthcare, especially as patients often turn to it most during these times. Thank you Heather for your valuable work.
- Cecelia
Who this work is for
- You’re a healthcare professional who wants to better support your clients in the deeper, more human parts of their care.
- You’re a parent or partner, navigating a loved one’s diagnosis or health journey.
- You’re someone who’s felt lost, overwhelmed, or unseen in the medical system.
- You’re asking questions that aren’t easily answered, and looking for space to ask them out loud.
Professional background at a glance
Based in Wollongong, NSW
PhD Candidate, University of Sydney
Occupational therapist (specialising in paediatrics)
Published in Australian and international healthcare journals
Available for speaking, training, and tailored workshops
Let's keep the conversation going
I’d love to connect, whether you’re here to collaborate, learn more, or simply read and reflect.
