SEE YOUR CHILD THRIVE
WITH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Koi Wellness is a Tokyo-based occupational therapy service that offers children and teens:
• Strategies for ease and enjoyment at home, school, and beyond,
• Tools to achieve confidence and self-reliance,
• The relief that comes from being understood.
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
Occupational therapy is a process that helps people access the freedom to complete daily tasks and interactions consistently, independently, and happily.
A need can manifest in one or many ways. If your child or teen has difficulty with:
Sensitivity to touch, taste, sounds, and/or smells
Body awareness and coordination
Fine motor activities (coloring, cutting, puzzles)
Eating, sleep, and bowel/bladder control
Communication (verbal & nonverbal)
Relationships (with family or peers)
Play
Transitions
Regulating energy levels
Handwriting
Focus
OUR PHILOSOPHY
At Koi Wellness, therapy is tailored to you.
We partner with you and your child to create an individualized treatment plan. By giving you the best tools and strategies for guiding and connecting with your child, we give you the key to their holistic improvement: We offer you real, lasting change.
Our treatment plans are never a one-size-fits-all shot in the dark. Backed by science and research, we directly address functional needs for noticeable improvement.
Approaches and Advanced Trainings
At Koi Wellness, we use a wide variety of techniques to provide truly individualized treatment plans. Our therapy practices are intentional. Using a child-lead, play-based approach, we build the therapeutic relationship that creates the foundation of for progress and establish lasting changes. This is achieved through extensive on-going training and dedication towards continuing education to refine clinical skills. Aya has dedicated her time and energy into the following advanced training methods and approaches including:
Therapeutic Listening® and Fine Tuning Therapeutic Listening®
Reflex Integration
meet aya porté
Growing up, Aya struggled with language, communication, and in turn it affected her learning. She knows what it feels like to stumble over something “normal.” This perspective has made her a discerning and empathetic listener who knows how to help others feel heard and seen.
She’s hopeful that her particular strengths and lived experience will be a perfect fit for your child’s needs.
Aya knows you’re the expert on your child.
That’s why you are a collaborator in the therapy process: You play a vital role in spurring your child’s growth and development. Aya will lay a strong foundation of the best tools and strategies so that you can confidently support your child at home every day. By giving you the reins, Aya gets your child on the road to long-term success.
Aya is adamant that OT sessions involve both the parent and the child. She’ll teach you step by step so that you can implement valuable techniques with understanding.
Aya knows how to get your child on board.
Because a child’s enthusiastic participation is vital to accomplishing therapeutic goals, Aya’s approach to therapy looks and feels like play. She meets your child on their timeline and developmental level in ways that genuinely pique their interest.
Because play is an important aspect of child development, when she’s not working, Aya is nurturing her own playful side. You can find her hiking, practicing yoga and meditation, and exploring different parts of Tokyo and beyond.
Aya’s goal is to help clients graduate from therapy in less than a year.
Aya studied in the United States, at Quinnipiac University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Health Science in 2012 and a Master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2014.
She returned to Tokyo in 2017 and quickly recognized the need for English-speaking pediatric occupational therapists capable of addressing the unique concerns of expat and international school communities. Shortly thereafter, Koi Wellness was born.
In addition to occupational therapy, Koi Wellness also serves yogis of all ages in both private and group settings.
OUR PROCESS
At Koi Wellness, we want your child to experience excellent care and the best possible results. We start with an initial consultation, followed by a multi-day evaluation procedure. Aya believes it is vital to observe a child more than once before drawing conclusions or setting goals.
Once a therapy plan is in place, you and Aya work together to schedule your child’s therapy sessions. In just a few short weeks, you and your child will start seeing progress.
Here’s What to Expect:
Initial Consultation
• Discuss developmental history and your areas of concern.
• Discover whether Koi Wellness and your family are a good fit.
• Move on to evaluation, or receive specialist referral.
Comprehensive Evaluation
• Meet 2–3 times to assess gross motor, fine motor, and sensory processing skills.
• Develop a treatment plan for holistic results.
Private Sessions
• Determine appropriate session frequency and duration with a parent or guardian present.
• Discuss improvements and concerns from the previous week.
• Engage in therapeutic activities tailored to your child and their goals.
• Review the hour’s accomplishments and what to work on for the following week.
Let’s Work Together
Alternative Collaboration Opportunities in English only
Facebook groups and Pinterest boards are helpful for finding hacks and fun activities for your child, to a certain point. Then you find yourself stuck endlessly Googling how to best help your child thrive and starting to feel overwhelmed. You just need some help. Let’s figure it out together!
While this type of collaboration is not a substitute for occupational therapy services, you may be in a position where you would benefit the help from a professional therapist. Aya is available for in-depth conservations about all things OT. From helping you processing and understand a diagnosis, to seeking out appropriate support, helping to advocate for your child, and more, Aya is here to help.
Featured
TESTIMONIALS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are your credentials?
My credential abbreviation is “MOTR/L” which stands for, “Masters of Occupational Therapy”, “Registered”, and “Licensed”. This means I have earned a master’s degree from an institutional occupational therapy program (MOT). Registered means I have passed a national board certification examination that certifies I have the necessary knowledge of occupational therapy to practice, and I continue this commitment by renewing my certification every 3 years with continuing education. Licensed means I am licensed to practice in certain states (California and and Massachusetts). You can verify my national board certification credential here:
How do I get started?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. Aya will assess your needs before either moving forward with an evaluation or referring you to a different specialist.
Do you accept insurance?
Aya does not directly accept Japanese National Health Insurance nor U.S. health insurance. She can provide you an invoice, which you may submit to your health insurance company for possible reimbursement.
Does my child need occupational therapy?
If you have any concerns regarding your child’s • fine motor, visual motor, or sensory processing development, • ability to complete self-care tasks or school activities, • behavior in social settings,
Please schedule a complimentary consultation.
If/when you move on to a comprehensive evaluation, Aya will compare your child’s sensory, motor, and functional abilities to those of other children their age. Results of the evaluation will help you make an informed decision on whether your child would benefit from OT.
What occupational therapy services does Koi Wellness offer?
Aya specializes in sensory processing, self-regulation, gross and fine motor development, self-care, and school functioning.
How long will it take to see results?
It varies. Each child has a different timeline, and different needs advance at different rates. However, Aya suggests completing 6 weeks of therapy before assessing progress.
Where does Koi Wellness provide service?
Primarily in your home. Aya believes that children and teens benefit most when therapy is conducted in their natural environment. She asks parents and caregivers to be present during therapy sessions so that they understand why certain techniques work and learn how to implement them between sessions.
If scheduling permits, Aya may consider seeing your child at school.
In what language(s) are services provided?
All services (written reports, consultations, and direct treatment) are provided in English. Aya can provide verbal consultations and mentorship in Japanese under special circumstances.
Do you charge for travel?
Koi Wellness does not charge for transportation costs within the Tokyo, Chiba, and Yokohama areas.
We started therapy with someone else. Can we transition to seeing you?
Absolutely. Contact Koi Wellness to begin the transfer of care. Typically, if enough information is provided and expectations are clearly communicated, treatment can pick up right where you left off.
What is your cancellation policy?
24 hours. If your child is sick the day of the appointment, please contact Aya as soon as possible, and no fee will be applied. If a session is cancelled with less than 24-hours’ notice without valid reason, we will charge 100% of the session.
If sessions are cancelled consecutively, we will reassess services moving forward.
*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current cancellation policy is being expanded. We understand that you may experience unique disruptions in your life. Please notify Aya with as much advance notice as possible.
Where did the name “Koi Wellness” come from?
Koi fish are tenacious creatures! Energetic and persevering, they’re known for swimming against the current. They represent courage, love, and friendship; they are the symbol for Children’s Day in Japan.
Our clients often say facing their challenges felt like “swimming upstream.” Aya swims alongside her clients, helping them build endurance and giving them the tools and confidence that will help them succeed.
If you’re not ready for therapy, outside our service area or just want to pick Aya’s brain about how to help your child, our video conference option is a great solution for some 1:1 help without ongoing, in-person therapy.
Your video consultation includes up to three 30 minute video sessions (on Zoom) to get a strong understanding of your needs and provide you a clear suggestions and strategies to try. You will receive a follow-up email after each video session summarizing the session, include discussed strategies, and troubleshoot as you go.
Examples of Video Consultation Questions:
Can you join me and my child during [insert activity that you are struggling with] and give me ideas of how I can better support and engage with them
I homeschool my child(ren) and would love your help in providing suggestions to improve our development in fine or gross motor skills.
We really struggle to engage with fun and meaningful play with our child. We don’t know what we’re doing wrong.