Persistent pain has been an unspoken part of Denise’s journey since childhood. Digging deep into her personal story, she found people who would listen, cultivate hope and humility, and embrace what was meaningful in her life. This circuitous path led her to follow her dream of becoming an occupational therapist (OT). Her experiences have informed her compassionate approaches with people navigating complex pain and health conditions.

Denise graduated from Tufts University in Massachusetts with a second Master of Science degree in occupational therapy (MSOT) and a post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree and gained additional clinical experiences while studying abroad in Sweden. She intertwines OT with her previous twenty-year cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise physiology, health coaching, and wellness background.

As an occupational therapist, Denise views occupations as everyday meaningful activities that people do to occupy their time. These occupations provide identity, self-efficacy, and purpose and may be shared with others. Identifying a person’s values, beliefs, and capabilities provides a foundation to help enhance participation and quality of life. Denise creates safe opportunities to engage in daily occupations and overcome barriers in personal, social, emotional, cultural, and environmental contexts. Her extensive training combines integrative and holistic pain care, heart-body-mind approaches, self-advocacy, functional life skills, prevention, and heartfelt communication strategies into her practice.

When not at Sacred Circle, Denise is a mountain girl at heart. She enjoys exploring the wilderness, engaging in outdoor occupations, and experiencing what nature has to offer. Denise loves photography, writing poetry, pencil drawing, music, and traveling to expand her curiosity about life.