Our Story Begins Here

❊ About Us

Meet Carly

(BBR’s Chief Chaos Creator)

Oh hey I’m Carly.
Founder of Beyond Boundaries Rehab. ADHD brain. Mum of six (birthed 3, inherited 3). Paddle board enthusiast. Wannabe surfer (still spending more time eating waves than riding them). Professional chaos wrangler. And the reason BBR will never, ever be boring.

How It All Started

(aka: Teenage Carly, winging it)

At 16, I was a support worker and nanny, convinced I’d end up teaching in “special ed.” Then one day, I stumbled across OT at a training session, and it was like a lightning bolt. Love at first sight.

Tiny problem: I had none of the marks to actually get into the OT course. ADHD + high school = not exactly a success story. But if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s this: I do not take no for an answer. A year later, I was in.

Uni was chaos — ugly crying, fails, knockbacks, and more late-night caffeine than I care to admit. But passion and stubbornness won, and I walked out the other side with a degree in OT. (Still a miracle tbh.)

The “Figure It Out As You Go” Years

My first job? ADHC in Mudgee, covering basically half of regional NSW with nothing but a paper map and the occasional dodgy motel. Pre-smartphones. Pre-WiFi. Pre-everything. Just me, some panicked scribbles, and a whole lot of “winging it.”

Then came Newcastle’s Paediatric Rehab team — brain injury rehab, then coordinating the CP + Movement Disorders Clinic. Somewhere in there, I thought: what if I just… built a private version of this clinic? More kids seen, less waitlist stress, better outcomes. Genius. (Also slightly unhinged, but hey, that’s on brand.)

Enter BBR

Fast forward: three kids under five, plus 2 exchange students (yes, chaos level unlocked), an itch to get back into community work, and sheer stubbornness. That’s how Beyond Boundaries Rehab was born.

And not just any service. We built Australia’s first interdisciplinary tone management clinic. It was bold, messy, brilliant, and industry-changing. Even though COVID shut that chapter, the ripple effect is still alive, with other clinics since stepping up, and running with  this model, to continue that amazing and life changing work. I couldn’t be more proud of this! That's what has made our work truly meaningful and life changing - the longer term, broader impact and change.

Oh, and around the same time? I also co-founded the Hunter Disability Expo. Why? Because I went looking for one and realised it didn’t exist. So obviously my solution was: meh, I’ll start it myself. (Classic Carly.) It’s now one of the biggest expos in Australia.

Organised Chaos

(aka: Why my staff both miss me and don’t)

Look, I don’t do “stiff and serious.” My therapy sessions were… let’s say “educational entertainment.” Hide-and-seek in the waiting room? Totally happened. Water fights? Also yes. Organised chaos was my jam — clients laughed, learned, and left with actual outcomes.

My team still laughs about the day I welcomed Tess, our new EP, by telling her she had to sing her intro solo to the group (apparently it was “tradition”). Poor Tess nearly fainted. We didn’t actually make her do it (I’m cheeky, not cruel), but she’s now one of my closest mates. Also: interpretive dance has snuck into staff meetings. More than once.

So yeah — with me, life is never boring. At BBR, anything is possible.

Nearly 10 Years Later…

Fast forward nearly a decade, and BBR has had more pivots than a reality TV contestant. We’ve grown, shrunk, re-shaped, and grown again. We’ve had BBR babies, staff go from admin to clinicians, and clients we’ve seen since day one who are now young adults. We’ve celebrated life, mourned with dignity, and laughed through it all.

BBR isn’t just a service. It’s a wild, messy, wonderful family.

Beyond the Clinic

Because chaos apparently isn’t enough, I’ve also:

  • Raised over $60k with Rotary for Days for Girls.

  • Shared knowledge with colleagues across the globe through Taking Paediatrics Abroad.

  • Volunteered at the Children’s Christmas Party for kids with disabilities (think: Santa, glitter, organised mayhem).

What's Next?

What's Next?

These days, I’m slowly hanging up my clinician hat and starting my next big adventure: the Support Worker Association of Australia (SWAA). It’s a national movement to professionalise support work, shake up the industry, and finally give workers the recognition they deserve.

So yeah. BBR was my first baby. SWAA is my new one. And knowing me… there will be more chaos on the horizon.