Bearfoot Occupational Therapy

About

Bearfoot Occupational Therapy provides nature-based pediatric occupational therapy that combines expert guidance with transformational sessions to unlock the best version of a child's most authentic self.

Categories Program Children & Youth Therapeutic

Program Details

Our mission is to help children and families find more ease, joy, and growth by providing personalized, whole-child support through nature-based therapy. To foster understanding, we partner with parents and caregivers to provide actionable strategies that lead to lasting, meaningful change in every child’s life.

Since launching in 2019, Bearfoot OT has been a Bay Area leader in helping families find more connection, joy, and flow in daily routines by supporting the social, emotional, sensory, and motor needs of kids.

Working from an innovative and playful outdoor approach to therapy, Bearfoot OT offers individual outdoor sessions, groups, and camps in Bay Area parks. In our joy-filled, nature-based sessions, you will find a deep commitment to parent collaboration and neurodiversity-affirming care woven into every service we provide.

At Bearfoot OT, we are redefining the impact of therapy by taking it outdoors and turning it into an adventure instead of a chore. Our mission is to offer kids and families a fresh, holistic approach that combines powerful sessions with innovative care and high-touch parent support, leading to a high-impact experience that benefits the whole family. Our vision is to redefine how pediatric occupational therapy is provided so that kids, families, and therapists have the time and resources to connect deeply for better outcomes.

Contact Marika Austin, Owner/Founder info@bearfootot.com (415) 322-0874 Bearfoot Occupational Therapy

Services Offered

Individual occupational therapy sessions
Social-emotional groups
Therapeutic summer camp
Parent education
Professional development
Evaluations

Cost to Participate

10-week group – $1,297
8-week group – $997
1-week of summer camp – $995
1:1 therapy based on quarterly package model – $740/month for Basic package; $900/month for Standard package

Staff Composition

1 administrator
3 full-time occupational therapists
1 part-time occupational therapist
1 part-time certified occupational therapy assistant.

Bearfoot OT in the Media

Nature-Based Allied Health Practice
Read: Featured Case Study in this Book

Four sticks are bound together by twine, creating a frame around pink-colored leaves and pink paper hearts that say “I LOVE YOU MOM” in a child’s handwriting.

A child holds up a cardboard box that was cut open to reveal a white piece of paper in the middle. The child had splattered the paper with multicolored paint to create a piece of artwork.

Three children run up a dirt path that leads up to a tall hill. The dirt path is surrounded by green grass and trees, and beyond the hill is a cloudless blue horizon.

A toy boat that a child pieced together using objects of nature. The boat’s body are four corks secured by multicolored rubber bands; its sail is a green leaf held up by a twig.

A young child crouches close to the ground, with the camera’s focus on their hands as they fill the scoop of a yellow toy tractor with dirt. Leaves and pieces of bark are scattered around.

A child in a red jacket, pink heart-patterned pants, and rain boots crouches down to scoop up mud with bare hands.

Four pieces of cardboard are held together with twine to make a square white frame, which is decorated with purple and yellow wildflowers tied together.

Recent Case Studies

A group of individuals gather wearing traditional clothing.

Program

Whiteswan Environmental (WE): Restoring Indigenous Kinship Through Truth, Healing, and Classroom-to-Place-Based Education

Whiteswan Environmental reconnects our Saltwater Salmon People with ancestral village sites, camps, reef net teachings, and 13 Moons food systems through classroom and place-based learning as part of our work in truth and healing.

People walking along concrete paths between planted garden areas. Annotations and arrows identify features and flows.

Place

Xuhui Runway Park

Formerly an airport runway, this 36-acre park now includes themed gardens, constructed wetlands, outdoor event spaces, and plenty of options for "green" commuting while preserving elements of its aviation history.

A brown and white goat on a leash stands on a cement walkway with signs about Philly Goat Project placed on the side.

Program

Philly Goat Project (PGP)

Philly Goat Project is a nature-based nonprofit rooted in community wellness. The organization’s aim is to bring folks together alongside the joyous presence of trained goats.