Brendan McCann, M.Sc. OT
Brendan is a registered Occupational Therapist with COTBC with his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Victoria and a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University. Upon completing his master’s, he worked in Northern Alberta for five years with schools and privately with families; he returned to Vancouver Island in 2019 to start a family with his wife.
Brendan started a small private practice in the Comox Valley in 2019 and it has quickly grown to become Inner Rhythm Pediatrics. His focus as an OT lies in working together and connecting with families to support them with their priorities. He is passionate about encouraging kids to build on their own strengths and interests.
Brendan has completed continuing education courses on a wide variety of topics, including:
- Trauma Responsive Care (Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model, Polyvagal Theory, Safe and Sound Protocol)
- Sensory Processing (Interoception, Astronaut training, Reflex Integration)
- Autism (Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice, ADOS administration, SCERTS model)
- Touchpoints
- Dynamic Core for Kids
- Developmental Coordination Disorder
Melanie Rioux, M.Sc. PT
Melanie is a registered Physiotherapist with CPTBC with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Physiotherapy from McGill University.
Originally from Quebec City, Melanie worked in and around Montreal for about 3 years with children and adults, before moving to Vancouver Island in 2017, where she has been working with children through the public sector, both in early intervention and school-aged therapies.
Simone Starr, M.Sc. OT
Simone is an Occupational Therapist registered with COTBC. She has a BSc. in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of British Columbia. Simone has previously worked with infants, children, and youth with diverse abilities in Greater Vancouver for eight years in community, school, and clinic-based settings. She moved to the Comox Valley in 2022 to settle down with her young family.
Laticia Walker, M.Sc. SLP
Laticia is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with CSHBC and has been practicing since 2010. Laticia has worked with a diverse range of
ages and communication abilities across a variety of settings. Laticia has a particular interest in early intervention and is trained in Hanen’s More Than Words social communication program.
Using a play-based approach, Laticia is passionate about supporting communication development in a collaborative, family-centred way.
What is “Inner Rhythm”?
“Patterned, repetitive, rhythmic activity… elicits a sensation of safety. Rhythm is regulating. All cultures have some form of patterned, repetitive rhythmic activity as part of their healing and mourning rituals — dancing, drumming, and swaying.”
-Bruce Perry
Humans are inherently rhythmic beings—our affinity to it is reflected in cultures worldwide. Our sense of rhythm begins in utero: babies rely on the rhythms from their caregivers in bouncing, rocking, and singing to help ground and regulate. Whether we realize it or not, we regulate ourselves when we use our body, senses, music, and movement. What comes next is understanding how we can create intentional rhythms that can help regulate emotions, while still letting kids be kids.
We take the root of this science and combine it with developmentally informed and neurodiverse-affirming practices. We named our practice “Inner Rhythm Pediatrics” because it’s our fundamental principle: it guides us in our goal of helping children find ways to incorporate rhythm into their lives, help them learn, and build resilience. When children can connect with themselves, they can connect with what is most important to them.
