Climbing is inherently individualized and adaptable. At Reach, we strive to offer an environment that is accessible for all, regardless of age or ability. Our staff are committed and prepared to help you get on the wall from your first visit by eliminating barriers and providing a safe environment in which to explore a new activity. In addition, our therapeutic climbing programs use the medium of climbing to work towards functional goals on and off the wall through consultation with an Occupational Therapist (OT). This therapeutic modality may be appropriate for individuals with a variety of needs and goals including physical rehabilitation, cognitive or learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety and depression, among others. These programs are highly customized. They are available for adults and children, as individual or group sessions. Pricing is adjusted accordingly. A portion of these programs may be covered by third party health insurance or motor vehicle collision insurance. Please reach out for availability and pricing, or to explore specific goals with our OT. Please call ahead to ensure that we are able to meet your needs at the time of your visit.
Sarah is a registered Occupational Therapist who graduated from Queen’s University in 2004. She has extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of physical, cognitive, psycho-emotional, and perceptual impairments. She has worked with individuals after stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, and a variety of other life-altering events in the acute, rehabilitation settings, and community-based settings. She has facilitated return to community, work, and school. Sarah is thrilled to have the opportunity to use climbing, her favourite leisure pursuit, as a therapeutic tool for Reach clients in their recovery journeys. Sarah is a passionate recreational climber, who also has experience in coaching beginner and elite youth climbers. Recently, Sarah completed certification to be Canada's first international classifier for Paraclimbing, and will be attending international events as an official. As one of the owners of Reach Indoor Climbing, she is excited to introduce individuals of all abilities to the therapeutic benefits of climbing.
Julia is a registered Occupational Therapist who graduated from the University of Toronto in 2023. She has experience supporting a wide variety of individuals through therapeutic climbing, with a specific focus on children and youth with physical, developmental, intellectual, and/or cognitive impairments and disabilities. She strives to create supportive and positive therapeutic experiences by ensuring her approach is client-centred and strengths-based, as she understands that everyone has unique strengths, goals, and needs. Julia brings her passion and enthusiasm for climbing and accessibility into this setting to foster meaningful participation and engagement in a community-based sport context for all of her clients. She is very excited to continue offering and developing the programs and services at Reach Indoor Climbing that will expand on opportunities for accessible recreation and therapeutic intervention.
Lauren is a registered Occupational Therapist with experience helping both children and adults with various impairments and disabilities achieve their goals through therapeutic climbing. She is committed to fostering a fun and supportive environment for her clients, as she believes that such an atmosphere allows them to thrive. Recognizing that each individual is unique, Lauren adopts a client-centered approach to ensure that therapy is tailored to meet each person's specific needs. Lauren is enthusiastic about contributing to the growth and development of opportunities at Reach Indoor Climbing, enabling individuals to engage in accessible recreation and therapeutic interventions, as she understands the importance of this access.
Tiana is an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) and holds a Bachelor of Science degree complemented by her experience working with children as an OCT-certified teacher. As a climber herself, she became a certified volunteer with the Canadian Adaptive Climbing Society, supporting adaptive climbing events and getting to know the community in a deeper way. Blending her passion for teaching, movement, and meaningful connection through occupational therapy felt like a natural step. Tiana is genuinely excited to share the joy of climbing in a fun, safe, and supportive space. She believes everyone brings their own experiences, strengths, and goals to the wall, and she loves partnering with clients to help them grow in ways that feel empowering and true to them.
Tyler is an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) who has extensive climbing experience as a route setter, indoor and outdoor climber, coach and systems specialist. Tyler excels at finding creative solutions to facilitate access to climbing spaces, and creating climbs to promote specific movements and patterns. He thrives on challenging climbers to understand their own movements and stretch themselves beyond their expectations. Tyler is excited to use his climbing knowledge and enthusiasm to help clients access climbing at Reach, and work towards their rehabilitation goals.
Our therapeutic services combine evidence-based occupational therapy practices with climbing and movement to help climbers achieve their goals. The space is active, sensory-rich, and social, which is ideal for targeting executive functioning, motor planning, resilience, and social skills in real-world conditions. Climbing also naturally encourages mindfulness, helping climbers stay present, regulate their emotions, and build confidence through focused movement and problem-solving.
No. The gym operates as a public climbing facility while therapy services are provided. This means other climbers, coaches, and background noise will be present. We’ve found that this dynamic setting can be highly beneficial for building real-world skills such as emotional regulation, attention, flexibility, impulse control, time management, planning, and organization. If the climber is easily overwhelmed by busy or unpredictable environments, our Occupational Therapists (OTs) can help assess whether this space is currently an appropriate fit and incorporate any necessary adaptations or accommodations to make the space more comfortable and accessible for the climber.
For safety and effectiveness, all new clients must complete an OT assessment at Reach Indoor Climbing with one of the OTs on our team. Many people perform differently in this environment compared to more traditional therapy settings, so the assessment allows our OTs to understand how each climber moves, regulates, and engages in the gym setting. It also provides orientation to the space and helps to determine how each climber can safely access the walls, including the amount of assistance or specific accessibility strategies that may be needed to ensure a safe and meaningful climbing experience.
Outside reports are welcome as background information, but an on-site assessment is still required. Reports from other settings don’t reflect how someone functions in this unique and unpredictable climbing environment. While the OT can incorporate and build on similar goals from a previous OT assessment report, the climbing setting presents different safety challenges, and the assessment ensures each climber can participate safely and effectively in this setting.
The assessment itself serves as a safe “trial” opportunity to experience the space. It allows the climber to explore the environment while the OT observes comfort, motivation, safety, accessibility, and readiness for ongoing therapy service provision in this setting.
If you’d simply like to try out climbing before pursuing therapy, you’re welcome to visit Reach Indoor Climbing during regular operating hours. You can purchase a day pass and rent equipment, and the gym’s front-desk staff will provide a basic safety orientation for independent climbing. Please note that this is a recreational experience and our OTs are not available to provide support for this. If you decide to move forward with therapy after trying out climbing independently, an OT assessment will still be required before proceeding with any therapeutic treatment.
If you’d like to explore our space with greater supports, Reach Indoor Climbing has hosted several “Try-It” sessions in collaboration with a variety of community organizations, such as the Children’s Treatment Network (CTN), the Brain Injury Association of York Region (BIAYR), and the Canadian Adaptive Climbing Society (CACS). Keep an eye on our social media platforms (@reachindoorclimbing on Instagram) to find out when our next “Try-It” session will be. These sessions are supported by our OTs as well as trained staff and volunteers to help support your climbing experience and ensure equitable access to our climbing walls.
The assessment begins with a brief discussion of goals, background information, and any relevant reports. The therapist will then guide the climber through a series of climbing and movement-based tasks to observe motor coordination, body awareness, attention, regulation, and comfort in the environment. The session concludes with a brief discussion of observations and next steps for individual or group therapy participation.
Yes. OT services at Reach Indoor Climbing are provided by licensed therapists and are eligible for most insurance, Ontario Autism Program (OAP), and motor vehicle accident (MVA) insurance funding, depending on your plan and coverage. Receipts with provider registration numbers are issued for reimbursement purposes. Your community case manager or OT can also submit a treatment plan through Health Claims for Auto Insurance (HCAI) to help cover the cost of our services.
Not necessarily. We provide all necessary rental equipment to ensure you can access our climbing walls. We also offer a variety of additional adaptive equipment to ensure you have a safe, successful, and meaningful climbing experience regardless of your skills and needs.
If you know you enjoy climbing, and are interested in purchasing your own gear, we typically recommend our climbers explore the gear available at Mountain Equipment Company as they offer a wide selection of appropriate options. If you are considering purchasing your own gear, feel free to chat with our OT team to figure out what gear might be best for you
Everyone! Climbing is inherently adaptive and can be made accessible with the right supports in place. We have been able to support a wide range of both pediatric and adult climbers in our gym, and would be happy to continue supporting those with:
· Try-it sessions in partnership with community groups
· Accessible Recreation
· Individual Therapeutic Climbing (Adult) - assessment +/- treatment sessions
· Individual Therapeutic Climbing (Pediatric) - assessment +/- treatment sessions
· Individual Therapeutic Climbing with Counterbalance (assistive system; adult or pediatric) – assessment +/- treatment sessions
· Adaptive Climbing Partnerships (Adult - in partnership with Canadian Adaptive Climbing Society
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