Brooke Backsen

Brooke Backsen is the CEO and COA (Chief of Awesomeness) at My Recess Therapy, a pediatric occupational therapist, child yoga instructor, and a featured writer for Special-ism. She earned her Master's in Occupational Therapy with Suma Cum Laude distinction at Maryville University of Saint Louis. Her career specializes in working with children dealing with behavioral challenges, sensory processing, regulatory disorders, and attention concerns. She has worked in various settings, including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health hospital, pediatric outpatient setting, and therapeutic day school.

Brooke's expertise in occupational therapy extends to sensory integration therapy, and she has discovered a link between yoga and sensory integration therapy. As a certified Global Family Yoga (GFY) instructor, Brooke integrates yoga poses and sequences into her therapy sessions with children, which has led to her co-authorship with GFY founder Mira Binzen.

At My Recess Therapy, Brooke's mission is to support children, families, and therapists to empower each parent she meets. She provides parent education through Parent Pow Wows and helps create sensory-friendly events throughout the community for all kids. Her clinic space is warm and designed like a home to allow families to feel welcome and relaxed while supporting their child in their sensory integration and motor planning development journey.

As a speaker and author, Brooke helps bridge the gap between occupational therapy and yoga. She develops training programs on yoga and sensory-based concepts for specific populations, composes articles, and speaks at colleges, continuing education programs, expos, and community events. She is also a contributor to children's books.