Get to know Simone
Simone Jordaan is a registered occupational therapist with 20 years of experience, from establishing a public sector OT unit to managing a private psychiatric hospital. Based in Paarl, she works with teens and adults, combining movement therapy, DBT skills, coaching and functional assessments to help patients regulate their emotions, restore their routines and return to the life and work that matter to them.
Professional Background
Simone began her career in the public sector, where she established the occupational therapy unit in Nxuba (Cradock) in the Eastern Cape. The unit continues to serve the community today and welcomes community service occupational therapists each year.
She went on to spend seven years in private practice in the same community before moving into private mental health care, where she served as both Therapy Manager and Hospital Manager of a private psychiatric hospital. These roles gave her extensive experience supporting people through periods of significant emotional and psychological difficulty, as well as a deeper understanding of what can help them regain stability, confidence and a sense of direction.
Simone has since moved with her family to Paarl, where she runs Simone Jordaan Occupational Therapy @ Winelands Wellness.
Clinical Approach
Simone takes an integrated approach to occupational therapy, considering emotional, psychological, physical and practical aspects of a person’s wellbeing. She works collaboratively with her patients to understand what may be disrupting daily life and to develop practical strategies that support greater regulation, resilience and participation at home, at work and in relationships.
A particular passion is specialised movement therapy, where emotional regulation and body-based regulation come together. Simone helps patients become more aware of what their bodies are communicating, develop ways to calm and regulate their nervous systems, and build sustainable habits and skills that support overall wellbeing.
Qualifications and Training
Simone holds a BA from Stellenbosch University, a B.Occ Ther from the University of Pretoria, and a qualification in Management and Executive Coaching from the University of Cape Town.
Her services include:
Sensory Integration
DBT Skills Training for Adolescents and Adults
Enneagram Coaching
Psychiatric Functional Capacity Evaluations (PSY FCE)
WorkWell Functional Capacity Evaluations
Medico-Legal Assessments
Personality Disorders in the Workplace
Life Coaching
Corporate Coaching
Her broad clinical and professional background allows her to work across mental health, functional rehabilitation, workplace wellbeing and personal development.
Beyond the Practice
Outside of her clinical work, Simone leads a weekly movement, chair exercise and dance session at a local old age home in Paarl. She is also the mother of three teenagers, an experience she says keeps her grounded, humble and very well practised in patience.