MEET OUR TEAM
-
![]()
Mira Etlin-Stein
CO-FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, & REGISTERED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
-
![]()
Danielle Brown
REGISTERED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Providing assessment, supervision, and training -
![]()
Summer Hart
REGISTERED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Accepting new clients virtually -
![]()
Emily Puszkar
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT
Accepting new clients virtually or in-person -
![]()
Naomi Hazlett
REGISTERED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
Accepting new clients virtually -
![]()
Amanda Landry
CO-FOUNDER
No longer active with Dream Weavers -
![]()
Jessica Elizabeth
INTAKE CO-ORDINATOR
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,
but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
— Maria Robinson
Learn More About Dream Weavers
Please note that these videos were recorded a few years back. Today, Mira & Amanda no longer see clients themselves, although they have trained the current Dream Weavers team - and all staff work under the same set of principles as they do. In addition, Dream Weavers no longer runs programs out of the Centre for Social Innovation - although our vision lives on!
OUR VISION
Our vision at Dream Weavers is to achieve the greatest quality of life possible for the people with whom we connect and to thus enrich and nurture the community in which we live. We strive to foster creativity and aim to ensure that our clients + members engage to their fullest ability in all that they find meaningful. We aim to do this by providing creative, quality, innovative, & evidence-based services. It is our dream that together we will create inclusive communities where individuals of all abilities can participate in all that life has to offer.
THE SEED OF DREAM WEAVERS
The seed that began Dream Weavers is our belief in the power of inclusion and the importance of nurturing creativity and freedom of expression for all community members, in order to build truly strong and healthy communities.
Dream Weavers was founded by two occupational therapists who strive to bring creativity and community outreach to our practice as therapists. We believe that no community is complete until members of all abilities feel welcomed and are empowered to contribute to the culture of their community. For some community members this means gaining meaningful employment or volunteer positions. For others, it means having the ability to live independently, or having the freedom of independent mobility throughout the community, or connecting with others through building friendships and romantic relationships. We are committed to enabling the goals for our members with an open, creative, and hopeful attitude. People with developmental differences often feel socially isolated and face stigma and misconception in our society. We are committed to fighting these barriers within our community. It’s all about EMPOWERMENT!
GROWING THE SEED
Our aim is to use creativity and open expression as a base to enable our members' life goals. These goals could encompass anything from employment skills, independent living skills, community transportation, sexuality & sexual expression for teens & young adults, social skills - and the list goes on.
OUR STORY
HOW DREAM WEAVERS WAS BORN
It all began one sunny winter afternoon in a cozy coffee shop on Queen Street West. The year was 2012. Two dear friends, respected colleagues, and fellow occupational therapists, Mira Etlin-Stein and Amanda Landry, sat dreamily sipping tea out of warm mugs and discussing their futures. As they shared their common belief in the power of creativity and reflected on their respective passions & individual strengths, the seed of a new idea began to be revealed...
As the two friends brainstormed various options and paths, they began to dream wistfully about one day creating a community-based grassroots company with a focus on Life & Employment Skills for teens & young adults. After a few phone conversations to respected individuals working in the field, they became more and more confident in the understanding that this was a needed service within their community and within the field of occupational therapy.
Through discussion between these two friends, the idea grew and flourished, with each offering their own unique spin on the dream. Pen and paper were quickly whisked out and notes scribbled as both OTs became more and more excited about their future plans.
Brainstorming sessions were fruitful as Mira & Amanda quickly realized how well they complimented each other and that each brought a unique set of skills, experiences, and strengths to the process. For the first time in months, both OTs were excited about and hopeful for the future. What fondly became known as "Dream Sessions" occurred more frequently, and suddenly what had been a wistful dream nurtured between friends, became a reality!
And thus Dream Weavers was born!
OUR NAME
THE POWER OF DREAMS
We at Dream Weavers harbour a deep respect for the power that dreams have to create change. It was a dream, after all, that initially brought Mira & Amanda together to form this collective. Over the years, we have seen the benefit of dreaming as a basis for movement and change in our own lives. And, over the years, we have used our professional training & personal backgrounds to enable our members & clients to weave their own dreams too.
However, as wonderful as dreams can be on their own, without action, they are unlikely to change our lives and our communities. Thus, we are drawn to the imagery of “weaving” dreams…
WEAVING IS DYNAMIC
Weaving brings forth wonderful imagery of a dynamic working relationship, which is what we create with each and every one of the members & clients who we work with. Weaving is process-oriented, grassroots, creative, integrative, and person-centred.
WEAVING AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
An inside scoop: The word "weaving" is especially meaningful to us and our profession because, at its inception occupational therapy was primarily recreation and craft-based, often misunderstood and incorrectly referred to as "the basket weaving profession". Since this time, occupational therapy has developed and established itself as something much greater. However, we do feel that using the word "weavers" in our title is a respectful way of honouring our history while showing how far we've come and how far we still have to go! To learn more about occupational therapy, click here.
WHY ARE WE A COLLECTIVE?
A collective is a group of individuals who share and/or are motivated by a common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common objective.
We were drawn to identifying ourselves as a collective because we feel strongly that the individuals we work with are, just that, working with us to create change in our lives and our communities.
WALL OF GRATITUDE
We are so thankful to these awesome individuals who have supported the work we do over the years - especially when we were just starting out! From the bottom of our hearts… thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Our supporters are...
Gayla Grinde
Kate Thompson-Feirn
Jamie Young
Amy Landry
Eva Landry
Arnold Matlin
Kathleen Payne
Pauline Abrahams
Laura S
Ryan Knight
Isabelle Zolkower
Andrea
Ryan
Jon Green
Mike Cowie
Sarah Warren
Chelsea Good
Sara Cornwall
Molly Callaghan
Greg Kasparian
Christine Zinder
Erin K.
John Theriault
Adil Dhalla
Eric Double
Shari Stein
Aaron Markovic
Sara Dalla Rosa
Hannah Etlin-Stein
Caroline Bahr
Robyn Smith
Rose Rogers
John Landry
Dante Reino
Jennifer Hicks
Katie Webb
Thunderclap
Coleen Quinn
Michelle Shook
Emily Webb
CP Theriault
Susan Wisniewski
Lee, Eric, & Avery Steel
NRC Feldman & Associates, Inc.
Shari Wilson
Frances Owen
Terry Vance
Kate Hoffman
Philip Stein
Leslie Flemming
Lacey Williams
Carbon Patent Group (Graham McKinnon )
Julia
Josh Shook
Katie G
Udai Srinivasan
Joanna Krongold
Erin
Georgina Fontana
Sue Gavarkos
Glen MacGillivray
Darlene George
Lisa Lubinsky
David Etlin
Bette Theriault
Jay Bottan
Hilary McCrimmon
Laura Scanlan
Paul Bloom
Steven Bloom
Lisa Rennick
Marina Heifetz
The DoneFors
JaAnne Harrop
Jaisa Sulit
CSI Coffee Pub
Cynthia Karlton
AND
All those supporters who chose to remain anonymous.
CLIENT PERSPECTIVES
“With Dream Weavers, I learned to take different directions that I never knew about by TTC…[and] to practice for an interview for jobs…I hope to have a good job, a house of my own. I hope I get married one day and…have a successful life…”
- Dream Weavers Member
“I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work on my dreams and collectively weave together my past, present, & future. The most important thing I got out of the Dream Weavers group, was that I learned how to search out information in a proactive way - How to stay focused, look forward to changes, and live for my actions and dreams. Thank you for all the help you provided me! It was greatly appreciated!! I definitely recommend! Thank you, Amanda and Mira.”
- Dream Weavers Member
“I think the most difficult part of the work you are doing, is the diversity of needs each group member presents with. Some of the topics in the group, my daughter was already familiar with (like the resume/cover letter). I was concerned she might get a touch arrogant and superior…but you found ways for her to work on her existing templates – that’s your strength: “Weaving” together everyone’s needs and strengths – and allowing each one of your members to work from a comfort zone toward independence.”
- Parent of Dream Weavers Member
“I felt such joy and excitement when David was accepted into the very first Dream Weavers group. As I looked over the topics of the eight sessions, I thought – this is going to be amazing! I had been seeking an environment where David would be valued and appreciated for the wonderful young man he truly is. I was astonished at the lack of support available for young adults with ASD especially once they leave high school. Amanda and Mira understand the need for a comprehensive curriculum that addresses the needs of young adults as a whole. They have such enthusiasm and a genuine appreciation for the strengths of each of the participants. They have created a safe and caring environment where participants feel welcomed, encouraged and valued. The Dream Weavers group has been the highlight of David’s week. I don’t have to encourage him to do the homework; he wants to be prepared and ready to participate in the upcoming session. Mira and Amanda believe in the power of inclusion. They are making a difference in the way my son feels about himself. The way David’s face lights up at every session says it all. This is a strength based model of teaching and creating community that does not exist elsewhere. Mira and Amanda are compassionate and creative and they believe that everyone should feel empowered and welcomed in the community in which they live. They aptly call themselves The Dream Weavers. As a parent, I share their dream. My son also has a dream, to be included and valued for his strengths. This initiative needs the resources and the participation to make these dreams a reality. ”
- Lee S.
Parent of Dream Weavers Member
“I knew that if I had any questions/ comments, I would receive a response. I also felt reassured that Mira or Amanda would contact me if there was something I needed to know. ”
- Parent of Dream Weavers Member
“I feel that the discussion on disclosing our ASD to our friends was very helpful and positive.”
- Dream Weavers Member
“I’ve liked the people I’ve met through Dream Weavers. I’ve liked the environment…I’ve liked that it was such a friendly environment. And I’ve also liked that it was a very patient environment. And very understanding as well…You’ve helped me - An example being that you edited my resume and my cover letter when I wasn’t really able to do it all myself. Because I’m still learning about it. So, that’s an example of where you’ve helped me… You also helped me to get another idea of what could be a possible volunteer position for me. You’re both (Mira & Amanda) very nice and very understanding and helpful… This group is different from other groups, in a good way… It’s just been a really good opportunity, and I’ve had some fun as well… So, I just thought I’d say thanks, thanks for everything.”
- Dream Weavers Member
“All of the topics covered in the group were extremely helpful and relevant. These topics require a lot of practice and each time they were discussed, my son learned new and helpful approaches. In addition, outside of private counseling, there are no opportunities to discuss sexuality and relationships, a critical topic for many individuals with ASD. I’m so grateful that Dream Weavers offers this”
- Parent of Dream Weavers Member