Welcome to The Bearded OT – Occupational Therapy Services. My name is Matt Snyder and I’m an occupational therapist, currently living and working in Chilliwack, BC. I live with my wife, our baby boy, two dogs, Murphy and Sadie, and slightly insane cat, Milo. I was born and raised in a small town in Nova Scotia and completed my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at Acadia University in 2013. I then transitioned on to Dalhousie University, where I graduated with my master of science in occupational therapy in 2015. Along my journey in occupational therapy, I’ve worked in practice areas such as insurance, private sector, return to work services, nonprofit organizations including homeless shelters and supportive housing, to working and teaching as an Instructor in the occupational therapy program at Dalhousie University.

In 2018, I made the decision to chase my dreams of working in pediatrics and moved across the country to begin working in private practice and learn to apply the skills and passion in an area I’ve always loved, in working with children and teens to help them along their journey. 

In addition to my work experience, education, and continued learning, I have a long history of both struggling with and overcoming mental health challenges in my life, with several years dating back to my childhood of working through major depression, shame, perfectionism, severe anxiety, and previous suicide attempts. 

For those who know me well, my beard tends to stand out and I take great pride in maintaining my lumberjack beard and stature - mainly due to looking like a 6 foot 5 baby when I don't have facial hair. Outside of work, creative writing has always been a strength of mine, and for the longest time I was looking for ways to open up about my struggles with mental health to help others. In 2020 I decided to start my own mental health blog called The Bearded OT which is where the name originally came from. 

These experiences and learning provide me with the lived experience to mesh my knowledge and skills with a deep understanding of where children and adults struggle with fears around achieving goals, overcoming obstacles, and improving skills in areas that they’ve struggled with in their lives. With the success and relationships, I’ve built over the past 6 years in working with children, teens and their families I decided in 2024 to chase another dream of mine with owning and running my own practice, which is where  Bearded OT – Occupational Therapy Services was born and founded.

What to expect when working with me?

As a relationship-focused, strengths-based, and trauma-informed occupational therapist, I connect with clients to explore their identities, passions, and strengths. Together, we create collaborative intervention plans that empower them to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. I believe feeling safe, understanding our unique brains, and nurturing connections with loved ones are essential to navigating life’s obstacles. My work emphasizes the beauty of neurodivergent minds in children and teens, celebrating their uniqueness while challenging societal norms and stigma. In addition to standard assessments and interventions for fine and gross motor skills, daily living activities, feeding therapy, sensory processing, executive function skills, and play therapy, I integrate my interests in mental health advocacy, neuroscience, goal setting, and self-management. This holistic approach helps clients gain self-understanding and empowers them to achieve their dreams and live authentically.