Nature-based.Family focused.
About HOPE
Offering HOPE ~ Healing Opportunities through Purposeful Engagement ~ we can change lives! HOPE Therapy Services is a private occupational therapy practice nestled in a rural community setting in central New Jersey. Occupational therapy services are delivered in a unique outdoor nature environment through direct 1:1 therapy, small group sessions, nature enrichment programs and family education.
The nature-based therapeutic programs at HOPE utilize specialized intervention tools including equine-assisted services (hippotherapy), aquatic therapy, and nature-rich experiences to enhance client's overall health and well-being.
Who can benefit from HOPE Therapy Services
Hope Therapy Services incorporate elements of the natural environment, equine movement (hippotherapy) and aquatic therapy to address challenges in daily activities due to challenges with muscle tone, sensory processing, and motor coordination difficulties associated with medical conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, sensory integration disorder, developmental delays, and neuromuscular impairment.
Developmental areas of focus include gross and fine motor skill enhancement, motor planning and body awareness, strength, balance, coordination, sensory processing, visual-motor integration, social-emotional functioning, psychological well-being and confidence, as well as leisure activity participation.
Individual and group therapy sessions as well as educational enrichment programs are offered to children of all ages and abilities throughout the year to expand knowledge and experiences with nature, horses, and gardening. Seasonal nature enrichment groups for children ages 3-12 offer opportunities to experience life on the farm through interactions with our horses, aquatics, garden area, and group learning activities.
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Parent/Caregiver support is provided through regular collaboration in establishing and implementing the plan of care, support group meetings and networking collectives, and individual consultations for medical and/or educational resources.
Meet Dr. Elaine Mumau
Occupational Therapist
Dr. Elaine Mumau, OTD, OTR/L is a nationally certified (NBCOT) state and school licensed occupational therapist in New Jersey since 1993. Elaine has worked in various settings, including inpatient rehabilitation, home health, public and private schools, early intervention, pediatric outpatient clinics, and is a healthcare entrepreneur. Raising six daughters on their family farm ignites her passion for exploring the unique therapeutic benefits of nature and expanding its impact with others. She enjoys teaching and mentoring, served ten years as the administrator of academic programming in homeschool cooperative education groups, and has over 20 years of experience as a home educator and educational consultant. The founder and owner of HOPE Therapy Services, Elaine combines her love for the natural environment with her professional practice as an OT to improve lives in engaging and meaningful ways.
Elaine has participated in extensive training throughout her career in hippotherapy, sensory integration and regulation strategies, yoga and mindfulness, reflex integration, handwriting assessment/treatment, and brings decades of personal experience as a home education specialist into her work. Elaine is a certified Aquatic Therapeutic Exercise Practitioner (ATRIC), with Red Cross Lifeguard/CPR certification, having completed Level 1 & 2 Hippotherapy Treatment Principles courses through American Hippotherapy Association, level 1 DIR Floortime, and is a certified Integrated Listening System provider of the Safe and Sound/Focus Systems Protocols (Unyte iLS). Elaine offers clients and their families a variety of evidence-based expertise using specialized treatment interventions.
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She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), The Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH, Intl), NJ Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA), and the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA), where she serves on the Professional Practice Committee.
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