About Heather Boyd
I am a Registered Occupational Therapist in Ontario, a spouse, and a mom to three young boys. I have worked with families of babies from birth to three for my entire 20+ year career.
Before having my three boys, I completed my Research Masters in Rehabilitation Science. My research focused on family-centred care. More recently, I coordinated the Neonatal Follow-up Clinic at McMaster Children's Hospital. This fast-paced clinic environment honed my skills in assessing infants and in providing appropriate and manageable recommendations and resources to families.
As a regulated healthcare provider in Ontario, I provide receipts to those with extended health benefits that include Occupational Therapy.
I place great value on attachment theory and nurture-based parenting practices that support the biological, evolutionary, and developmental needs of infants and young children.
I became passionate about supporting families through sleep challenges because of my own experience with sleep challenges with my first born. Not only did I see that my baby was struggling with sleep, but support was not available unless it involved crying it out.
Bachelor’s of Health Sciences in
Rehabilitation Science
McMaster University (2000)
Bachelor’s of Science in
Human Kinetics
University of Guelph (1998)
Master’s of Science in
Rehabilitation Science
McMaster University (2008)
My Mission is to help families navigate their baby’s sleep and development through family-centred therapy, evidence, attachment theory, and empathy. When you have the information and tools you need to help your baby thrive, your confidence increases and you can thrive as a parent!
I support families by helping them focus on what they can change in their child's environment and routines as well as by changing perspectives on the challenges: what we understand, we can manage —through strategies, and through grace. Sleep, development, and overall wellness can be supported through nurturing parenting approaches, evidence-based knowledge and healthy home environments.
Unsure of which podcasts to listen to in order to support your baby and yourself?
(and yes, it does include our own podcast - “The Baby Sleep Connection Podcast”!)
Get your FREE Podcast Listener Guide Below!
Continuing Education
Pediatric Pelvic Health: Dynamic Core for Kids Edition (March 7 2026). Online Course. Instructors: Shelley Mannell, P.T. and Julie Wiebe, P.T.
Sleeposium Conference (March 2-6 2026) Where Sleep Meets Behavior, Emotion, & Development, Online conference. www.sleeposium.comIntensive I: Making Sense of Kids. (Oct 2021-Apr 2022 & Oct 2025-Apr 2026 in progress). neufeldinstitute.org/our-courses/intensive1Becoming a Behavioural Detective: Understanding and Supporting Complex Behaviour. (Dec 2025-Jan 2026) https://www.kimbarthel.ca/event-calendar/2022/becoming-a-behavioural-detective
Foundations for Function: Understanding Dynamic Systems in Postural Control (2025). Shelley Mannell, P.T. (Online course). https://heartspacept.thinkific.com/courses/foundation-for-function
Baby Monitors Online Course (April 2, 2021). Building Biology Institute: The science of healthy buildings. https://buildingbiologyinstitute.org/product/baby-monitors/
Infant Sleep Educator Certificate of Training (Dec 2018). bebo mia Inc. https://bebomia.com/infant-and-family-sleep
Speaking Engagements
Keynote Speaker (March 2026). From Chaos to Capacity: Coaching tired parents through behaviour change using occupational therapy principles. Sleeposium 2026 Online Conference. https://childsleepinstitute.com/sleeposium2026/
Presenter (March 2025). Holistic, Strength-based Approaches to Supporting Families with Special Needs. Sleeposium 2025 Online Conference. https://childsleepinstitute.com/sleeposium2025-badge-description/
Presenter (March 2023). Roots of Attachment for Sleep Sleeposium 2024 Online Conference.
Presenter (March 2021). Designing a Sleep Sanctuary: Indoor air, EMF, and health. Sleeposium 2021 Online Conference.
Presenter, (May 2020). Evaluating infant sleep challenges from a developmental and physiological perspective. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference, Saskatoon. Online poster presentation.
Presenter (April 2020). The role of occupational therapists in infant sleep education. Online workshop. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.
Poster Presenter (April 2019). Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference. Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Connect Virtually
Parenting is not "nine to five", and neither am I. By offering video and phone consultation, I can connect with families wherever you are and at times that are more convenient than face-to-face. Whether we connect on a Saturday morning, or after the kids are in bed, and whether you are in Niagara Falls or Nanaimo, we can work together in ways that work for you.
Thanks to a memorandum of understanding regarding cross-jurisdictional remote practice in Occupational Therapy, I am able to provide O.T. receipts to families from several provinces within Canada. If you are outside of Canada, you are accessing my services as an Infant Sleep Coach.
Want to join my email list to stay updated on events, discounts, and more?
My weekly emails validate you, support you, and shift your perspective on parenting and sleep.
Signing up for my emails gets you:
🦋 A weekend check-in email to support your responsive parenting towards sleep
🦋 Lullaby Lundi: a bi-weekly curated playlist to explore the role that songs, connection, and routines play in supporting your baby’s sleep. It will grow one song at a time…
🦋 Additional bursts of emails when there is a course or event coming up.
Professional & Speaker Information
Affiliations & Memberships:
Registrant of the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
Member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
Member of the International Congress of Infant Studies
Full founding member of the International Society of Environmentally Acquired Illness
Supporting Member of Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment
Professional Education:
Connected Parenting (Non-Violent Communication course), (Oct-Dec 2020). Meta Mentoring, www.metamentoring.ca
Sleeposium (April 2020) Child Sleep Institute online sleep conference.
Broken Sleep? -Insights into Biology, Culture, and Parenting. (Australia online conference) (2019).
Basic Principles of Healthy Homes (online course), Healthy Housing Solutions Inc., Maryland, U.S.A. (2017).
Neufeld Institute, Making Sense of Anxiety (November 2014) (online course).
Neufeld Institute, Making Sense of Discipline (September 2013) (online course).
Neufeld Institute, Making Sense of Preschoolers (April 2013) (online course).
Speaking Engagements & Presentations:
Sensory Processing and Sleep, presented online to the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants, October 5 2020.
Facilitated Parent Meet-up (weekly/bi-weekly online event), LifeWithABaby.com March to July 2020.
Applying Gordon Neufeld’s Approach to Infant Sleep. Sleeposium Conference. May 2020.
Evaluating Infant Sleep Challenges from a Developmental and Physiological Perspective. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy Conference, Saskatoon, Online, April 2020.
The Role of Occupational Therapy in Infant Sleep Education. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy Professional Practice Webinar, Online, April 2020.
The Role of Occupational Therapy in Infant Sleep Education. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy Conference, Niagara Falls, May 2019.
Certifications:
Maternal Mental Health Certificate Training for Mental Health and Clinical Professionals. (16 hours). Post-partum Support International. Sept-Dec 2020. www.psi.net
Infant Sleep Educator Re-certification (online course, in progress, 2020), Bebo Mia.
Certified Infant Sleep Educator (online course), Bebo Mia, Toronto, Ontario (2016 cohort).
Certificate of Infant Mental Health, York University (2003).
Interested in having me speak at your conference, to a class, or at another event? Please reach out below!
