Claudia Hanak is an occupational therapist (OT) with vast experience in providing for children of all ages, their physical and emotional abilities. She graduated from an Occupational Therapy Program in Berlin, Germany and moved to New York where she started her family. Claudia brings a depth of knowledge to Gowanus Treehouse from her experiences working at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP),  providing OT services through an agency and treating children in their homes, working within a team in a therapeutic preschool setting and a dynamic sensory gym in Manhattan. 

Claudia specializes in building foundational skills such as underlying postural core stability, fine motor coordination and pre/writing skills, using a multi sensory and relationship based approach. She can be found at the table doing arts and crafts, weaving, messy play with foam or putty/play doh, while engaging and connecting with children while they play with ease. 

Currently Claudia is a Senior OT and Assistant Director at Gowanus Treehouse. In this role she oversees therapy services and equipment safety, conducts in depth parent conferences and coaching regularly, as well as mentors members of the therapy team on the importance of parent-therapist communications. She utilizes the power of limit setting as a tool to achieve sustainable outcomes and to provide her clients with a clear and predictable path to growth and understanding. Claudia often provides others with invaluable guidance and critical thinking skills, considering the overall family demands to identify strategies for progress and success. Claudia is a nature lover, enjoys volunteering in her community and exploring the arts in NYC, and finding rhythm in life.