Laurie Hill is photographed leading her mindful movement group. Hill is standing with her arms out and smiling. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Laurie Hill brings heart and healing to mental health care — leading patients toward recovery with empathy, movement and meaning.
Credit
Matthew Manor

There’s a sticker on Laurie Hill’s notebook that says “mental health matters.”

It’s more than a colourful decoration. It’s a daily reminder of the commitment she brings to her patients.

Hill is a triple threat when it comes to mental health support: interim programming coordinator for Kingston Health Sciences Centre's (KHSC) inpatient adult mental health and addiction care program, occupational therapist and certified somatic psychotherapist.

“Drawing on both traditional occupational therapy approaches and somatic-based psychotherapy, my work supports individuals in reconnecting with a sense of purpose and possibility by addressing both the psychological and embodied dimensions of recovery,” she explains.

“Recovery looks different for every patient. It’s a deeply personal, non-linear journey. My goal is to help people not just cope, but re-engage with life in ways that feel empowering and meaningful to them.”

Laurie Hill is walking down a hallways, pulling a cart filled with yoga mats and blocks. She’s also holding a handful of notebooks in her arm. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

🧘‍♀️ Healing in motion 💫

Hosted by Hill, the mindful movement group combines mindfulness, gentle movement and breath work to create a welcoming space where patients can find calm and reconnect with their healing. Beyond supporting self-regulation, the group offers consistent morning structure and encourages active participation.
Laurie Hill is unrolling a blue yoga mat and placing it on the floor. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

🧘‍♀️ Healing in motion 💫

Hosted by Hill, the mindful movement group combines mindfulness, gentle movement and breath work to create a welcoming space where patients can find calm and reconnect with their healing. Beyond supporting self-regulation, the group offers consistent morning structure and encourages active participation.
Laurie Hill is photographed leading her mindful movement group. Hill is standing with her head slightly tilted back and her arms up in the air. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

🧘‍♀️ Healing in motion 💫

Hosted by Hill, the mindful movement group combines mindfulness, gentle movement and breath work to create a welcoming space where patients can find calm and reconnect with their healing. Beyond supporting self-regulation, the group offers consistent morning structure and encourages active participation.
Laurie Hill is photographed leading her mindful movement group. Hill is standing with her arms out. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

🧘‍♀️ Healing in motion 💫

Hosted by Hill, the mindful movement group combines mindfulness, gentle movement and breath work to create a welcoming space where patients can find calm and reconnect with their healing. Beyond supporting self-regulation, the group offers consistent morning structure and encourages active participation.
Laurie Hill is photographed leading her mindful movement group. Hill is standing and twisting her body to the side, with her arms placed on her hips. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

🧘‍♀️ Healing in motion 💫

Hosted by Hill, the mindful movement group combines mindfulness, gentle movement and breath work to create a welcoming space where patients can find calm and reconnect with their healing. Beyond supporting self-regulation, the group offers consistent morning structure and encourages active participation.
Laurie Hill is photographed leading her mindful movement group. Hill is bent over, with her arms and hands clasped together. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

🧘‍♀️ Healing in motion 💫

Hosted by Hill, the mindful movement group combines mindfulness, gentle movement and breath work to create a welcoming space where patients can find calm and reconnect with their healing. Beyond supporting self-regulation, the group offers consistent morning structure and encourages active participation.

Her passion lies in breaking down barriers and stigma.

That’s why she’s championing a diverse range of programming to not only meet individuals where they are, but also support their unique definitions of recovery in environments that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

“Programming brings rhythm, predictability and purpose throughout the day. It’s about offering options that meet clinical needs, but also honour the human need for connection, meaning and individualized healing.”

One example is her mindful movement group, a morning practice designed to support mental health recovery, emotional resilience and nervous system regulation.

“Research, and my clinical experience, shows that before people can make use of cognitive strategies, their bodies often need to feel safe. Mindful movement helps build that sense of internal safety, grounding and self-compassion.

“Patients have shared the group helps them feel calmer, more present and more hopeful. For some, it’s their first experience of connecting with their body in a way that feels supportive rather than overwhelming.

“We've seen improved participation in other therapies, reduced agitation and increased engagement in care. It’s a gentle, accessible invitation to healing. One breath and one movement at a time.”

Laurie Hill is photographed in a hallway. She’s looking directly at the camera and smiling. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

Collaborative care 💜

Hill works alongside an incredibly dedicated and compassionate team, deeply committed to providing patient-centered, recovery-oriented care. From nurses and physicians to allied health professionals and community partners, she says it’s the team’s willingness to collaborate and innovate, especially in the face of complex challenges, which makes healing possible.
Laurie Hill is standing in front of a white board with a dry erase marker in her hand. She’s looking out at a colleague whose back is to the camera, and smiling while pointing at something on the board with the dry erase marker. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

Collaborative care 💜

Hill works alongside an incredibly dedicated and compassionate team, deeply committed to providing patient-centered, recovery-oriented care. From nurses and physicians to allied health professionals and community partners, she says it’s the team’s willingness to collaborate and innovate, especially in the face of complex challenges, which makes healing possible.
Laurie Hill is smiling and laughing while chatting with a colleague, whose back is facing the camera. Hill is holding her notebooks. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

Collaborative care 💜

Hill works alongside an incredibly dedicated and compassionate team, deeply committed to providing patient-centered, recovery-oriented care. From nurses and physicians to allied health professionals and community partners, she says it’s the team’s willingness to collaborate and innovate, especially in the face of complex challenges, which makes healing possible.
Laurie Hill is standing in front of a white board with a dry erase marker in her hand, and smiling. She has short brown wavy hair and is wearing a dusty rose blouse and black pants.
Featured

Collaborative care 💜

Hill works alongside an incredibly dedicated and compassionate team, deeply committed to providing patient-centered, recovery-oriented care. From nurses and physicians to allied health professionals and community partners, she says it’s the team’s willingness to collaborate and innovate, especially in the face of complex challenges, which makes healing possible.
A close up shot of Laurie Hill’s notebooks in her arm. One notebook has a sticker on it that says “mental health matters.”
Featured

Collaborative care 💜

Hill works alongside an incredibly dedicated and compassionate team, deeply committed to providing patient-centered, recovery-oriented care. From nurses and physicians to allied health professionals and community partners, she says it’s the team’s willingness to collaborate and innovate, especially in the face of complex challenges, which makes healing possible.

Hill has also partnered with our spiritual health team to co-host a group where patients reflect on personal values, belief systems and sources of strength.

“It’s important to explore an individual’s values because trauma and mental illness often disrupt a person’s sense of meaning and connection to self or something greater. When patients have space to reclaim what matters to them, they often experience increased motivation, emotional grounding and a sense of agency in their recovery.”

See what we mean when we say Hill is committed to her patients?

She’s always ready to go the extra mile… with her signature smile.

“Every day, I have the privilege and honour of walking alongside people during some of the most vulnerable and courageous moments of their lives. My heart is on the unit with the patients.

“I believe everyone deserves to be met with dignity, especially in their most vulnerable states. That belief shapes how I lead, how I communicate and how I show up every day.”

Because for Hill, “mental health matters” isn’t just a saying — it’s her purpose.

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