Founder / Senior Occupational Therapist
Gary Eng
B.MuS., M.Sc. (OT), CWCE, PGAP, Reg. ot (BC)
Gary is the owner and director of Function First Occupational Therapy & Rehabilitation Services Inc. He is a registered occupational therapist in good standing with the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC). He is also a member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT).
With nearly two decades of clinical experience, he has treated adults and older adults limited by complex musculoskeletal injuries, orthopaedic injuries, neurological disorders, palliative care, post-concussion and migraine symptoms, chronic pain, chronic fatigue, long Covid, post traumatic stress, agoraphobia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other psychological impairments. Gary is fluent in English and conversational Cantonese.
Since graduating from McMaster University with a Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy (2005) and obtaining his Certified Work Capacity Evaluator designation (Matheson & Associates), Gary has contributed his knowledge, skills, and expertise in a wide range of settings including: acute care hospitals, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers, community-based occupational therapy, home health, geriatric rehab (assisted living and residential care), insurance industries, mental health services, and return to work programs. As a Certified Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP) provider with clinical training in Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy, Gary is passionate about helping clients reach their maximum rehabilitation potential in order to achieve their purposeful goals and participate in life’s meaningful activities. Gary is also well versed in home accessibility / modifications, aging in place consultations, universal design, wheelchair / seating mobility, ergonomics, and vehicle adaptations. Having successfully completed the Adaptiv Home Renovation Course through the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), Gary has facilitated numerous success stories on the removal of physical, cognitive, and environmental barriers to enable disability access. Gary is committed to life long learning and continually invests in his own professional development in order to provide the highest standard of care and evidence-based treatment to his clients.
As an educator, Gary is an appointed Clinical Instructor in the Faculty of Medicine - School of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. In addition to supervising Masters level student occupational therapists, Gary is an interview admissions panelist for UBC’s Masters of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program.
An active member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists Mentorship Program, Gary volunteers as a mentor and clinical resource to internationally educated occupational therapists as they adjust to the practice of occupational therapy in Canada and / or have a desire to improve their knowledge, competencies, and skills in various clinical practice areas and work settings.
Aside from his occupational therapy career accomplishments, Gary is a distinguished concert pianist and advanced piano instructor. Gary holds a Bachelor of Music Degree (Major in Piano Performance, 2001) from the University of British Columbia and has concertized throughout Canada and Europe - winning top prizes in national and international piano competitions. With over 25 years of piano teaching experience, Gary maintains an in-demand professional teaching studio in Richmond, BC (www.garyeng.com).
Gary is also a top award winning Polynesian Dancer (Gold Medalist - Dance World Cup Canada; 1st place - Heiva International Tahitian Competition) . He has performed Polynesian dance productions locally, nationally, and internationally including being a special guest artist in Hawaii. Gary, his wife, and their two young children often dance and perform in shows together as a family for special occasions.
gary’s experience
Gary is highly experienced with assisting a variety of insurance providers, lawyers, employers, extended health benefit carriers, government agencies, and third party payers in the provision of private pay occupational therapy, clinical justification for medical adaptive equipment or home modification funding proposals, mental health support, and disability management services.
Gary has a successful track record of facilitating numerous physical, cognitive and / or psychological trauma related graduated return to work programs; complemented by his exceptional service delivery in job demands analysis, office and industrial ergonomics, functional capacity evaluations, and prolonged exposure therapy.
Gary is a Clinical Advisor of Occupational Therapy at an independent provincial agency. In addition to acting as an integral clinical resource and senior mentor to his team, department, and contracted community occupational therapists, he applies an evidence-based approach while adopting best practices in his delivery of client centered rehabilitation services to seriously injured clients (e.g. spinal cord, neurological, amputation and brain injury), post Covid-19 symptom management recovery, removal of mental health barriers, and graduated return to work planning.
Gary is a seasoned rehabilitation professional in the field of home health, safety and environmental accessibility. Aside from facilitating home support personal care services and prescribing medical adaptive equipment for independence and safety, Gary has partnered with construction project managers across the province to implement modification recommendations pertaining to home and workplace wheelchair accessibility following a life altering or catastrophic injury. Gary has also conducted numerous vehicle modification assessments.
Gary has provided a wide range of hospital based and home health occupational therapy services for the Health Authority.
testimonials
“I worked with Gary for the better part of 5 years in Home Health in Vancouver. As a physiotherapist, I valued having Gary on my team not only because he was a skilled OT and gave great care to our clients, but also because he was a kind and considerate colleague. Gary has a wealth of OT experience and knowledge and is passionate about his work. If I or my family needed OT services, I would hire Gary in a heartbeat.”
— Sean Gallimore - Physiotherapist
“I have had the pleasure of working with Gary on several occasions. I find his knowledge, professionalism, and client care second to none. Many of my clients are pain focused and struggle to understand how to move forward after a serious, life changing injury. Gary takes special care and attention to educate and positively assist them, focusing on what they can do. He steps up to support them through their journey to find independence in their lives again. I highly recommend him.”
— Dora Stamatakis - Medical Equipment Officer
“So glad I found Gary! He's personable, thorough and really helpful. He had a very nice way of interacting with my almost 80 y.o. mother and explained the reasoning behind each of his recommendations. I feel confident she'll be safer now in and outside of her home.”
— Lisa - Patient’s family member
“Having worked with Gary for several years in an interdisciplinary work conditioning clinic setting, I can confidently attest to his personable and empathetic approach when engaging injured workers and their employers in tailoring an effective and supported graduated return to work process. Gary demonstrates specialist knowledge and tremendous clinical skills in the analysis of job demands across a wide range of industries. He equips his clients to sustainably return to their pre-injury occupations. I highly recommend him as a trusted and reliable vocational rehabilitation expert with consistent exceptional service delivery!”
— Gabriel Pavel - Occupational Therapist / Senior Product Manager
“I have worked with Gary Eng for a number of years on a professional level. He is an occupational therapist who conducts his business very professionally and provides exceptional service. He has excellent communication, interpersonal and critical thinking skills. His clinical opinions are comprehensive, impartial and always supported by sound evidence. His experience speaks for itself. He is socially adept and has shown the ability to be successful working alone and in a team setting. He is a great asset to have on your team.”
— Faith Nguyen - Case Manager
Gary helped me recover from Long Covid. He is very knowledgeable and has great insight. What sets Gary apart is that he’s very patient and very kind. He prepared me and helped me with the difficult task of returning to work after being on Long Term Disability. He supported me during my Gradual Return To Work and was a great advocate for me. I trust him completely and highly recommend him.
— Ruth - Client
“Am I glad to have had Gary’s support as an extremely experienced, knowledgeable and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist. My parent and in-laws got admitted to the hospital this spring and summer. One got a cast, one had severe damage to extremities due to septic shock, and one received long-term treatment for his spine. In the beginning there were so many unknowns and I wasn’t even quite sure what an OT does. But in all cases, as soon as I asked Gary for advice, he showed extreme professionalism and provided me with thorough information that solved all my worries. He helped me understand what the typical procedures are, the options upon discharge, understanding of home help, and how to improve accessibility and safety of the house. He also provided me with resources I can look into. Although I had what seemed a million questions, he patiently answered all of them with useful information and guidance. While my in-law was recovering at home, he was so kind to follow-up on her situation. Gary really saved my family from a lot of unpreparedness and anxiety.”
— Andrea Janse - Patient’s family member
“I have worked with Gary for several years and he has been approachable and responsive. He dedicates lots of time working with clients and thoroughly goes through their needs. I would recommend him to anyone who needs OT services!”
— Justin Yeung - Case Manager