Welcome Coach Connor, Occupational Therapist

We are delighted to introduce Connor Brinsmead, Occupational Therapist and Coach, with Qi Creative.

After obtaining his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Alberta, Connor began work as Community Initiatives Coordinator for a non-profit organization. He enjoyed the work, but soon realized he craved something different – he wanted a career where he could support individuals directly and form authentic, meaningful connections. Chasing this goal, he became a Respite Care Specialist before going back to school for his Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Connor’s childhood was full of larger-than-life imaginative games, dauntless tree-climbing, and constant neighbourhood bike rides. From these memories he developed a passion for imagination and the joys of free play. As an occupational therapist, Connor strives to bring these ideals to therapy. He knows that play is not only an effective means to foster growth, but is also an intrinsically beautiful source of wonder. Connor’s adult life is filled with motorcycle rides, books, and board games. He and his girlfriend love to explore the city and they deliberately search out all the unique date-spots Edmonton has to offer. He’s a glutton for baked goods and knows, objectively, that cookies are the greatest food a human can enjoy. He continues to engage in imaginative play through tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons.

Connor’s entry to our team coincided with our annual Qi Creative Retreat in the Alberta Rockies, where he faced an intense (yet also rejuvenating!) week collaborating in discussions, workshops, and recreation with the team.

Coach Connor (back row, left) with the team during the annual Qi Retreat.

“Starting my career with Qi Creative has been a dream come true. My first few workdays were spent as part of their annual company retreat – a major event filled with non-stop team building and collaboration. From the very first moment, I saw how everyone shared my sense of enthusiasm and I could absolutely be myself. It was so easy to jump right in with the amazing Qi team. I’ve already formed a whole lot of new friendships!”

Since retreat, I have been gradually integrating into my coaching role and it has been a whirlwind. Qi has a substantial orientation process for new hires and it’s quite honestly fantastic. I’m a new graduate entering the profession but thanks to Qi’s support, I am finding my footing very quickly.  They are putting in the extra time and resources so that I can provide the best possible service to our clients, and I know from speaking to other therapists that you really don’t get that at every organization! Even my fellow coaches have been incredible about providing mentorship and making themselves available to answer questions. All of this reflects Qi’s genuine commitment to offering only the very best to the people we serve. I am proud to be a coach for Qi Creative and I cannot wait to see how I grow here.”

We are both proud and also excited to have Connor join the team and we look forward to joining his journey: “running headfirst into life with sincere effort, imagination, and heartfelt enthusiasm”