Dr. Katherine Lanning

FOCUS: Lifestyle & Family OT • Healthy Lifestyle Changes • Routines & Habits • Executive Functioning • Environmental & Sensory Supports • Parent Education

Dr. Katherine Lanning, OTD, OTR/L is a lifestyle-focused occupational therapist who helps adults and families turn good intentions into everyday habits, routines, and systems that actually work.

For adults, Dr. Lanning works with individuals who want to make meaningful changes to their health and well-being but find that knowing what to do isn't always enough to make it happen. She commonly works with adults experiencing ADHD, autism/AuDHD, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, chronic health conditions, stress and burnout, and other physical or mental health concerns that interfere with daily functioning. She also works with adults who may not have a specific diagnosis but feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unable to consistently follow through with the lifestyle changes they want to make.

Whether the goal is improving sleep, increasing movement, developing healthier eating habits, managing stress, creating more structure, improving time management, or simply feeling more in control of daily life, Dr. Lanning helps clients identify the barriers getting in the way and develop practical strategies that fit their real life, energy, priorities, and environment.

Her approach goes beyond simply telling clients what they should do. Together, Dr. Lanning and her clients explore how to make healthy choices easier to initiate, maintain, and integrate into everyday life. Sessions may focus on routine development, habit formation, executive functioning, energy management, sensory regulation, environmental modifications, organization, time management, stress management, and other strategies that support meaningful participation in daily life.

Dr. Lanning also has a particular interest in working with parents and families. She commonly supports families navigating ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, executive functioning challenges, emotional regulation difficulties, developmental differences, and other concerns that make everyday routines and activities more challenging.

Rather than focusing solely on changing the child, Dr. Lanning believes that empowering parents with the knowledge and tools to understand their child's needs can create meaningful and lasting change within the home. She provides parent-centered OT support to help families understand behaviors and barriers, adapt routines and environments, and develop strategies that can be carried over into everyday family life.

This may include support with morning and bedtime routines, transitions, homework, chores, independence, sensory needs, emotional regulation, executive functioning, organization, mealtimes, and other everyday activities that have become difficult or stressful for the family. When a child is already receiving pediatric therapy, Dr. Lanning can also help parents understand how to translate therapeutic strategies into practical routines and supports at home.

With experience working across both adult and pediatric settings, Dr. Lanning brings a broad occupational therapy perspective to her work. Her sessions are collaborative, practical, and individualized, incorporating education, self-awareness, problem-solving, and evidence-informed strategies to help clients build sustainable change.

Dr. Lanning provides virtual occupational therapy services to individuals and families throughout North Carolina, as well as in-person appointments in the Ballantyne area.

Her goal is simple: to help people make everyday life work better. Whether that means helping an adult with ADHD finally turn health goals into sustainable routines, supporting an individual with chronic health concerns in managing the demands of daily life, or helping a parent create a home environment where their child and family can thrive, Dr. Lanning works alongside her clients to create practical solutions that fit the life they actually live.