Bengisu Gonul

Bengisu Gonul is a paediatric occupational therapist who helps children understand the sensations and feelings inside their bodies.

Through her work with families and educators, she has seen how powerful it can be when children learn that emotions are not problems to fix, but messages worth listening to.

Inspired by the children and adults she supports every day, Bengisu wrote The Island Where Feelings Grow to help readers explore emotions with curiosity, kindness, and safety. She is the founder of Your Next Door OT in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

When she isn’t working with children, Bengisu enjoys creating playful tools that help feelings grow.