WHAT
WE DO.
THE CENTER.
NISSIMOU is the first entirely renovated and equipped, innovative, therapeutic and inclusive safe space on the island. By creating this unique centre where every detail comes with a therapeutic meaning, we hope to:
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inspire,
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empower
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educate local families.
The centre is designed around the needs of children and therapists’ requests. Hence, it provides:
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a minimalistic atmosphere,
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soft colour tones and lighting,
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a general sense of wellbeing and practicality.
These elements are key to supporting children’s development, communication and social skills outside of their homes or school.
Finally, visual communication tools are being used in order to strengthen the educational purpose of our space:
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PECS
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MAKATON
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TEACHH
The centre offers:
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Three dedicated therapy rooms
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100 sqm, fully renovated and thoughtfully designed
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Equipped with specialized games, toys and tools for therapies
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Kitchen, WCs for children and adults
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Located a 10-minute walk from Dapia (Spetses’ main town)
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Quiet and safe neighbourhood
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Accessible by foot / motorbike / truck
THERAPIES.
At NISSIMOU, we offer access to essential therapies that were not available before on the island, tailored to the needs of children aged 2–12 and their families on Spetses.
By meticulously recruiting and coordinating a group of independent and certified specialists in the psycho-educational field, we ensure that every child receives the support and tools they need to thrive.
Our goal is to provide development opportunities to each and every child through qualitative, professional care - right here on the island.
Speech & Language Therapy
Speech therapy involves the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of difficulties related to:
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Speech – articulation and clarity of spoken language
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Language – understanding and using words and sentences
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Communication – social use of language and effective interaction
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Fluency – smoothness of speech
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Phonation – voice production and quality
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Swallowing – safe and efficient eating and drinking
Speech therapy supports children and adults in overcoming these challenges and improving their ability to communicate effectively and confidently.
Occupational Therapy
OT helps people of all ages to participate in meaningful daily tasks, to promote health, well-being, and independence despite physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges, focusing on improving skills for self-care, work, learning, and social engagement through practical, customized interventions.
Therapists adapt tasks or environments to help individuals achieve goals, enhance quality of life, and live more fulfilling lives.
Early Intervention & Psychoeducational Play
Early Intervention & Psychoeducational Play is a proactive therapeutical approach that uses purposeful, play-based activities to support children’s growth.
It focuses on supporting a child’s development across social, emotional, and cognitive domains while empowering families through professional guidance and positive interaction strategies.
We believe it is better to "catch and prevent" difficulties early on than to wait until challenges become too overwhelming.
Psychological Support
If you wish to understand your emotions, to cope with stress, and find solutions to problems, psychological services are here to help you. Through counseling, and community-based emotional aid, it addresses both mental health and social well-being to build resilience and promote healing.
These services offer a safe, non-judgmental space for individuals to express feelings, develop coping strategies, and improve overall life functioning, ranging from crisis intervention to ongoing mental wellness
HOW THERAPY SESSIONS WORK.
At NISSIMOU, therapy sessions are provided by independent, certified professionals who visit the island and work directly with families.
Parents pay therapists directly for the sessions. In Greece, many therapy services for children are reimbursed by the public healthcare system, which allows families to receive therapy locally while using the existing reimbursement system.
NISSIMOU focuses on making these therapies accessible on Spetses by providing the therapy space, coordinating visiting professionals, and helping cover key logistical costs such as travel and accommodation.
By bringing therapists to the island, we help families access essential care without the burden of frequent travel to the mainland.
COLLABORATIVE SPACE.
NISSIMOU is the first therapeutic safe space on Spetses created specifically for psycho-educational professionals, children, and families.
Our goal is not only to provide a supportive environment for therapy, but also to build a collaborative hub where therapists can offer their services to the island’s community.
We connect professionals from the mainland - Athens, the Argo-Saronic region, and abroad - with families on Spetses, helping expand access to essential therapeutic services for children.
Our bright, fully renovated centre is equipped with a wide range of learning tools, materials, and therapy-specific equipment to support a variety of services, including:
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Occupational therapy
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Speech therapy and early intervention
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Sensory play, theater, music, art, dance
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Psychology and counseling
Additional spaces include:
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Kitchen
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Bathroom
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Occupational therapy room
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Speech therapy & early intervention room
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Psychology office
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Administrative office
Flexible co-working packages are available for visiting or permanent therapists.
Top 5 Reasons to Use the NISSIMOU Space
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Inclusive, Purpose-Built Space
Our centre is designed specifically for therapeutic work, providing safe, bright, and fully equipped rooms for occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychology, sensory play, and more.
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Flexible Access
Whether you’re visiting Spetses for the summer, based in the Argo-Saronic region, or even abroad, our collaboration packages accommodate short-term and long-term needs.
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Professional Community
Join a network of like-minded therapists and educators, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and professional growth.
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Supportive Environment for Families
Your work at NISSIMOU reaches children and families directly, helping reduce island isolation and making therapies more accessible.
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Comprehensive Facilities
Benefit from fully equipped therapy rooms, administrative offices, and shared amenities like kitchen and bathroom, all designed to make your practice seamless and efficient.
Contact us today to schedule a tour and see how NISSIMOU can support your practice while making a lasting impact on the children and families of Spetses.
HouseHub
Project
Spetses.
We are proud to collaborate with HouseHub NGO, a pioneering organization based in Athens, founded by experienced speech and language therapist Ellianna Mantaka-Brinkmann. Ellianna brings her extensive clinical expertise and passion for inclusive practices to Spetses as a scientific advisor and mentor to our team.
Together, through the initiative #HouseHubProjectSpetses, we aim to introduce innovative approaches to therapy that integrate the child’s home and community into the healing process. With HouseHub’s guidance, we organize intergenerational workshops, seminars, and awareness events designed to promote neurodiversity, inclusion, and the power of play as a communication tool.
Through this meaningful partnership, we combine local presence with expert knowledge - ensuring that families on Spetses benefit from best practices in inclusive therapy, without needing to leave the island.
Here is the list of projects we have worked on together:
BLUE MONDAY SEMINAR
In January 2025, we organised a BLUE MONDAY seminar in collaboration with Mrs. Eirini Andrioti, special coach. We offered the Spetses Community an opportunity to gather and connect at Nissimou during the most “depressing day of the year” and learn how they can go through this difficult time with coaching tools. Indeed, Spetses being a touristic destination, the local community and tourism workers often struggle with isolation, feelings of sadness and loneliness during the low season and winter.
ANOMILO TRAINING
In March 2025, Mrs. Ellianna Mantaka Brinkmann visited the NISSIMOU centre in Spetses in order to train both our Speech and Language Therapist and Special Education Assistant on the ANOMILO 4 TEST method.
It is a Greek speech and language screening test designed to detect potential speech and language disorders in children aged 3 years and 9 months to 4 years and 6 months. It is a Greek adaptation of the French ERTL-4 test (Epreuve de repérage des troubles du langage).
INCLUSION WORKSHOP PRESENTATION: “INCLUSION IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE”
This presentation was part of the program “Inclusion for Every Child”, implemented by the Community Trust Spetses (CTS) non profit organisation, the Municipality of Spetses, and the educational organization PAIXNIDAGOGEIO in Athens. This workshop was intended for early childhood educators, teachers, professionals in the field of special education and inclusion, as well as families, and available to the entire Spetses community.
Together, NISSIMOU and HOUSEHUB participated in the organisation of the presentation and shared some unique personal testimonials of families on the topic of Inclusion.
NISSIMOU also created a station outside of the conference room to present tools that can promote inclusion both at home and in school.
If you are an independent professional wishing to organise a workshop together as part of our #HouseHubProjectSpetses initiative, get in touch and let's start planning!
