In this episode we are lucky enough to be speaking with Dr Nick Pollard. We discuss: Nick is a senior lecturer in occupational therapy at Sheffield Hallam University. Nick’s teaching concerns social contexts for occupational therapy, community based interventions and underpinning concepts including occupational science and social occupational therapy. He  teaches research methods and interprofessional … 113 – Social Justice and Narrative-Driven Practice ft Dr Nick Pollard Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about: Brad is a father of two and husband, occupational therapist, the host and creator of The Becoming Collective and founder of Naturally Gathered – an OT in nature practice.  He is a deep thinker and challenger of the status quo. Brad loves spending time in nature whether … 112 – From Stagnation to Inspiration: Reigniting Our OT Spark ft Brad Williams Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about serious mental illness and a path to resilience with Liz Grace. Liz is an occupational therapist in recovery from Schizoaffective Disorder who lives with the daily challenges of profound hearing loss.  We discuss:  Liz Grace is a first-time author of her book titled – Resilient.  At seventeen, … 111 – Inside the Mind: An Occupational Therapist’s Journey with Serious Mental Illness and the Path to Resilience Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about strengths based occupational therapy with Kavita Murthi. We discuss:  Kavitha Murthi is pursuing her doctoral studies at NYU Steinhardt in the Department of Occupational Therapy. She works with Counselor to the President, Dr. Kristie Patten, on a National Science Foundation (NSF) project titled “Developing Abilities and Knowledge … 110 – Strengths-Based Practice in Occupational Therapy ft Kavita Murthi Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about sustainability, the environment and planetary health with Ka Yan Hess. We discuss:  – why we need to question the current underpinnings of the profession including person-centered practice (yes, you read right!)  – how we can broaden person-centred health care using bidirectional questioning  – what we can do in … 109 – Planetary Health and Occupational Therapy: Bridging Theory and Practice ft Ka Yan Hess Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about human rights, social inclusion and population health with Clare Hocking. We discuss:  Clare Hocking is a New Zealand occupational therapy academic, and New Zealand’s first occupation therapy professor. She is currently a full professor at the Auckland University of Technology. Clare’s goal is to transform occupational therapy … 108 – Human Rights, Social Inclusion & Population Health ft Clare Hocking Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about therapeutic use of self with psychotherapist, academic, author, researcher and former occupational therapist, Linda Finlay. We discuss:  Linda is an integrative psychotherapist who has her own private practice in the UK.  Linda originally qualified as an occupational therapist in 1977 and worked in the mental health field in … 107 – Therapeutic Use of Self: Personal & Professional Self Intertwined ft Linda Finlay Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about sexuality, an often overlooked aspect of the human experience in our OT field. So we’re lifting the veil to develop a deeper understanding. We’re talking with Dr Sakshi Tickoo.   In this episode we explore:  Dr. Sakshi Tickoo (she/her) is a brown, queer Occupational Therapist and Sexuality … 106 – Sexuality, Sexual Identity, Gender, Pronouns & Intimacy ft Dr. Sakshi Tickoo Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about the NDIS: The National Disability Insurance Scheme here in Australia. We are talking with Sarah Collison, Occupational Therapist, Director of Verve OT and administrator of The NDIS OT Community of Practice Facebook Group.   We discuss:  Sarah is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience and … 105 – Navigating the NDIS: Assessments, Reports & Everything You Need To Know ft Sarah Collison Read More »

In this episode, it is an absolute privilege and pleasure to be speaking with Emeritus Professor Elizabeth Townsend. Liz is a remarkable occupational therapist, occupational scientist and scholar who developed Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E) and has made significant contributions to the field of occupational therapy, occupational science and the understanding of … 104 -Occupational Science & Literacy, Awakening To Justice and Re-Imagining the...

Goal setting is part of the therapeutic process, and I must say that how I go about setting goals with the people I work with has shifted and evolved in many ways over the past 15 years. I’ve come to learn that goal setting:

When we step fully into our role as an occupational therapist and own the title, when we educate the community on our understanding of ‘occupation’ – we raise the collective consciousness. But it starts with us. As occupational therapists we often get frustrated that no one knows what it is we do. And it’s a … 102 – Raising the Collective Consciousness: “Occupation” Explored Read More »

In this episode we explore person-entered care with occupational therapist and stroke survivor, Emma Gee. We discuss: Emma is an occupational therapist, a professional speaker and a person who survived a stroke when she was 24. In a moment, Emma’s life changed from that of a professional health provider and long-distance runner to that of … 101 – Person-Centered Care & Surviving a Stroke ft Emma Gee Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about co-regulating the parents, reparenting and parent coaching with occupational therapist and parent coach, Maggie Viers. We explore:  Maggie is an Occupational Therapist and the founder of The Empowered Family. She is a transracial Korean adoptee, wife, and mom to 4 kids all under the age of 7. She … 100 – Co-Regulation with Parents and Parent Coaching ft Maggie Viers Read More »

In this episode we talk all about street art and graffiti as a meaningful therapeutic occupation with occupational therapist and not-afraid-to-question-the status-quo, Gavin Symes. We discuss:  Gavin is an occupational therapist and founder of Wizard OT in Melbourne, Australia. In 2010 Gavin sustained a serious head injury that left him physically and cognitively impaired. His injury made … 99 – Street Art, Graffiti and Occupational Therapy ft Gavin Symes Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about rhythmic movement and technology to support children’s learning with occupational therapist, Bridgette Nicholson.  We discuss:  Bridgette Nicholson has been an Occupational Therapist and Assistive Technology Consultant for over 34 years. She has provided direct services and consultation to school districts and organizations focusing on assistive technology, occupational … 98 – Rhythm, Movement and Technology to Support Children’s Learning ft Bridgette...

In this episode we explore the history of occupational therapy with occupational therapist, Josie Jarvis. We take a deep dive into:  This was an invigorating, highly interesting and intellectually stimulating conversation with Josie. I learnt way more than I expected. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for history, science and our profession blew me away.   Josie Jarvis … 97 – Occupational Therapy History: The Evolution of the Profession ft Josie Jarvis Read More »

In this episode we talk all about being a brave occupational therapist with Occupational Therapist, Certified Coach Practitioner and podcaster, Carlyn Neek.   We discuss:  We are speaking with Carlyn Neek for the second time on this podcast! The first chat with Carolyn was episode #78 talking all about imposter syndrome, burn out and self … 96 – How To Be A Brave Occupational Therapist ft Carlyn Neek Read More »

In this episode we talk all about boredom and how it relates to our work as occupational therapists. We talk with OT, author and artist Jen Gash about: Jen has been an occupational therapist for over 25 years but early in her career, realised her love for doing things differently, changing and developing services as … 95 – Boredom and Why People Need Something To DO Every Day ft Jen Gash Read More »

In this episode we are talking all about neurodivergence, unmasking and spirituality with occupational therapist, Stephanie Robertson.   We discuss:   Stephanie Robertson is an occupational therapist based in Victoria Australia. She is extremely passionate about working with the neurodivergent community to support all areas of the human experience. Steph and her daughter are both neurodivergent … 94 – Unmasking The Authentic Neurodivergent Self & A Spiritual Path to Healing ft Stephanie...

In this episode we are talking all about Puberty with occupational therapist, Sarah Hausler. We discuss:  Sarah Hausler is the principal Occupational Therapist of Bloom Wellbeing – a paediatric OT practice in Adelaide. Sarah is a Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Adelaide. She developed the Well Girls and Puberty Plus programs and … 93 – Puberty & The Occupational Therapist’s Role; Education & Group Work ft Sarah Hausler Read More »

In this episode with occupational therapist, Kelly Clancy, we talk all about:  Kelly is an occupational therapist, certified hand therapist, holistic health counselor, Level 1 IFS practitioner, and a board-certified structural integrator and massage therapist. Kelly has been practicing in the field of rehabilitative medicine as an Occupational Therapist for over 36 years. Her focus … 92 – Mindbody Medicine, Tensegrity & Lifestyle Approaches to Occupational Therapy ft Kelly Clancy Read...

Healthcare has become more about efficiency, productivity and profit and less about client satisfaction and individualized care. Many of us feel stuck in a system that isn’t working for us – we’re forever trying to keep up with KPI’s, policies and procedures. And ‘the system’ certainly isn’t the most beneficial for our clients. In this … 91 – Humanizing Healthcare: Beyond The Metrics and Back To Care ft Rafi Salazar Read More »

In today’s episode I speak with Bridget Mathis, Occupational Therapist from STISIM Drive; a driving simulation technology for clinical therapy, driver training, and driving research. In today’s episode Bridget and I discuss a day in the life of a non-traditional OT, driving simulation – what it is and how it helps, ways we can articulate … 90 – Innovation, Non-Traditional OT Roles & Driving Simulation ft Bridget Mathis Read More »