• What Beki's online business looks like today – her offers, her week and how she structures her time across a full work day
• The real numbers behind a successful online OT business
• The marketing strategies that have genuinely moved the needle for her – and what she now teaches others from hard-won experience
• How to attract and serve your ideal clients, even if you're starting from scratch
• The mindset shifts that helped Beki stop playing small and start scaling with purpose
• ….and SO MUCH MORE!

Connect with Beki Eakins: Website: www.bekieakins.com/

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/bekieakins/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/otyourselftofreedom/ Beki Eakins is a business coach for occupational therapists who are done with burnout, low pay, and building businesses that still depend on their time. After seeing how traditional OT roles keep highly skilled clinicians overworked and underpaid, she built a freedom-based business working just 12 hours a week, generating consistent high-ticket sales and supporting OTs across the world to do the same. Her work challenges the industry norms many therapists feel stuck in, showing them how to move away from referrals, funding dependence, and exhausting caseloads, and into scalable online businesses that create more income, impact, and control. Through her programme, the OT Freedom Collective, and her podcast “OT Yourself to Freedom”, she has helped hundreds of OTs rethink what is actually possible in their career. She is known for her direct, no-nonsense approach, calling out what is not working and showing therapists how to build businesses that actually support their lives.

• Why Wendy never abbreviates “OT” and always says “occupational therapy” - and why language matters
• The difference between occupation as means and occupation as end, and why it matters in practice
• How to hold onto authentic occupational therapy values in highly medicalised systems
• Practical steps to reclaim occupation-centred care
• An introduction to the Dynamic Model of Occupation-Based Practice - what it is and how it supports transformative, occupation-driven work
• ....and SO MUCH MORE!

Connect with Wendy Stav:

Website

The Dynamic Model of Occupation-Based Practice

• Why The Burn In Model is based on a metaphor.
• The flame at the heart of The Burn In Model.
• The flame represents the alignment between who you are (being), what you do (doing) and who and what you're connected to (belonging)
• What it means to tend to your inner flame vs your outer flame
• A breakdown of the 8 Ecosystem Elements that influence alignment:

1. Sticks – the personal and occupational factors that fuel or dampen your fire 2. Rocks – boundaries; your foundations of safety, regulation and capacity 3. Rain + Wind – physical and social environment 4. Coal – burnout 5. Smoke – signs and signals of burnout 6. Ash – end of life and what we leave behind; lineage and legacy 7. Spark – life itself; and where there is life, there is hope 8. Embers – the gifts we offer the world If you are interested to join our upcoming 6 week guided journey through The Burn In Model, you can learn more here: burninnotout.com

We discuss:

• The moment Burn In was first named
• How Michelle and I, on opposite sides of the world, were exploring similar concepts and how the Universe clearly connected us to bring The Burn In Model to life
• What the model means to us now vs. when it started
• How a single post turned into a worldwide co-creation The development of The Burn In Model - group collaboration, focus groups and over 700 messages between Michelle and I
• The mission to spark a global movement, beyond OT

To join us for a 6 week guided journey - to burn in, not out, head to burninnotout.com

We dive deep into the personal stories that sparked this model, including:

• Michelle’s OT journey and the roles she’s held across military and mental health settings
• Her own experience of burnout and why it didn’t feel just like exhaustion, but something deeper
• Why our definition of burnout expands beyond the World Health Organisation’s
• The factors that led to misalignment in my own life and practice
• Why we both began to understand burnout not as a collapse, but as a misalignment — between who we are, what we do, and who and what we're connected to

This is where The Burn In Model begins... with story, reflection and the decision to burn in, not out.

Learn more about our upcoming free Webinar or join our 6 week journey where we guide you through The Burn In Model, so you can use it personally and professionally: www.burninnotout.com

We discuss:

• How our personal identity shapes how we show up as occupational therapists
• What identity means within the OT profession and why it matters
• The rich history of OT and how it influences our current professional identity
• The challenge of defining what OTs do vs. what OT is
• The importance of staying grounded in occupation as the heart of OT
• How we can communicate the value of occupational therapy more clearly
• Why being an OT and something else is becoming more common
• It’s not always about us trying to explain OT - it's can others describe what it is we’re doing?

Justine Valencia Jecker is an occupational therapist with Canadian and European lineage who would self-describe as being a global citizen. She was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada until the age of 17 before traveling to Japan to finish high school. In the 20+ following years, she has traveled to more than three dozen countries and has personal and professional connections around the world. Justine's academic background include a BSc. Kinesiology, MSc. Occupational Therapy, and a PhD in Educational Leadership. Her occupational therapy background within the past two decades has involved working in Forensic Mental Health, Community Indigenous Health, Interprofessional Education, and National Association work focusing on the practice of OT in Canada. Justine, officially Aussie nicknamed "Juzzy", is passionate about how our personal identities shape our professional lives, and has joined us to discuss this adventurous topic. 

You’re not alone.

Correcting someone who thinks you’re a physio… Trying to justify your value in a system obsessed with KPIs… Shrinking your occupation-based words just to make them easier for someone else to sit with… Wondering if the version of OT you believed in still exists.

This solo episode is a raw and real reflection.

We talk about the disconnect so many OT practitioners are feeling.

This isn’t a teaching episode. It’s a truth-telling one. A space to speak what so many of us have been carrying — and maybe haven’t said out loud.

And if any part of this lands with you, I’d love to invite you to join me for: The Identity We Weave — a FREE, live global event for OTs where we’ll be diving into these exact conversations, alongside Emeritus Professor Gail Whiteford and Professor Elizabeth Townsend.

It’s free. It’s real. And it’s for you.

• How understanding the brain helps OTs in supporting emotional regulation.

• The effects of stress on the nervous system and effective strategies for OTs.

• The integration of bottom-up and top-down therapeutic strategies in sessions.

• Differences between coaching and traditional therapy and when to use each approach.

• The role of neuroscience in coaching and its impact on behaviour change.

• Applying self-determination theory in occupational therapy.

• Key coaching strategies and the transition challenges OTs face in adopting new roles.

• Strategies for supervisors to foster reflective practice and critical thinking.

• Ways supervisors can assist OTs coping with stress and burnout.

Connect with Dr. Áine O'Dea: Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

• What financial freedom and time freedom mean for OTs and how to achieve them.
• The importance of financial literacy for OTs.

• Tips for occupational therapists to gain financial independence, including paying off student debt, diversifying income and automating business operations.

• Understanding and utilizing the "Freedom Number" to set financial goals.

• Aligning spending with personal values and rethinking financial priorities.

• Tackling common financial misconceptions in the OT community and the benefits of financial well-being.

• Strategies for OTs to manage and pay off student debt effectively.

• Practical advice for enhancing financial growth and managing debt for occupational therapists.

Doug Vestal is the author of the book: Financial Freedom for OTs: A Guide to Building Wealth Without Burnout. Doug helps OTs achieve occupational choice and freedom by starting private pay practices. He co-founded The Functional Pelvis, a private pay OT practice with his OT wife, Lindsey Vestal. He has over 10 years’ experience managing an OT private practice and has helped 100s of OTs start private practices. Before working with OTs he spent 15 years in senior management positions on Wall Street. He loves combining his business acumen, passion for entrepreneurship, and his knowledge of OTs to help them find time and money freedom on their terms. He has a Master’s in Financial Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Applied Probability. 

Connect with Doug:

Website

Instagram

YouTube

We discuss:

• Karlye’s journey from traditional OT to specialising in stretch therapy and nervous system regulation. 

• The fundamentals of stretch therapy and its application in occupational therapy. 

• The role of nervous system regulation in supporting meaningful engagement in daily activities. 

• The polyvagal theory and its implementation in therapeutic OT practices. 

• Mind-body connection and its importance in healing from chronic stress or trauma. 

• Sensory-based techniques for people experiencing mental health challenges.
• An overview of her private practice, including in-person sessions, online programs for clients and OTs, and her upcoming workshops. 
• The impact of combining in-person therapy with online resources to enhance client outcomes. 

• An introduction to Karlye’s online program, "Regulating Nervous System Pathways," designed for individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, and those seeking overall well-being improvement. 

You can connect with Karlye and learn more about her programs here:

Instagram

Website

• Practical occupational therapy strategies to support carers. 

• What The OT Carer Pathway is and how you can use it in your practice. 

• How occupational science informs The OT Carer Pathway. 

• The tier system within the OT Carer Pathway. 

• Occupational therapy carer assessments. 

• Carer education and intervention.  

Ali Buchanan created The OT Carer Pathway. It is a specialised program designed specifically for caregivers, addressing the unique challenges they face in their roles. This initiative is crafted to provide targeted support to carers, who are often the unsung heroes in healthcare, assisting them to manage both the demands of caring for others and maintaining their own health and wellbeing. Cat is the Band 6 OT collaborating with individuals using The OT Carer Pathway to support them on their journey.  

The OT Carer Pathway is a program that Ali and Cat want every OT to have access to. If you'd like to learn more about it, feel free to email Ali at: Alison.Buchanan@nhs.scot 

Cat was a mature student (juggling 2 small children). She has worked across the life span, from paediatrics to supporting people at the end of their journey. She has been a community-based OT which means she has developed a diverse clinical skill set. Cat describes herself as an OT geek through and through and she is very passionate about the power of meaningful occupation. Cat is currently working towards securing her Masters and this advanced learning is supporting her as she explores new clinical pathways. 

Ali graduated in 1998 and has worked across acute, rehab and community settings. She has a passion for neurology, and community-based rehabilitation. Ali is currently a Clinical Lead in the East Lothian Rehabilitation Service in Scotland leading the occupational therapy component of their unscheduled care pathways, primary care and the Occupational Therapy Carers Pathway. She is passionate about Occupational Therapy and is currently completing a Masters degree in Advancing Practice of Occupational Therapy at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Ali is a proud mum of 2 teenagers, loves the outdoors, swimming, netball and her family. 

For more information about The OT Carer Pathway:

Website

In this episode we discuss:

• Tackling the overwhelming feeling when starting a private practice. 

• Understanding the potential in independent private practice for OT and pediatrics. 

• How a niche can streamline your practice. 

• Strategies for gaining confidence as you start your practice. 

• Navigating imposter syndrome.  

• Dealing with the fear of not knowing enough. 

• Session planning – to do or not to do? 

• How to feel assured about the knowledge you impart. 

• Handling expectations from clients and their families regarding therapy outcomes. 

• Strategies for dealing with challenging interactions in practice. 

• Methods to use for evaluating therapy effectiveness. 

• Preventing feelings of isolation when running a solo practice. 

• Keeping your knowledge and skills up-to-date in a dynamic field. 

• Making sure your interventions are genuinely rooted in occupational therapy principles, and you’re not just doing activities. 

Jo is a Children's OT based in Bristol and Bath in the UK. She is in the process of setting up Little Rainbow OT, an independent service for children who have handwriting and fine motor difficulties, and desires to bring some art and creativity into her role as an OT through her new business. She has previously worked in social care as a Children's OT in the UK providing specialist seating and equipment to children with physical disabilities. Prior to re-training as an OT she lived in Sydney, Australia and worked in many different roles including an Events Organiser, a Nanny, a Children's Swimming Teacher and an artist selling her paintings in Sydney markets! Now she is excited about tying all these experiences together to create a new business and follow her OT dream. She is a wife and mama to 3 beautiful girls who keep her on her toes. When she has a spare moment to herself, she is usually painting, creating polymer clay jewellery or hunting for wildflowers in the countryside.

• The concepts ‘sensory healing’ and ‘developmental trauma’  

• The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics by Dr Bruce Perry

• The 6 R’s of a trauma-compassionate treatment plan: rewarding, relational, relevant, respectful, rhythmic, and repetitive 

• Low-cost, budgeted sensory activities to maximise the potential for healing after trauma 

• Precautions we need to be aware of when integrating sensory strategies into trauma-informed care 

• We we need to move away from traditional behaviour management approaches towards a focus on relational understanding 

• Fostering curiosity and a relational approach in therapy 

• Animals and farm-based care in therapy 

• Real-life clinical examples and Marti’s clinical reasoning  

• Writing and publishing a book: self-published vs traditional publishing (Marti has done both!) 

• And SO much more! 

Marti Smith is an esteemed occupational therapist based in Austin, Texas, where she works at a care farm dedicated to serving individuals who have experienced trauma and adversity. With a profound commitment to healing through sensory integration, Marti has authored two influential books: The Connected Therapist: Relating Through the Senses and Sensory Healing after Developmental Trauma: The Connected Therapist's Guide to Low-Cost Activities for Working with Children. Her work emphasizes the importance of sensory strategies and relational approaches in trauma-informed care, making significant contributions to the field of occupational therapy. 

You can learn more about Marti Smith and her books here: 

• Marti's website

In this episode we discuss:

• What inspired the re-creation of the Canadian Model of Occupational Participation (CanMOP) 
• Overview of the changes to the Canadian occupation model over the years. 
• Why there has been a shift from performance and engagement to participation. 
• An overview of the CanMOP and how it might be applied. 
• How the CanMOP allows occupational therapists to evolve our practice to better serve individuals and communities. 

Image: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Canadian-Model-of-Occupational-Participation-Source-According-to-Egan-Restall-2022_fig2_371248871

Mary is the director of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Ottawa. During the first 10 years of her career Mary worked with adults and children in institutional and community-based settings. She has worked in various regions across Canada. Mary completed graduate work in occupational therapy at the University of Alberta and in epidemiology at McGill University which provided her with the tools to continue her career as an educator and researcher.  

Mary’s research is driven by curiosity regarding the legitimate goals of occupational therapy and how these are best reached. She is particularly interested in how people return to valued activities within meaningful social contexts following serious health events. This has led to work, related to how occupational therapy and rehabilitation are conceptualized, and how processes of occupational therapy support – or hinder – occupational participation.  

Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy underscores the core purpose of occupational therapy—enabling access to, initiation of, and continued participation in occupations. It highlights the essence of occupational therapy as a practice built on collaborative relationships with individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. The focus is on leveraging the strengths, knowledge, talents, and resources of people and groups. Key focuses include: 

• Client Relationships: Explaining how therapists work closely with their clients. 

• Practice Goals: Defining the main aims of occupational therapy. 

• Focus on Justice: Shifting towards promoting fairness, equality, and rights in therapy. 

We discuss: 

• What Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy is all about 

• Why and how we need to evolve from client-centered practice 

• A dive into the four elements of Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy: contextually relevant, nuanced, safe and promote rights based self determination  

• What inspired Gayle to collaborate with Mary Egan and team of others to conceptualise this new practice 

• The components of Canadian Inter-relational Practice Process Framework (COTIPP) and how it is different from other frameworks 

Gayle is a Professor Emerita at the University of Manitoba. She lives works, plays, and builds relationships in Winnipeg where she lives. Gayle is a registered occupational therapist with a PhD in Community Health Sciences.  Her scholarship is driven by a passion for involving people who require health and social services in their own care, program development, research, and social policymaking. Through her research, she explores the systems and policy changes needed for people with chronic health conditions to fully participate in community life. She is committed to lifelong work to facilitate justice and equity for individuals and collectives. Spending time in the boreal forest to hike, cycle, or cross-country ski is a favorite pastime. 

• What Wilcock’s mantra ‘doing, being, becoming and belonging’ means to Nick 
• What occupational justice looks like 
• How occupational therapists can contribute in addressing the inequalities in health 
• Reflecting on the concept of "Occupational Therapy Without Borders" 
• How the use of narrative plays a role in promoting occupational justice  
• How occupational therapy practitioners are political beings (and what this means) 
• The power and potential of occupational therapy 

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 modules, and has researched, written and presented extensively on a range of topics, particularly community based rehabilitation, critical explorations of occupational therapy as well as mental health, wellbeing and physical exercise. Nick has coedited several landmark occupational therapy texts, notably the Occupational Therapy without Borders books. 

• Why we often doubt our work as occupational therapists 
• Recognising and addressing imposter syndrome within occupational therapy Strategies for rekindling passion in occupational therapy
• Words of wisdom for the OT professionals in the trenches right now 
• Exploring what identity-led work means and its practical applications in OT 
• Understanding the importance of narrative and storytelling in the therapy process
• The Becoming Collective - a space for occupational therapists to connect, learn and grow together 

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 it be bird watching, hiking, camping or snorkelling. Professionally, he finds joy and energy in noticing and exploring unresolved problems and contemplating new ideas. 

You can learn more about Brad and The Becoming Collective here: 

The Becoming Collective

Instagram

We discuss: 

• Serious mental illness and its impact on relationships, work and everyday activities 
• Schizoaffective disorder – what it is and Liz’s lived experience 
• What delusions look and feel like from Liz’s perspective, and specific examples
• If it’s possible to distinguish between delusional thoughts and those that are grounded in reality 
• Self-harm, cutting and recovery 
• Hospitalisation for mental illness – the good, the bad and the ugly 
• The stigma and misunderstandings related to serious mental illness 
• Physical restraint and why it should no longer be used 
• The most important gift an OT can offer a person living with serious mental illness 
• Profound hearing loss and cochlear implants 
• How Liz’s challenging life experiences have made her a better OT 
• Why Liz decided to write a book and openly share her personal experiences 
• The challenges living with mental illness and being an OT
• Liz’s concerns about losing her OT job before publishing her book ‘Resilient’.  

Liz Grace is a first-time author of her book titled - Resilient.  At seventeen, Liz's world collapsed into a place of mental illness and revolving hospital doors. It took a strong family to help her survive to university life, where she exceled. But before she could start her career as an occupational therapist, Schizoaffective Disorder rears to threaten all that she has worked towards. 

Liz Grace is an occupational therapist in recovery from Schizoaffective Disorder who lives with the daily challenges of profound hearing loss. Starting at the age of sixteen, she gradually lost her hearing, learned American Sign Language in university and at age twenty-six, was implanted with bilateral cochlear implants. Liz lives in Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her hearing dog and works in community home care. 

Content Warning: This podcast episode includes discussions about self-harm, which may be triggering for some listeners. If you or someone you know is struggling with self-harm or related issues, please consider your own well-being and consult with a mental health professional for support.

Liz's Book: Resilient (click here)

• What strengths-based practice is 
• How we can embrace a strengths-based approach in our assessment and therapy 
• How we can write strengths-based reports 
• What strengths-based practice looks like when working with neurodivergent people 
• How to stop using a deficits-based approach today 
• How we can identify the strengths of the people we work with 
• Research that supports strengths-based approach 
• And SO much more! 

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 for Careers in Design and Engineering for Students on the Autism Spectrum by Scaling Up Making Experiences.” Through this project, Kavitha intends to explore the impact of interest-driven and strength-based engineering activities on autistic students’ learning and social development. She is very interested in understanding how neurodiverse adolescents interested in engineering and designing participate in maker clubs to problem-solve using the Engineering Design Process (EDP) independently. She is also very keen to find and highlight the missing authentic autistic voices through her research by partnering with them in the research process. 

Resources: 

1. The scoping review: https://research.aota.org/ajot/article/77/2/7702185060/24094/Strengths-Based-Practice-to-Enhance-Mental-Health?searchresult=1 

2. Double empathy problem by Dr. Damian Milton: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2012.710008 

3. Assessments that promote strengths: 

a. American Institute of Research (AIR) Self-determination Scale: https://www.ou.edu/education/zarrow/resources/assessments

b. Child Occupational Self-Assessment (COSA): https://moho-irm.uic.edu/productDetails.aspx?aid=3 

c. Child Self Efficacy Scale (CSES): https://www.rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/assessments/tool/2006/childrens-self-efficacy-scale-cses.html 

d. Participation and Environment Measure (PEM_CY): https://www.canchild.ca/en/resources/248-participation-and-environment-measure-for-children-and-youth-pem-cy 

4. Paper that talks about the value of language and terminologies: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/aut.2020.0014?fbclid=IwAR0xbVb5qTBFAxI9hU2DXtJSJX3GsE4Ljh1qAqrQ27hqxf_Jn-oQAYJE5lE 

5. Round table discussion that helped us develop the operational definition:  https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2019.29002.aju 

6. Assessment that uses strengths-based visual assessment: https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-015-0006-3 

7. Paper on strengths-based assessments: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/154079690603100206 

8. ASD Nest Model: https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/asdnest/about-nyu-asd-nest-support-project 

• The paradigm shift Clare proposes from the conventional notion of "you are what you eat" to the more encompassing concept of "you are what you do" 
• How to drive social change as an OT 
• Addressing issues of injustice and human rights that are impacting participation and engagement in occupations 
• How we can promote inclusion, diversity and more equitable communities 
• Ways our profession can address anti-racism and decolinization 

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 by influencing practitioners, academics, researchers and students, nationally and internationally. Clare co-authored the 3rd edition of Wilcock's Occupational Perspective of Health, co-edited Occupational Science: Society, Inclusion, Participation, and has authored more than 30 chapters and encyclopedia entries, and over 120 journal articles. Clare has served as the Executive Editor of the Journal of Occupational Science since 1997, and partnered with Emeritus Professor Liz Townsend to revise the World Federation of Occupational Therapy's Position Statement on Human Rights. 

• The concept of therapeutic use of self: what it is? 
• The role therapeutic use of self plays in a person’s progress 
• How we can develop and enhance the therapeutic relationship 
• The concept of the ‘wounded healer’ - and how our own woundedness can at times help and at times hinder the therapy process 
• How we can become comfortable with ‘being’ with our clients rather than feeling the need to implement specific models, strategies and techniques 
• How ethics draws upon our own personal values, as well as professional standards 
• How can we bring more of our authentic selves to therapy and foster genuine interactions with clients 
• Examples of how Linda has used therapeutic use of self to support a person’s unique life journey 

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 hospitals and psychotherapeutic units.  Over her therapy career, she has worked with both adults and children. Linda has particular expertise in the field of anxiety/stress, trauma, eating disorders, self-harm, and substance use.  

Her academic career has spanned 40 years and has involved teaching therapy and psychology-related topics on numerous undergraduate and post-graduate university courses throughout Europe and in the USA. 

In addition to her psychotherapy qualification and occupational therapy training, Linda has an honours degree in Psychology and a PhD. 

Linda is the author of Therapeutic Use of Self in Counselling and Psychotherapy and Practical Ethics in Counselling and Psychotherapy: A Relational Approach.  

Linda has a foot in both clinical and academic worlds. Her research and writing is anchored in practice while her practice is informed by research. 

To learn more about Linda, click on her website below:

Website: Linda Finlay

In this episode we explore: 

• How to speak more comfortably about sexuality with individuals
• How sexuality relates to occupations
• The OTPs role in the scope of sexuality
• Sensuality 
• Intimacy 
• Sexual identity 
• Gender identity 
• Pronouns 
• Sexual health and reproduction 
• Sexualisation 
• Sexual aids and assistive devices 
• What to do (from a moral stand point) when you don’t agree with your client’s sexual decision 
• And so much MORE!

Dr. Sakshi Tickoo (she/her) is a brown, queer Occupational Therapist and Sexuality counselor working in the areas of sexuality, relationships and mental health across lifespan. She is the founder of Sex, Love, And OT—an inclusive, educational telehealth platform that focuses on sexual rights and liberation through education, centering pleasure, and facilitating freedom of occupational engagement in sexuality for people globally. She is also the author of SexCare—a self-help guide designed for solo and partnered pleasure through the use of sensations and self-care routine. 

Other aspects of her work include collaborating with other allies, advocates, educators and NGOs around the world advancing sexuality education and research, sex worker and assault and abuse survivor healthcare and advocating for sexuality in Occupational Therapy & Sciences across various practice areas and settings. 

In her spare time, she combines her love for technology, art and sexuality through content creation, writing and curating resources on Instagram. 

To learn more from Dr Sakshi click on the links below:

Instagram: @sex.love.andot

Website: Sex Love & OT

We discuss: 

• Pros and cons of being a registered NDIS provider (vs not being a registered provider) 
• Service Agreement ‘must-haves’ 
• Assistive Technology (AT) low risk vs high risk, low, mid and high cost AT – what it all means for OTs 
• Just because something is low cost, doesn’t mean it’s low risk - and the implications
• The risks of not writing a report or letter to support your AT clinical justification (and when case notes are not enough) 
• What to do when equipment prescription is outside your scope of practice 
• What to do (and say) when you have been asked to recommend a piece of equipment that you can’t clinically justify 
• AT outcome measures 
• Why clinical observation is superior to standardised assessments 
• What functional capacity assessments (FCA’s) are and when they are required (and when they’re not) 
• What to assess in a FCA and what to include in a FCA report 
• The standardised assessments the NDIS prefers for FCA’s 
• Average time taken to complete a general FCA and report 
• Why we need to charge our worth (including report writing, travel and indirect time) 
• How to reduce risk of burn out 
• Narrowing scope of practice to improve efficiency, productivity and enjoyment  
• And SO MUCH MORE! 

Sarah is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience and she’s the Director of Verve OT. Sarah has worked across a broad range of clinical settings including rehabilitation, injury management, health, medico-legal and disability. She is a passionate supporter of the NDIS and provides supervision and training to other OT’s in all things NDIS. She has a special interest in complex home modifications and can often be found trampling around building sites all over Sydney. Sarah is a member of the OTA NDIS taskforce and administrator of the NDIS OT Community of Practice. To learn more about Sarah, the NDIS related courses and join the Facebook group, click links below:

Website: Verve OT 

NDIS Facebook Group: NDIS OT Community of Practice

• How Liz has remained curious and passionate about OT after many years in the profession
• How occupational science informs and enhances occupational therapy
• What occupational science is and why it's relevant
• How OTPs can raise their profile and visibility
• What occupational justice is
• How occupational therapists can contribute to addressing broader systemic issues of injustice such as discrimination and poverty
• The value and importance of person-entered care
• The future of occupational therapy

Professor Townsend's passion for occupational therapy and her unwavering commitment to promoting occupational justice and equity have driven her influential work throughout her career.  

With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, Professor Townsend has delved into the philosophical and theoretical aspects of occupation, exploring its profound impact on human well-being and quality of life. Her extensive research and publications have shed light on the intricate connections between occupational engagement and social structures, highlighting the barriers that hinder individuals from accessing meaningful occupations. 

Her tireless efforts have brought occupational justice to the forefront of discussions, shaping policy and practice to create positive change. 

Professor Townsend is the founder and second director for the school of occupational therapy for Dalhousey university. She is a founding member of the International Society of Occupational Scientists and the Canadian Society of Occupational Scientists. She is a founder of the concepts of occupational justice, occupational injustice, and occupational rights to address systemic social exclusion, deprivation and other marginalizing social practices. 

Professor Townsend has authored and co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications.  

We discuss:

• Emma's personal story of surviving a stroke after recently graduating from occupational therapy when she was 24 years old
• How Emma re-learnt to talk, walk, eat, and complete basic every day activities again
• Emma's experience of feeling trapped in her own body
• How personal identity can change after a experiencing a life-changing condition
• What person-centered care is
• Why person-centered care should be the cornerstone of our practice
• How Emma received person-centered care after her stroke, and how she didn't
• Practical ways to embrace a person-centered approach today....and SO MUCH MORE!

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 a person who has survived a stroke. Unable to move, speak, or swallow, she found herself dependent on the medical system she had planned to make her career in. With tenacity and determination, Emma worked her way back to walking and talking again. But she didn’t stop there. Seventeen years on, Emma now runs a Speaking Business aiming to increase person-centred care & resilience, raise disability awareness & share her insights of life as a therapist and a patient - to demonstrate that anything IS possible.  

Emma understands through her own story the processes of partnership and collaboration necessary to show the way to a fulfilling, meaningful life because she embodies those challenges every day. Emma is the author of a own published a book - Reinventing Emma. 

Emma is generously offering listeners a 10% discount for her book - Reinventing Emma. Use the code: REBOOK@2023FS, and click on her website link below. Valid until 31 July 2023.

Instagram: @emg1234 

Facebook: Emma Gee

Website: Emma Gee

We explore: 

• What parent coaching looks like 
• Why children (and any human) can be angry AND simultaneously regulated 
• How to support parents who are triggered by their child’s behaviours 
• How to co-regulate with parents 
• Why children need co-regulation not self-regulation strategies 
• How to ensure a strengths-based approach 
• How to guide parents back to their inner child 
• Why parents and caregivers must be involved in therapy with children 

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 has a passion for shifting the paradigm for how we view behavior, strengthening the parent-child relationship, and supporting parents to better understand themselves and their children. It wasn't until she became a parent that she discovered just how much her early life experiences, trauma, and conditioning were impacting her quality of life, mental health, and relationships. For Maggie, motherhood became this challenging yet beautiful portal for self discovery, healing, and reparenting herself alongside her kids. She’s passionate about empowering and supporting parents to do the same so they can strengthen and nurture connection and relationship with themselves and their kids.

Learn more about Maggie here:

Instagram: @theempoweredfamily

• How to incorporate street art and graffiti into your occupational therapy practice 
• What you need to get started 
• Why street art is therapeutic and how to make it ‘therapy’ 
• Frustrations that arise when other professionals question what we do 
• How to confidently step out of the cookie cutter intervention approach 
• Providing truly person-centered practice 
• How to co-create meaningful goals 
• How to turn your passion into a service 

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 simple tasks difficult, and he required retraining in basic everyday life skills. A year later he decided to study to become an Occupational Therapist. Having his life turned upside down by a debilitating impairment now informs everything he does in his occupational therapy work. Gavin uses street art as a therapeutic medium to support people to reach their occupational goals in life. He prides himself on constantly attempting to break moulds and constantly expanding his clinical skills to work with a diverse range of people.  

Instagram: @wizard_ot 

Website: Wizard OT 

We discuss: 

• What a ‘body-up approach’ to learning is  
• Practical strategies for integration of a ‘body-up’ approach for children 
• Benefits of highly structured rhythm and movement for cognitive based tasks such as handwriting and reading 
• Impacts of movement preceding and during learning activities 
• Evidence and research behind rhythm and movement 
• Brainstorming as an intervention 
• Bridgette’s free programs to guide children through a structured body and brain, rhythmic movement activity to support learning  
• Why occupational therapy is such a versatile and creative profession and so much MORE!  

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 therapy, and Universal Design for Learning. Currently, her focus is on the provision of intensive training programs which include sensory regulation combined with the use of technology to support decision-making for ongoing planning and effective implementation of strategies that work!

Website: Bridgette Nicholson

Website: Body Brain Tech Facebook: Brain Body Tech Instagram: @bodybraintech123 Youtube: Brain Body Tech

• A historical view of ‘occupation’ 
• How occupational therapy became a profession 
• Occupational science and understanding the everyday lives of humans 
• Working beyond the 1:1 therapy model to working with groups and communities …..and SO much more! 

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 has been a practicing occupational therapist in the United States since 2015 supporting clients across the lifespan in traditional settings such as acute care, skilled nursing, memory care, outpatient pediatrics, and school based practice. She returned to school in 2019 for her post professional clinical doctorate after feeling discouraged by extremely narrow conceptions of OT practice and a health and social service system  that focused more on denying services than providing them to clients with complex mental, physical, and social disabilities. While enrolled at the University of Utah she got reconnected to the soul core and historic roots of occupational therapy and developments of dynamic OT practice occurring internationally that was informed and inspired by contemporary occupational science, multicultural perspectives, critiques, and community responses to a profit driven medical model of human service delivery that often harms occupational being as much as it helps. She now finds great hope and inspiration for the future of occupational therapy all over the world. By supporting each-other in finding courage and connection to our roots as a brave and dynamic profession that has the capacity to not only change lives but systems of exclusivity and oppression throughout the world toward a culture of shared empowerment and holistic wellbeing. It is her hope that by getting a deeper connection to our shared history and distinct science base there is hope that OTPs all over the world can feel empowered and supported in their purpose to bring constructive healing through occupation and adapting together in time of rapid change and social injustice.    Josie has two podcasts Engaging Occupational Science (focused on making occupational science dialog accessible) and the Evolved Living podcast (focused on empowering collaboration in community based responses to shared social challenges in the current landscape). 

To learn more from Josie Jarvis, you can find her here:

Podcast: Engaging Occupational Science Podcast 

Podcast: Foundations of Occupational Science 

Facebook group: Occupational Science Empowered 

Freebie: Occupational Science 101 Guide

We discuss: 

• What ‘being brave’ looks like 
• How to cultivate more courage in our OT role 
• Embracing vulnerability 
• Goal setting for ourselves and our clients: reducing the pressure by not setting timelines 
• Feeling depleted and on the verge of burn out 
• When being brave means stepping into something, and when sometimes it means stepping back from something 

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 compassion Carlyn has 18 years of clinical OT experience. She now has her own business, Balance Works Personal Development where she supports occupational therapists from around the world to get unstuck and help them live their values wholeheartedly. She is the creator of the ACTivate Vitality program where she supports OTs frozen by imposter syndrome, fear of failure, and perfectionism to work and live with authenticity, fulfillment, and vitality. 

Website: Balance Works Personal Development

Facebook: Carlyn Neek

Instagram: @balanceworksot

• the importance of 'doing'
• why people get bored
• the good and the bad side of boredom
• how people can alleviate boredom
• how boredom relates to occupational therapy
• Jen's new book: Bored: Why human beings need to have something to do every day (and what happens if they don’t)

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 well as supporting occupational therapists themselves.  In 2006 she established OT Coach which acknowledges the benefits of using coaching within OT practice and the great things that happen when OTs themselves are coached. Coaching creativity became a special interest for Jen as she is a life-long artist and also recognises the creativity intrinsic in OT practice and coaching itself. 

In 2017 the first book on occupational therapy and coaching was published; Enabling positive change – coaching conversations in occupational therapy, with Jen as co-editor. She is also author of Coaching creativity – transforming your practice and Bored: Why we need something to do every day (and what happens if we don’t) due to be published May 2023.   She has recently started a podcast called Alchemical Health with her brother, which looks at sustainable, regenerative and creative health and care. As a life-long artist, Jen won “Sky Artist of the Year” in 2018.

Facebook: OT Coach

Website: OT Coach

Website: Jen Gash

We discuss:  

• Stephanie’s personal journey to discovering she was neurodivergent 
• Masking from a personal and professional lens 
• The harm caused by masking 
• How OTs can support neurodivergent people to be their true authentic selves 
• The benefits of parent coaching 
• What affirming practice looks like 
• How to look beyond ‘challenging behaviour’ 
• Spirituality and occupational therapy 
• And SO MUCH MORE! 

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 and she believes that it’s her lived experience that has really shaped who she is as a professional. Steph enjoys exploring spirituality and believes this is at the core of occupational therapy. 

We discuss: 

• puberty – what it is, when it starts and the biological, psychological and social components 
• delivering education to young people and parents 
• running puberty group programs – and how you can run your own 
• adopting a biopsychosocial approach 
• therapeutic use of self and sharing our own personal stories to build trust and connection 
• new occupations that are woven into a young person’s routines 
• period care products
• menstruation, masturbation and so much more!  

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 is the author of Piper Gets Her Period and Puberty Plus Handbook. 

Find Sarah here:

Website: Bloom Wellbeing

Facebook: Bloom Wellbeing

Instagram: Bloom Wellbeing

• mindbody medicine (and why OTs should be leading this movement)
• Tensegrity and Tensegrity Medicine (a methodology Kelly has developed)
• dialoging
• belief systems
• curiosity questioning
• assessments and therapy utilizing a holistic whole-person approach
• how to move beyond the biomedical model
• light touch
• therapeutic use of self
• lifestyle approaches....and so much MORE!

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 is not only on the physical issues which may present in disease and dysfunction, but also on the relationship of stress, cognitive belief patterns and emotions. Her focus is on utilizing the principles of tensegrity as a foundation for the evaluation of global structural patterns, along with the implementation of targeted light touch manual therapies, movement integration and dialoguing, as a means to create three dimensional balance of the whole person. 

Kelly’s primary goal is to empower her clients and students in learning and practicing a balanced lifestyle that not only supports health and well-being, but focuses on ‘a return to oneself’ and their soul’s true purpose.

You'll find Kelly here:

Website:  Kelly Clancy 

Facebook:  Kelly Clancy 

Instagram:  Kelly Clancy 

YouTube:  Kelly Clancy 

In this episode we explore:  

• how to put people ahead of policies 
• the biopsychosocial model of care 
• how to develop meaningful client relationships 
• empowering people to lead their own life 

We imagine a new paradigm of healthcare – one that is focused on what matters, not what counts.  

Learn more about Rafi here:

Website: Rafi Salazar

Facbook: Rehab U

Bridget Mathis is an experienced occupational therapist with over 10 years of expertise in stroke rehabilitation, geriatrics, education, and marketing strategies.  Bridget has worked for a university in Austin Texas as OT faculty and for an upper extremity robotic device company. She has also worked as a clinical OT within outpatient and home health settings with a focus on neurological conditions in older people.  

Bridget is employed by STISIM Drive as a consultant assisting with product development to align with OT best practice. Bridget's role is to develop the OT training program, collaborate with product development, and engage with STISIM Drive customers. Bridget has a passion for the integration of technology within the OT community to enhance patient engagement and outcomes.  

STIMSIM Drive are sponsoring the world premier of the film: Finding Me In OT at the AOTA Inspire 2023 Conference - Thursday April 20, 5.30pm. Bridget and I will be on the panel! I will be Zooming in from Australia. Looking forward to having your energy and excitement in the room with us!

P.S. - there are CEU points available for those who attend the screening! x

In this episode we discuss what occupational justice is, the importance of listening to people's narratives, why we need to move away from the biomedical model, how we can bridge the gap between what we know intellectually with the courage to take action, why occupational therapist's don't need to 'treat' people, why we need to align our language with our OT philosophy, how to lead boldly and share our Truth, why we need to detach from the ‘professional’ status and work in partnership with people, and how occupational therapists around the globe can ignite a vision for the future of OT.  

Emeritus Professor Whiteford Gail has had an insatiable curiosity for over three decades, learning and teaching on occupational justice and occupational deprivation. She has published extensively in the Journal of Occupational Science. Gail has served in clinical, managerial, research and consulting roles including for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Australia. Gail has given keynote addresses in 13 countries.  

She has held a number of senior academic, executive and conjoint appointments in Australia, New Zealand and Canada and served as Australia’s first Pro Vice Chancellor of Social Inclusion. Gail developed and led the World Federation of Occupational Therapists - Occupational Narratives Data Base project and the book: Doing Our Best: Individual and Community Responses to Challenging Times published by OT Australia. 

Meg cares deeply about person-affirming therapy and she hopes to springboard as many OTs and speech therapists as humanly possible into offering neurodiversity-affirming therapy with ease. Meg has worked in early intervention, schools, and clinics. She is a former faculty member of the TEACCH® Autism program, and she is the host of the Two Sides of the Spectrum Podcast, where she interviews autistic adults and other professionals striving to change therapy practice. 

Website: Learn Play Thrive

Podcast: Two Sides of the Spectrum

Instagram: @learnplaythrive

Facebook: Learn Play Thrive

Mick Collins worked for 12 years as an occupational therapist specialising in adult acute mental health services and in a psychological therapies team where he integrated the transpersonal into his clinical practice. He has worked as a University lecturer for 10 years and his research focused on themes such as spiritual crisis, transformative potential, spiritual renewal and how humanity can prepare itself to respond to the escalating ecological crisis. For the past four decades Mick has been devoted to a path of gradual soul retrieval, restoration and transformation. He is an author of 3 books: The Restorative Spirit, The Visionary Spirit and The Unselfish Spirit. 

Website: Mick Collins - Transformocene

Lucky we have a seasoned occupational therapy coach like Bronwyn Drysdale to walk us through it all. Bronwyn is an OT Coach who works in private practice in her own business; Mastery of Doing. Bronwyn also teaches OT Coaching to University students and convenes the Occupational Therapy Australia Coaching special interest group. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to coaching and she taught me so much in this conversation. Enjoy! x

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Bronwyn on-

Facebook: Mastery of Doing

Website: Mastery of Doing

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Janelle on-

Instagram: @thewildorangetree

Facebook: The Wild Orange Tree

Website: The Wild Orange Tree

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube

Connect with Sarah on-

Instagram: @empoweredspace

Facebook: Empowered Space

Website: Empowered Space

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube

Connect with Crystel on-

Website: The Whole Child

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube

Connect with Rhaya on-

Instagram: @rhayalynnn

Facebook: Rhaya Lynn

Website: Rhaya Lynn

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube

Connect with Alexandra on-

Instagram: @thecenterfordiscovery

Facebook: The Center for Discovery

Website: The Center For Discovery

Kim eloquently explains what trauma is, the evidence for OT as a trauma intervention, her top 3 practical strategies when working with clients with a trauma history and why an individual would see an OT as opposed to another type of therapist. She also dives into her favourite topic: 'relationship as a healing force'; what this exactly means and what we can do. Kim is a firm believer that 'the only person you can change is yourself'. We crack this one open, as I was curious..... if the only person we can change is ourself, how do we help our clients create change?

I left the zoom call thinking, 'how bloody good is our job?'. I know you will absolutely love this one. xx

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Kim on-

Facebook: Kim Barthel

Website: Kim Barthel

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Laura on-

Instagram: @lauraparkfig

Website: Mind Your OT Business

P.S Lifestyle Optimisation forms a massive part of OT Lifestyle Coaching. If you want to learn more about OT Lifestyle Coaching you can download the FREE ebook at http://otlifestylemovement.com

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Ana on-

Instagram: @holisticliferocks

Facebook: Holistic Solutions

Website: Holistic Solutions

To find out more about OT Lifestyle Coaching head to http://otlifestylemovement.com/ for a copy of the FREE eBOOK!

If you’d prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Emmy on-

Instagram: @holisticot

Facebook: Holistic Occupational Therapy

Website: Holistic OT

Brock is a Lecturer at James Cook University in Australia. He’s an experienced clinician with a background in mental health, sensory integration, health promotion and employee wellness.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

If you'd prefer to watch the interview you can check it out on YouTube.

Connect with Brock on-

Instagram: @occupiedpodcast

Facebook: Occupied Podcast

Website: Brock Cook

Rhiannon