A New Normal
by Nikki Thompson, Executive Director
In 2016 I was interviewed on BBC radio 2 to discuss the perpetual challenge that Occupational Therapists face in helping the wider community understand what we do and why we do it.
The fact that mainstream radio dedicated prime air-time to the topic highlights how unknown and misunderstood our profession is to the wider, non OT related world.
The diversity of our profession is one of our strengths, but it also compounds the enduring challenge that exists to find that accessible sentence or words to capture the essence of Occupational Therapy.
As an independent practice, we have always pledged to be ambassadors for the profession, to raise it’s profile and champion the value we bring.
One of the ways we try to bring our profession to life for clients and referrers is to explain that part of the role of an OT is to help clients to find their ‘New Normal’, to find a way forwards from what can be a challenging and daunting situation. An OT is uniquely skilled to help a client acclimatise to the present and have the confidence and hope to be able to lift their eyes to the future again.
We all need to have some form of normality and familiarity in our daily lives, when this is altered due to a diagnosis, illness, traumatic event or the ageing process, an occupational therapist is a vital component to helping the client restore this equilibrium.
Through our clinical practice, we are fortunate enough to be part of these journeys on a daily basis and wanted to capture what OT means to those we work with and for. We asked 3 of our clients if they would be willing to speak on camera and share their individual experiences and thoughts on Occupational Therapy. Through sharing their stories, they naturally capture the essence of a profession that we all struggle to articulate as they explain how working with an occupational therapist has helped them achieve their ‘New Normal’.
You may also be interested in: BBC Radio 2 interview
