Personal narrative My dream was to be an artist; however, this was seen by my family as indulgent and economically risky. So I became an occupational therapist, bringing with me…
Personal narrative Living and working in East London, in the UK, it is hard for me to ignore the influence of Walthamstow’s William Morris, the nineteenth-century social pioneer and founder…
Personal narrative Before I address the question of how occupational therapists got here, I will answer the question: how did I get here? What has influenced my knowledge and practice…
Personal narrative For many occupational therapists, on graduating and wanting to work within mental health services, we find ourselves working within a hospital-based, acute in-patient unit – a place where…
Personal narrative The journey to my current position has been rather tortoise like, just slow and steady. It began in the summer before my last year in high school with…
Personal narrative My work as an occupational therapist began when I was a student in York. I qualified in 1985 and then began practising in Edinburgh. Throughout my career I…
Personal narrative I am the professional head of occupational therapy at the South London and Maudsley Foundation National Health Service (NHS) Trust, responsible for professional advice to the occupational therapy…
Personal narrative It was Monday 10 December 1980, 5 days before my fourteenth birthday when I first experienced what I called a ‘fright night’. Often when my mother, stepfather, two…
Personal narratives As occupational therapists, we both have been involved in acute mental health practice for the majority of our professional careers. Our journeys have been very different, but we…
Personal narrative My entry into occupational therapy was completely serendipitous. I had left school at 17 years of age, having failed to achieve anything of academic significance. After 3 years…
