Season 6 Episode 2: Finding Your Niche, Managing Burnout and Building Sustainable Practice as a Paediatric OT
This week I am joined by C, a paediatric OT working in a subcontracting role, and we talk about what happens when you love the clinical work but the systems around it are slowly wearing you down.
In this episode we discuss:
- Finding your clinical niche and why specialising can be a protective factor
- Moral burnout and the difference between caseload overwhelm and systems overwhelm
- Navigating anticipated NDIS changes with your existing clients
- Becoming the primary anchor for complex families and what to do about it
- The "extra extra" - above-and-beyond work that isn't contracted or contained
- Written communication load and how to manage it with a neurodivergent caseload
- Termly planning as an energy management tool
- Professional development pathways toward mental health OT endorsement
Key takeaways:
- Specialising aligns your PD, supervision, and clinical reasoning - it is protective, not limiting
- Moral burnout has a different source to caseload burnout - naming it matters
- A priority pyramid helps you define your role within a client's care team intentionally
- Responsiveness becomes a liability when it is the reason families value you
- A brief acknowledgement response is often enough - not every email needs a full reply
- Termly planning does not need explicit goals - it can be your own internal orientation for each family
- The OTA mental health OT training builds boundary frameworks, not just clinical content
Mentioned in this episode:
- Michelle Bihary - moral burnout: michellebiharyhealth.com
- OTA Mental Health Foundations training: otaus.com.au/cpd-and-events/cpd/mental-health-foundations
- Client Snapshot Tool: theotcoach.au/otcoachlibrary
If this episode resonated and you would like support through supervision, business mentoring, or reflective practice, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.
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