Season 6 Episode 4: Becoming the OT You Already Are: Finding Confidence, Language and Direction

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, I'm joined by Harry, an occupational therapist working in paediatrics while also holding a pastoral leadership role within his church community.

After taking seven years to complete his occupational therapy degree and spending much of his early adulthood mentoring young people, Harry reflects on the transition into professional practice and the challenge many early career therapists face: knowing they are helping clients, but not yet feeling confident explaining exactly why what they are doing works.

Two years into practice, Harry is beginning to recognise that many of the relational skills, instincts, and experiences he brings to therapy are not separate from occupational therapy, they are part of it. Together, we explore what happens when lived experience, therapeutic use of self, and professional frameworks start to come together, and how confidence often grows from learning the language behind work you are already doing well.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Bringing previous mentoring, youth work, and pastoral experiences into occupational therapy practice
• Understanding therapeutic use of self as a genuine clinical skill
• Clarifying intervention approaches and helping families understand why particular strategies are being chosen
• Moving beyond one-off supervision questions and towards intentional three-month therapy planning
• Identifying how you learn best and seeking supervision and professional development opportunities that align with your learning style
• Navigating uncertainty about future career pathways, including paediatrics, assistive technology, home modifications, and assessment-focused roles

Key takeaways

• Confidence often develops from recognising and naming skills you already possess
• Being naturally good at connecting with people is a valuable therapeutic skill, not simply a personality trait
• Supervision, training, and mentoring serve different purposes, and it is okay to ask directly for the support you need
• Intentional reflection and short-term planning can make complex caseloads feel more manageable
• You do not need to decide on your long-term career direction early in practice, curiosity and exploration are part of professional growth

Mentioned in this episode

• The Art of Paeds Training
• The Client Snapshot Tool

Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia.

Supporting allied health professionals to build confidence, clarity, and connection through mentoring, supervision, workshops, and The OT Coach Academy.

If this conversation resonated with you 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.

The OT Coach Australia. Where therapists come to grow.