Coach

Post Traumatic Growth

Post Traumatic Growth Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) is the positive change that can happen in the wake of a traumatic event – the positive psychological change that comes as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances.  This idea fits well with the work that many OTs are involved in – doesn’t it. We work with people who have their occupational lives challenged by many situations disability, injury, disease as well as isolation, marginalisation and displacement (and we…

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There’s more to coaching than solving, sorting and making plans

I know that many of you, if not most of you, are working as OTs in fairly understandable ways and the “barriers” to occupation you deal with maybe  1) physical or environmental, solved or improved with equipment, physical rehabilitation or care support 2) psychological/ cognitive/ sensory, which can be improved with a range of brilliant occupation focused interventions.  However, something which increasingly perplexes me on a personal and professional level are those “barriers” which seem somewhat intangible and lack a…

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Helen Barnes

Helen Barnes – Coach and Occupational Therapist

Helen is a skilled and compassionate coach, coach supervisor and occupational therapist. Her experience has been rich and varied, working with a diverse range of clients in the NHS, public, voluntary and corporate sectors.  She has a deep curiosity and intuition about people and believes that a client’s narrative is the best way of getting to know them; where they are in the context of their lives and where they might be thinking about going. For many years Helen’s professional…

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Understanding our occupational selves: coaching and OT

Understanding our occupational selves: coaching and OT

I often write about how coaching helps us tackle barriers to occupation, be they lack of confidence or self-belief, the lack of a congruent, desirable action plan or the need to un-earth perhaps unconscious drives/desires which scupper our well-intentioned plans. However, I am often still asked “is this occupational therapy?” or “am I being an OT if I coach?” or “if a client figures it all out through coaching, why do they need me?” Of course, these are all complex…

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Kevin

Time to change our professions narrative – lets have a new story

One of my jobs as a coach is to help people spot their long standing, personal narratives and work to change the often unhelpful stories we tell about ourselves and hopefully create new ones. However, on this occasion,  I am talking about the narrative our beloved profession of occupational therapy. From the first day I stepped into OT colleges in the mid 1990’s, I heard it.  I’ve heard it for the last 25 years and I heard it when working…

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Cowboys of OT

Cowboys of OT

This short musing was inspired by Bob Garvey who wrote a paper on the “Cowboys of Coaching” a few years back and it prompted me to consider what might mean in relation to OT. Having spent the last 10 years working, not only independently, but also in a “new” area of practice  and one that is not regulated (coaching), I often wonder if I might be considered a bit of a Cowboy…. Whilst I maintain my HCPC registration (worked hard…

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The Gifts of Being Your Own OT

The Gifts of Being Your Own OT

  Why becoming your own OT could be the best thing you ever do for yourself (and if you can’t do this alone, perhaps work with an OT who can help you – yes I do mean hire an OT for yourself – you don’t need to have an illness or disability to benefit from the OT approach.) Go on, grab an assessment from work and do it on yourself!  It might be MOHO  or perhaps PEO or COPM…or draw…

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Noticing your own process as a coach (and an OT)

Noticing your own process as a coach (and an OT)

  I have had a growing awareness lately of the differences between my health mentor and my long standing coach. I sought a “new” approach regarding my health and well-being, not because my existing coach wasn’t sufficiently skilled to tackle this, but because I have long respected the position and stance of this particular health mentor and, as with most of my decisions, it just felt the right thing to do! What I have started to appreciate is the very…

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