I first became aware of the role of an occupational therapist when my close friend developed sepsis and spent a period of time in hospital. She was in a critical condition for 5 weeks but has thankfully made a full recovery. When I went to visit her in hospital, she explained how important the occupational therapists were in her recovery and how they helped to rebuild her confidence. I realised I knew little about occupational therapy and decided to do some research. 

At the time, I was coming to the end of my psychology degree and was ensure about my next steps. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I might be well suited for the profession as I believe that everyone has the right to carry out activities that matter to them and I understand how critical these are for an individual’s sense of identity. I learnt that occupational therapists work in mental health settings to help individuals improve their wellbeing by facilitating engagement in occupations. I studied mental illnesses throughout my undergraduate degree, and I have always had an interest in working for mental health services. The thought of being able to apply some of my previous knowledge to a healthcare role excited me and occupational therapy felt like it could be a great fit. 

When I graduated, I decided to apply for occupational therapy assistant roles to get a better understanding of the profession. I got a job at a mental health rehabilitation hospital, where I worked for 10 months. I soon realised that occupational therapy is a diverse career that uses a range of skills to help people of all ages with physical and mental impairments in a variety of settings. I enjoyed interacting with service users and developing therapeutic relationships which allowed me to understand what was meaningful to them.

Occupational therapists explore ways to overcome the barriers to engagement to enable independence and assist recovery. I felt a sense of satisfaction and rewarded when I saw service users progress and achieve independence. Human beings have an innate need to engage in purposeful occupation and I quickly recognised how important this is for wellbeing. I thoroughly enjoyed my assistant role and occupational therapy felt like the perfect profession for me, so I applied for the master’s degree at the University of Derby. 

I am loving the course so far and I am so excited to graduate next year and start a meaningful career, helping people reach personal goals to achieve a better quality of life.