OT ~ What's your focus? – Details, episodes & analysis

One word describes the wonderful 'grassroots' enterprise Weekday Wow Factor and that's inspirational! During this episode, I chat with Pasna Sallis about her pursuit of a holistic, accessible, person-centered OT enterprise within the third sector, and how she has developed her daytime disco from the ground up. This episode is packed full of Pasna's wonderful stories working with people, with her drive and passion to reduce isolation being evident from the start.  If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on!  You can also get in touch in the following ways: Follow me on Twitter @farrah_money Instagram - OT_whatsyourfocus  Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com Recommendations  Reflections on Doing, Being, and Becoming - Ann Allart Wilcock (1998) information on finding the article is below:  Wilcock AA. Reflections on Doing, Being and Becoming. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 1998;65(5):248-256. doi:10.1177/000841749806500501 Elizabeth Townsend -  Townsend E. Occupational Therapy’s Social Vision. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. 1993;60(4):174-184. doi:10.1177/000841749306000403 There is also an episode here on OT what's your focus with Elizabeth so do try to check that out if you haven't already! 

Today's guest is Kim Griffin a sensory expert from Australia based in London. Kim graduated as an occupational therapist over 20 years ago and has worked for many of those years in paediatrics. We discuss a vast range of areas from ASI through to frameworks and outcome measures. If you are keen to know more about sensory integration and the area of sensory work as an occupational therapist or student then this episode will certainly offer that! Kims recommendations include:   Podcast by Dr Chatterjee with guest Dr. Judson Brewer who is a Psychiatrist and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Medicine at the University of Massachusett who discuss anxiety & addiction. Available on the following link:  https://drchatterjee.com/coronavirus-special-how-to-manage-anxiety-in-the-face-of-a-global-pandemic/  Link to Kim's website page on sensory diets and processing and Twitter links -  https://www.griffinot.com/sensory-strategies-sensory-diets-sensory-processing-sensory-integration/  Twitter: @Griffin_OT  Website: Griffinot.com  If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on!  You can also get in touch in the following ways: Follow me on Twitter @farrah_money Instagram - OT_whatsyourfocus  Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

In today's episode, we talk about a range of topics from practice educators (PE's) to upper limb exercises and sock aids! I hope you have all been keeping safe and well and are enjoying the mini-series. I can't quite believe I only have one week of my placement left and one final episode, I have left the link below for those of you that would like to look up the foam block hand excercises. As always you are more than welcome to get in touch with me. 

If you enjoy this podcast then please do share with a friend or colleague who you feel may benefit from listening. You can also subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! You can also get in touch in the following ways - Follow me on

Twitter @farrah_money

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Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

Foam block hand exercises - https://www.fvfiles.com/521997.pdf 

Hi all, happy Saturday! I hope you are all keeping safe and well. Welcome to episode 2 of 4 in this new mini-series charting my current placement within adult neuro. Things covered this week include:

• Time management 
• Covid vaccination
• Sleep 
• What I've been up to
• Questions 

If you enjoy this podcast then please do share with a friend or colleague who you feel may benefit from listening. You can also subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! You can also get in touch the following ways - Follow me on

Twitter @farrah_money

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Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

Hello all, here is the first of four episodes created to form part of a mini-series charting my placement with adult neuro. I hope you find it useful in some way and can share with others too if you think that helps. As this is the first in the series there is still time for you to get any questions you might have to me to record for the final episode. I have had a few since recording this so will try to incorporate as many as possible. Have a great couple of weeks, speak to you soon!

If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! You can also get in touch the following ways - Follow me on

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Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

What a complete pleasure this chat with Eric was today! We cover so much about Occupational Therapy in Ghana. Eric is part of the first batch of qualified Occupational therapists in Ghana as the country have only been offering the OT programme since 2012. We cover so much in this episode from the profession being new, to some challenges this would undoubtedly cause, mentorship, research, a brand new "seedling model" hopefully to be published soon as well as how Covid-19 is impacting the profession and Erics role. 

Erics Recommendations: 

Erics published work discussed on the show titled: Exploring the factors that affect new graduates’ transition from students to health professionals: a systematic integrative review protocol 

Available at: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/8/e033734.abstract 

Instagram: Occupational therapy Ghana 

Twitter: otag_ghana

Website: OTghana.org 

If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! You can also get in touch the following ways - Follow me on

Twitter @farrah_money

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Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

Welcome to episode 11 of OT What's your focus! Today's guest is Kelsey Reeves who is based in Georgia America. Kelsey earned a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Augusta University. After graduating, she worked as a travel occupational therapist in a variety of settings all over the States. Kelsey now works in both acute care and inpatient rehab specializing in spinal cord and brain injuries. She has a special interest in cultural sensitivity and fostering inclusive environments for the LGBTQ+ community.  We cover so much in this episode today from appropriate pronouns to definitions of the acronym LGBTQIA+. As a student, such topics can feel daunting so I wanted to produce an episode surrounding this topic to hopefully help those who maybe feel they would like to know a little more or even add to what they do know. I hope you enjoy the episode :)  

Kelsey's recommendation:

Safezone project - A free online resource providing curricula, activities and other resources for sexuality, gender, available at -  https://thesafezoneproject.com  

My recommendation:

The death and life of Marsha P. Johnson (Netflix) Review from rotten tomatoes - "Offers a unique perspective on liberation for gender nonconforming individuals and is an imperative documentary for anyone looking to fully understand the origins and evolution of the LGBT movement."

If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! You can also get in touch the following ways - Follow me on

Twitter @farrah_money

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Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

Welcome to episode 10 of OT what's your focus? Today on the show we have  Kent occupational therapy which is a local business in Kent (England) that offers a unique and bespoke OT service. Set up by Sophie Jopling and Sarah Mousley who both worked as senior occupational therapists within the NHS in this episode we cover their background, who works in the team, and their amazing multi-sensory reminiscence activity book. How did they come up with their various themes for the book? How was the jump from NHS to private practice? Is the sensory approach something that is missed in older person care? Find out the answer to all these plus so many more questions! If you would like to check out Sarah & Sophie's website then you can go to kentot.co.uk I hope you enjoy the show.

Sarah & Sophie's recommendation: The Multi-Sensory Reminiscence Activity Book: 52 Weekly Group Session Plans for Working with Older Adults 

If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! You can also get in touch the following ways - Follow me on 

Twitter @farrah_money

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Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

Today was a very special episode for me as I had the absolute privilege to interview Dr Elizabeth Townsend, I also had the pleasure of having Dr Juman Simaan co-host the show with me so it was a win/win!  Dr Elizabeth Townsend is an occupational therapist adult educator and occupational scientist, who started her career in rural Uganda, East Africa after graduation in 1967 from the University of Toronto. On returning to Canada, she worked in rehabilitation, home care, and community mental health settings in Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. In the realm of education, Liz has a background that spans almost 35 years of program and curriculum design, program implementation and program evaluation in adult community mental health services in Prince Edward Island and higher education at Dalhousie University. Together Liz, Juman and I  will discuss a variety of topics including terminology surrounding the concepts of occupational justice, occupational injustice, and occupational rights which address systemic social exclusion, deprivation and other marginalizing social practices. We consider how OT’s can work for Justice including how this can be achieved using the Participatory occupational justice framework. We find out just how did Liz cross paths with Ann Wilcock, which then led on to the creation of occupational justice. 

Liz's recommendations  Netflix documentary - There's something in the water (2019) This documentary spotlights the struggle of minority communities in Nova Scotia as they fight officials over the lethal effects of industrial waste. 

Wilcock, A. A. (1998)-  ‘Reflections on Doing, Being and Becoming’, Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(5), pp. 248–256. DOI: 10.1177/000841749806500501. Ana Malfitano - Social Occupational Therapy (book) due out November 2020 full of examples of working with the 'social'.

If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe! You can also get in touch the following ways - Follow me on Twitter @farrah_money Instagram - OT_whatsyourfocus Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com

What a pleasure it was to get together with three of my fellow students today. After months of being locked down and unable to 'see' each other in person via video call, today was a great opportunity for some contact! Today we discuss what bought the four of us to OT as a profession and say whether or not we had considered other options. There is talk around the length of the current degree, we consider is 3 years to short/long or just right! We bravely attempt to describe OT as a profession in a sentence or two and say how we feel Covid-19 has impacted the profession from our own perspectives. 

Tutu's recommendation - Michelle Obama biography 'Becoming'

Ianthes recommendation - Podcast @Seniors Flourish@ with Mandy Chamberlain 

Sarahs Recommendation - Alison Lapper Biography 'My life in my hands' 

If you enjoy this podcast then please do subscribe! You can also get in touch the following ways -

Follow me on twitter @farrah_money

Instagram - OT_whatsyourfocus

Email:OTwhatsyourfocus@gmail.com