The Passion Occupational Therapy Podcast

🧠 Navigating Neuro OT: Imogen’s Journey, Client-Centered Care, and Creative Strategies

The Passion Occupational Therapy Podcast

Show Notes

In this episode of the Passion Occupational Therapy podcast, host Parish interviews Imogen, an occupational therapist and business owner. Imogen shares her journey into occupational therapy, discussing her challenges during university placements, her transition into private practice, and her passion for neuro rehabilitation. She emphasizes the importance of client-centered care and creative strategies in therapy, particularly for clients with brain injuries. Imogen also offers advice for aspiring neuro OTs and highlights the significance of managing cognitive load in clients. The conversation concludes with Imogen discussing her new business, Occupationally Neuro, and her commitment to empowering clients through meaningful activities.

Takeaways

Imogen transitioned to private practice to align her work with her values.

Many students struggle to find suitable placements in occupational therapy.

Practical experience is crucial for realizing one's fit in occupational therapy.

Creative strategies in therapy can enhance client engagement and outcomes.

Cognitive load management is essential for clients with brain injuries.

Client-centered care is at the heart of effective occupational therapy.

Imogen emphasizes the importance of meaningful activities in therapy.

Networking and seeking mentorship can help new OTs navigate their careers.

Functional cognition is a growing area of interest in occupational therapy.

Imogen is developing resources to support professional development in functional cognition.

✨ Sign up for our newsletter here

✨ Access your free reflection document here

More from The Passion Occupational Therapy Podcast

Nov 9, 2025

In this episode of the Passion Occupational Therapy Podcast, Parish sits down with Chris Antartis from Rebel Recruitment, a specialist in allied health recruitment across Australia.

Oct 26, 2025

When Storm Menzies broke her dominant hand, she quickly discovered just how inaccessible the beauty world can be. That moment sparked an idea and eventually, ByStorm, a brand reimagining beauty tools through an inclusive and adaptive lens. In this episode, we dive into Storm’s inspiring journey from a background in health sciences to becoming a founder and innovator. She opens up about the challenges of designing adaptive beauty tools, the stigma surrounding assistive products, and her mission to make inclusivity the norm, not the niche. We also explore how occupational therapists can play a powerful role in shaping accessibility, not just in clinical settings, but in industries like beauty, design, and product development.

Aug 31, 2025

Ever had a client ask, ā€œWhy are we doing this?ā€ and you froze? Or maybe your supervisor challenged a recommendation, and you stumbled over your explanation? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m diving deep into what clinical reasoning really is, why so many struggle with it, and how to build the confidence to explain your decisions with clarity and conviction. We’ll unpack: Why clinical reasoning feels so hard (and what it’s NOT).

Aug 10, 2025

For over two years, I’ve been living through a journey I never expected, one that has tested me mentally, emotionally, and physically, and transformed my life in ways I’m still processing.

Jul 27, 2025

🧠 Episode Summary: In this episode, Parish is joined by Justin from WheelieWorx as they bust common myths about wheelchairs, from the idea that ā€œall wheelchairs are basically the sameā€ to whether power assist makes users ā€œlazy.ā€ Together, they explore the clinical, functional, and human elements of wheelchair prescription, and how important it is for OTs to develop genuine confidence and clarity in their clinical reasoning. You’ll hear real talk from two OTs with different perspectives and lived experience in the wheelchair space, and why it’s so important we move away from the ā€œtick-a-boxā€ approach to scripting.

See all episodes →