OT Coaching Confidential

In this final episode of OT Coaching Confidential Season 5, I’m joined by Rochelle, an experienced paediatric occupational therapist who has recently taken a significant next step in her business journey. After years of building a strong trauma-informed paediatric caseload as a sole trader, Rochelle has just transitioned into company structure and brought on her first employee. What sounds exciting on paper also brings a very real shift in identity, workload, and responsibility. Alongside holding her own long-term caseload of children and families with complex trauma backgrounds, Rochelle is now navigating onboarding, supervision, service agreements, business systems, payroll, and the invisible emotional load of becoming the person responsible for both clients and another therapist. This conversation explores what happens in those first few weeks after your first hire, when your clinical work remains full but the business suddenly demands a whole new layer of leadership and structure. We explore: Transitioning from Sole Trader to Company Structure Onboarding and Supervising a First Therapist Building a Caseload Intentionally Rather Than Reactively The Emotional Load of Trauma-Informed Paediatric Practic Boundaries Around Phone Calls, Emails, and Crisis Communicatio Balancing Client Care with Business Sustainabilit Planning Systems for Future Growth Including Clinic and Admin Support Key takeaways: Your First Hire Changes Your Role as Much as Your Business Supervision Needs Clear Structure and Intentional Tapering Responsive Care Does Not Mean Being Constantly Available Boundaries Protect Both Clinician Wellbeing and Service Quality Sustainable Growth Requires Systems Before Expansion Mentioned in this episode: The Master Timetable / Paper Planning Tool The OT Coach Business Hub Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia. Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like support through supervision, business mentoring, or reflective practice, visit www.theotcoach.au  to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce is joined by Sophia, an experienced occupational therapist who is navigating early private practice while holding the weight of past system reform, identity shifts, and changing personal priorities. With over a decade of experience across government disability services, hospitals, schools, and child development teams, Sophia reflects on how previous large-scale funding changes continue to shape her response to uncertainty today and how those experiences have also deeply strengthened her clinical reasoning and adaptability. Now running a small private practice alongside motherhood, she shares openly about reclaiming joy and creativity in her work, redefining professional success, and building a service that aligns with her values rather than external expectations. We explore Living at a point of clinical mastery and why familiarity can feel unsettling The emotional imprint of past system reform and how it resurfaces during current NDIS uncertainty Identity shifts as OT becomes part of life rather than the whole of it Neurodiversity-affirming, relational, and nervous-system-informed practice Transitioning from government services into values-based private practice Navigating Medicare, NDIS, and private funding without shrinking clinical ambition Contracting, intentionality, and clarity in parent-focused work Holding space, slowing down, and trusting professional judgement Building sustainability without pressure to grow faster than feels right Key takeaways Feeling unsettled at a point of competence is often a sign of growth, not failure You don’t need to know everything before stepping into private practice Intentional contracting supports confidence, boundaries, and clinical clarity Presence and relationship are powerful therapeutic tools Success in private practice can be defined by alignment, flexibility, and values not just income or growth Mentioned in this episode Alyce’s Caregiver Capacity Framework The Therapy Conversation Planning Tool Contracting and intentionality in therapy delivery Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia. Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like support through supervision, reflective practice, or business mentoring, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.  

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce sits down with Mary, an occupational therapist running her own private practice across several rural towns. After stabilising her caseload and building systems that support sustainable rural service delivery, Mary finds herself asking a new question. Not how to build a practice, but how she can best serve her community beyond individual therapy sessions. Working in regional areas often means therapists see the gaps in services very clearly. Schools needing support, education assistants feeling overwhelmed, and limited access to professional development and therapy services. Mary shares how she is beginning to explore new ways to contribute to her community, including developing educator workshops that support school staff to better understand regulation, behaviour, and practical strategies for supporting students. We also explore the role rural therapists can play in growing the future workforce, including hosting student placements and increasing awareness of rural practice opportunities. This conversation reflects a common shift many therapists experience after building a stable service. Once the day-to-day clinical work is running well, new possibilities begin to emerge around education, mentoring, and community support. We explore: Moving from building a private practice to expanding community impact Supporting educators and school staff through workshops and training The realities and opportunities of rural occupational therapy practice Hosting student placements and strengthening the future workforce Recognising the expertise that comes from building a service independently Key takeaways Building a sustainable clinical caseload often creates space to explore broader community initiatives. Supporting the adults around the child can have a powerful impact on outcomes for children. Rural therapists often hold valuable knowledge about community needs that can inform education and training programs. Student placements can play an important role in increasing awareness of rural practice and strengthening local services. Therapists working independently may underestimate the expertise they have developed through building and sustaining a service. Mentioned in this episode: Educator workshops and school-based training Student placements in rural communities Master timetable and structured scheduling approaches for rural practice Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia. Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like support through supervision, business mentoring, or reflective practice, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce is joined by Ruby, an experienced occupational therapist working across a broad regional caseload while building her sole trader business alongside part-time hospital work. Ten years into her OT career and around 18 months into self-employment, Ruby reflects on what it has been like to grow quickly without a clear structure to hold the work. With paediatrics, driving assessments, NDIS work, and support at home all sitting under one business, she finds herself overbooked, stretched thin, and carrying too many competing priorities at once. Together, Alyce and Ruby unpack how overwhelm can emerge when growth outpaces planning. Rather than framing this as burnout, the conversation focuses on workload volume, blurred boundaries, extensive travel, and the absence of a clear plan for how different types of work fit together. This episode is a grounded, practical conversation for therapists who are established in private practice but feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of their caseload, unsure how to create clearer structure, and wanting to work in a way that feels more contained and sustainable. In this episode, we explore • The realities of regional practice and the impact of long travel days • Holding a mixed caseload and the cognitive load of constant context switching • How rapid growth can lead to overwhelm without clear systems • Treating reports, planning, and admin as protected clinical work • The tension between flexibility and sustainability in sole trader life • Making values-aligned decisions about scope, income streams, and capacity   Practical recommendations discussed: • Using a master timetable to group similar work and reduce cognitive load • Protecting non face to face time so reports and planning are not booked over • Planning leave and catch-up time intentionally using a yearly calendar • Narrowing clinical scope to improve sustainability • Completing a time and task audit before seeking admin support • Staying connected with peers or mentors to avoid holding decisions internally   Resources mentioned: • Getting the Admin Support You Actually Need – a workshop focused on clarifying support needs before outsourcing admin Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia. Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like support through supervision, business mentoring, or reflective practice, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce sits down with Elsa, an experienced occupational therapist with over 15 years across hospital, community, leadership, and NDIS practice. Elsa shares her journey from working within structured hospital systems overseas, into community-based roles in Australia, followed by leadership and management positions, and more recently stepping into solo private practice. With a strong background in adult services, equipment prescription, and home modifications, she reflects on how her clinical experience has shaped the way she approaches private work with clarity, boundaries, and realistic expectations. This conversation explores what it looks like to start private practice later in your career, not from urgency or pressure, but with intention and self-awareness. Elsa speaks openly about cognitive load, scope clarity, admin overwhelm, and the importance of building systems that support both the clients and the therapist behind the service.  We explore • Long-term career evolution and changing professional priorities • Starting private practice after years of clinical and leadership experience • Choosing clinical work that aligns with strengths and energy • Managing cognitive load, admin, and decision fatigue • Using a master timetable to support capacity and decision making • Planning time, PD, and rest as part of sustainable practice  Key takeaways • Starting private practice later allows for clearer scope and stronger boundaries • Clinical experience supports more confident and ethical decision making • Cognitive load increases quickly in solo practice without intentional structure • A master timetable can significantly reduce mental load • Good intentions need systems to be sustainable   Resources mentioned in this episode Master timetable Sensational Start to Private Practice Getting the Admin Support You Actually Need Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia. Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like support through supervision, business mentoring, or reflective practice, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce Svensk shares a real mentoring conversation with Kane - a thoughtful OT who has transitioned from paediatric clinical work into supervision and management. Together, they unpack what it looks like to support early-career therapists, hold professional boundaries, and navigate the realities of leadership in private practice. Kane reflects on finding balance between helping and over-helping, how to manage reports and proofing while still seeing clients, and the art of having tricky conversations with clarity and care. This conversation explores the real learning curve of supervision. How to lead with purpose, support growth without losing yourself in the process, and keep your work grounded in empathy and reflection. You’ll Hear About • The shift from clinician to supervisor and manager • Supporting early-career therapists without over-helping • Contracting clearly with supervisees and families • Balancing caseloads, reports, and leadership responsibilities • Building confidence for difficult conversations • Using the Caregiver Capacity Scale to adapt therapy to fit each family’s capacity Key Takeaways Supervision isn’t about having every answer it’s about creating space for reflection, learning, and growth. Boundaries and clarity are essential for sustainable leadership. Frameworks like contracting, structured feedback, and the Caregiver Capacity Scale help therapists tailor support that fits both clients and teams. Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like to work with Alyce Svensk through mentoring, supervision, or professional development, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you. To express interest in being featured on a future episode of OT Coaching Confidential, apply at www.theotcoach.au/podcast-1.

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce Svensk shares a real mentoring conversation with Hazel a mature-age early career OT who brings deep lived experience, clarity, and care to her sole trader practice. Together, they unpack how her journey into OT was shaped by 18 years of parenting and caregiving, how she built strong systems to support her growth when supervision was limited, and why she’s now prioritising sustainability over scale. Hazel has developed a small, structured service that works for her family and honours the kind of therapist she wants to be. This is a reflective and reassuring episode for any OT wondering if it’s possible to grow your practice slowly, intentionally, and without burning out. You’ll Hear About • Returning to OT as a mature-age student with a long-held professional goal • Navigating early roles with supervision gaps and building your own systems • Designing a part-time, term-based practice that protects energy • Reframing supervision and parent coaching to reflect your own style • Using structure and boundaries as tools for growth not limitation   Key Takeaways Sustainable practice isn’t second-best it’s often the most intentional form of success. You can grow clinical confidence without rushing and your values can lead the way. Mentioned in this Episode ✔ The Art of Paediatric Therapy – for paeds clinical confidence and structured planning ✔ The OT Coach Academy – Paediatric Hub – for weekly support and practical resources ✔ Sensational Start to Private Practice – for finances, systems, and service foundations ✔ Caregiver Capacity Scale – to reflect and communicate around family engagement ✔ Paper-based timetables, bounce-back emails, and realistic admin planning strategies Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia Supporting occupational therapists and 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’d like to work with Alyce Svensk through mentoring, supervision, or professional development, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you. To express interest in being featured on a future episode of OT Coaching Confidential, apply at www.theotcoach.au/podcast-1 

In this episode, we chat with Nikki an early career OT who’s navigating her first year in practice with confidence, reflection and a clear sense of direction. After entering the profession with previous experience in the disability sector, Nikki began working as a contractor before moving into sole trader work offering a well-defined service. Now, she’s intentionally seeking an employed role that offers strong supervision and collaborative learning – building both roles side-by-side to grow her skills in a sustainable way. We explore: The realities of stepping into private work earlier than planned What to look for in supervision and team culture Navigating confidence, capability and scope in the first year Building referral networks and professional visibility The balance between autonomy and ongoing learning This is a thoughtful and grounded conversation about early practice, professional identity, and choosing growth with intention. Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia Alyce Svensk is an experienced paediatric occupational therapist, business mentor and founder of The OT Coach Australia. She supports therapists at all stages of their career whether you're just starting out, building a business or redefining your next chapter. Through The OT Coach Australia, Alyce offers career mentoring, business Solutions Sessions, and ongoing support through clinical supervision, business mentoring and sole trader guidance. Need support with your next step in practice or business? Explore your options at www.theotcoach.au

In this episode, we meet Michelle, a regional paediatric OT who transitioned from burnout in a large organisation to building her own therapy service. We explore the early years of business setup without clear mentorship, and the challenges of managing a long-term stagnant caseload while juggling a full-time mobile therapy load and motherhood. Together, we unpack strategies for sustainable practice: Shifting to term-based therapy planning Using contracting conversations with families to define what therapy is and isn’t Introducing goal-specific caseload mapping (top-down, bottom-up, holding space) Building in protected non-face-to-face time and defining when and why we do the extra Identifying whether admin should be outsourced or simply restructured Michelle reflects on her goals for the next chapter and what she’d do differently if she were starting again. Resources mentioned throughout: Master timetable   Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia. Alyce Svensk is an experienced paediatric occupational therapist, business mentor and founder of The OT Coach Australia. She supports therapists at all stages of their career whether you're just starting out, building a business or redefining your next chapter. Need support with your next step in practice or business? Explore your options at www.theotcoach.au

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, I chat with Claudia, an Occupational Therapist whose journey into OT began later in life and has taken some fascinating turns. From setting out to be a brilliant clinician, Claudia found herself unexpectedly drawn into the business support space - building a service designed to help solo OTs streamline their non-clinical tasks and free up their time to focus on therapy. We explore: The reality of working as a solo OT and how the “$193/hour” perception doesn't reflect the hidden workload Claudia’s shift from doing everything herself to hiring admin staff and creating scalable systems Her deep interest in mental health and psychosocial OT, and the importance of supervision and training when shifting scopes The evolving nature of the NDIS and the impact of recent changes on service delivery and therapist sustainability How Claudia’s business was born out of the exact admin frustrations she sought to escape and how she’s now helping others reclaim their time Thoughts on innovation, rural/remote access, and why “just keep turning up” has become her guiding mantra  Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia Alyce Svensk is an experienced paediatric occupational therapist, business mentor and founder of The OT Coach Australia. She supports therapists at all stages of their career - whether you're just starting out, building a business or redefining your next chapter. Through The OT Coach Australia, Alyce offers career mentoring, business Solutions Sessions, and ongoing support through clinical supervision, business mentoring and sole trader guidance. Need support with your next step in practice or business? Explore your options at www.theotcoach.au

In this episode, we chat with Jamie - a regional paediatric OT who’s blending community therapy with the launch of a sensory-friendly café. Jamie shares her unique career journey. From early roles in aged care and burns to leading services across rural and remote settings. Now running her own business, she reflects on the challenges of working solo in a large region, the realities of clinical burnout, and how she’s building a new model of service delivery rooted in flexibility, family values and neurodiversity-affirming practice. We explore: Starting over in a new region The headspace required to run both a clinic and a café Balancing solo work, motherhood and executive function Using AI tools with caution and intention in clinical practice Reframing creativity and rest for business owners This is an honest and insightful conversation about burnout, boundaries and bringing new ideas to life. Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia Alyce Svensk is an experienced paediatric occupational therapist, business mentor and founder of The OT Coach Australia. She supports therapists at all stages of their career - whether you're just starting out, building a business or redefining your next chapter. Through The OT Coach Australia, Alyce offers career mentoring, business Solutions Sessions, and ongoing support through clinical supervision, business mentoring and sole trader guidance. Need support with your next step in practice or business? Explore your options at www.theotcoach.au

Summary For the final episode of Season 2, I’m joined by Isabelle and Paige. Co-founders of a paediatric OT service built on shared values, strong team culture, and thoughtful, reflective leadership. We explore the realities of growing a team, supporting clinicians across sites, and navigating change. Including how they’re preparing for one founder to relocate while maintaining connection and cohesion. We also cover practical tools and strategies including: Zoom-based supervision with transcript summaries Structuring sustainable workloads for new graduates Creating space for supervision to feel meaningful (not rushed!) Planning future clinic expansion without overcommitting Using ChatGPT for service planning and content ideas This is a beautiful, grounded conversation for any therapist reflecting on leadership, growth, or staying aligned with their “why.” If you’ve loved this season and would like to be a guest on a future episode of OT Coaching Confidential, I’d love to hear from you.  Register your interest OTCC Podcast EOI Hosted by: Alyce Svensk The OT Coach Australia www.theotcoach.au

Summary In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, I sit down with Taylor, an Occupational Therapist who has moved through hospital rotations, mental health, and now community-based NDIS work. She’s built strong clinical confidence - but is now planning how to run her own business! Taylor shares her reflections on navigating time pressures, unclear expectations around billables, and the early stages of considering what working for herself might look like. Together, we explore: What it feels like to be confident clinically but still unsure of your direction. Managing time and ensuring you are billing effectively across a mixed caseload. How sole trading is often the next step for building a professional practice that aligns with your professional values.  Why reflecting on what doesn’t work can help shape what comes next. This thoughtful, real conversation is for any therapist who’s built something solid—but is starting to wonder what comes after “getting good at the job.” Resources:  We didn't speak about this during the pod - but Verve OT Learning has a great workshop about billable time Navigating Billable Time & the NDIS Spreadsheet  Hosted by: Alyce Svensk The OT Coach Australia www.theotcoach.au