Experience and clinical insight shaped by what matters to each person

Natalie – Occupational Therapist

Natalie has been an Occupational Therapist for 25 years and brings a depth of experience grounded in working closely with people and their individual goals. “My favourite part of being an OT is working with people and seeing improvements with the things that really matter to them,” she says. For Natalie, occupational therapy is inherently collaborative, involving problem solving alongside clients and “using creativity to find the best solution.”

Upper limb therapy is a significant area of Natalie’s clinical practice. As she explains, “Upper limb therapy is therapy that focuses on what the shoulder, arm, wrist, hand, fingers and thumb all do to enable occupations that matter to the person.” Because upper limb function supports many aspects of everyday life and self-care, Natalie places strong emphasis on structured assessment and planning. “It’s important to set clear goals and also assess each part of the arm separately and as a whole,” she says.

Her approach to upper limb therapy draws on a range of evidence-informed strategies and structured practice methods. “Upper limb therapy uses lots of approaches for practice and ways to measure or ‘see’ the improvements as they happen,” Natalie explains. Observing and tracking change over time helps guide therapy and supports shared understanding of progress.

Reflecting on her clinical experience, Natalie recalls working with a young person whose goal was to bring their thumb into opposition with their fingers. She notes that although “the muscles were weak they could do it with lots of concentration.” Therapy focused on mirror box therapy and modified constraint-induced movement therapy, providing opportunities for repeated, purposeful practice. Over time, Natalie observed changes in how easily the movement could be performed and how the hand was being used during tasks.

For Natalie, what stands out most in upper limb therapy is the level of engagement people bring to the process. “What I find most enjoyable about upper limb therapy is how motivated people are to improve their arm and hand function,” she says. “Getting to work beside them as improvements take place is a privilege, and I learn a lot from each person I work with.”