My Journey to becoming an Occupational Therapist.

As Clinical Director of The Rehab Team, I thought it was time to say hello and show my face. Not easy for a middle aged woman with specs and wrinkles.

I'm Nicola Lawson (previously known as Nicola Harker and then Nicky Barker to my old work colleagues in the North East). After working as an Occupational Therapy assistant for a couple of years, I qualified as an Occupational Therapist (OT) in 1997 (my dream since I was 14 years old). I served my time doing clinical rotations at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, Darlington Memorial Hospital and James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough before taking on a management position at Burton Hospitals NHS Trust. I specialised in Trauma and Orthopaedic injuries, taking a particular interest in burns and hand rehabilitation. Basically, I just loved making splints!

After almost 20 years of working in the NHS, I had become burnt out and disillusioned with my profession. I felt undervalued and had lost my way, focusing more on hospital discharges than patient care and rehabilitation. It was time for a change!

I left the NHS in 2012 and started working as a case manager for Unite Professionals, before concentrating on private OT and working as an expert witness for Somek & Associates. I have never looked back! Working in private practice has enabled me to work flexibly, enabling me to be there when my family needed me most. I have gained so much more knowledge and experience and seen the positive changes that OT's make to peoples lives. I fell in love with OT all over again!

At the beginning of 2022, I decided to set up The Rehab Team. My aim is to promote the core values of occupational therapy and through the use of meaningful activities and therapeutic modalities, I believe we can enable individuals to maximise their independence, and hopefully improve their quality of life. To do this we need experienced and enthusiastic occupational therapists to work along side a team of rehabilitation assistants.

I would love to hear from anyone who wishes to join The Rehab Team and work with me at establishing different ways of providing community rehabilitation. Please feel free to get in touch (info@therehabteam.co.uk) and see how we can work together to make a difference.