The Irish Occupational Therapy Podcast

• OT Meets Tech: Jessica Kennedy on empowering teachers online

  In this episode, Jen Trzeciak and Dr Áine O’Dea are joined by Jessica Kennedy, an innovative occupational therapist, entrepreneur, and businesswoman who has reshaped howtherapy can reach families, schools, and communities.Jessica’s career has taken her from working with children and young people in Australia and Ireland to founding My OT & Me. Building on this success, Jessica co-founded Gabadoo, apioneering telehealth service that provides timely, tailored occupational therapy and speech and language therapy consultations for parents and teachers. Through Gabadoo, Jessica and her team are reimagining how we support schools, teachers, and families by offering coaching, consultation, and practical, individualised strategies that can be implemented in real time. In this conversation, Jessica shares her journey into entrepreneurship, the evolution from hands-on home andschool-based practice to innovative telehealth models, and the lessons she’s learned along the way about participation, sustainability, and building capacity for those who support children every day. Join us as we explore how Jessica is using creativity, technology, and occupational therapy values to drive meaningful change in practice.Bringing therapy home: Exploring parents’ experiences of telehealth for children with developmental coordination disorderGabadoo - Access to Occupational Therapy & Speech Therapy within hourshttps://myotandme.com

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• Speak Up! Jill Martin on mental health, advocacy and changing the conversation

  In this episode, we’re joined by Jill Martin, a UK-based occupational therapist with a career spanning over three decades in mental health. From her early days in NHS psychiatry to delivering a powerful TEDx talk on the hidden magic of OT, Jill has been a passionate advocate for the profession and its unique role in supporting recovery.After experiencing burnout within the NHS, Jill retrained in coaching and psychology but soon returned to her OT roots, realising the depth, regulation, and holistic impact of occupational therapy was what people really needed. In 2020, alongside her business partner Nikki Green, she co-founded Purpose People, a thriving independent practice now home to a 30-strong team of OTs and OT assistants, supporting adults with mental health needs across London.In this conversation, Jill shares her journey of stepping outside the traditional boundaries of OT, the challenges and rewards of building a private practice, and the importance of standing tall as occupational therapists in a world that often overlooks our value. Her passion for community, creativity, and clinical integrity shines through, offering both inspiration and practical insights for OTs everywhere.Ted Talk - The hidden Magic of Occupational Therapy

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• Press Record: Jane Browne on the power of podcasting

  Today, we welcome Jane Brown from Jane Assists, who speaks about her journey from an emergency nurse to podcast production. Jane discusses the benefits of podcasting, highlighting how it supports clinicians in practiceby sharing information and knowledge with clients, as well as creating social media content. She shares how her services have helped to take the pain out of podcasting for busy health professionals or those who are nervous aboutstarting.  To find out more about Jane, check out the links below. ⁠https://janeassists.com/⁠

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• From Canada With Courage! Carlyn Neek's path to empowering others

  In today’s episode, we’re joined by the inspiring Carlyn Neek, an occupational therapist, coach, and host of The Brave OT Podcast. Carlyn is the founder of Balance Works, whereshe helps OTs and other helping professionals rediscover joy, purpose, and balance in their work and life. With over two decades of experience, she blends her clinical expertise with coaching strategies to support those who may be feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or burned out in their careers.In our conversation, Carlyn shares openly about her own brave step, thinking beyond the OT world and exploring how occupational therapy perspectives can reach the wider public. We dive into how OTs can own what we know, translate our professional wisdom into practical, meaningfulstrategies for everyday living, and start conversations about thriving without the hustle.Whether you’re an OT seeking inspiration in your own practice or simply curious about how occupational therapy thinking can transform wellbeing, this episode is full of encouragement and ideas. So grab a cup of tea and join us as we chat with Carlyn about bravery, balance, and bringing OT wisdom to the world.The Brave OT PodcastOT Personal & Professional Development Coach | Carlyn Neek | Balance Works | Home

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• Pages of Possibility: Sarah Gannon on Disability, Family and Writing Books

  In this episode of the Irish Occupational Therapy Podcast, we welcome Sarah Gannon Governey, a Senior Occupational Therapist. Sarah shares her journey of becoming an author. She has always been passionate about reducing ableism in the disability sector. Over seven years ago, her first child, Ciara, was born with a rare genetic condition called CHARGE syndrome. Sarah discusses her journey parenting a child with a disability and navigating health services. She describes the impact of dual sensory loss as Ciara is Deaf-Blind, and how in Ireland, dual sensory loss (deaf-blindness) is not currently recognised as a disability. More importantly, she tells us about the new books that she has just published with her daughter, Ciara. The book “Just See Me” is a beautifully engaging picture book that aims to promote inclusion and break down barriers to understanding disability. The book is available from all major bookstores. ⁠Just See Me ⁠The Anne Sullivan Centre for people who are deafblind⁠⁠Donate a book⁠Private Practitioner Networking Summit

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