Specialist Occupational Therapist
MSc Occupational Therapy, PG Cert Careers Guidance,
HCPC OT70256
Hello, I’m Liz, occupational therapist and vocational specialist with a wealth of experience from over 30 years working with adults & young people with additional needs. I started out as a teacher and special needs careers guidance counsellor, then specialised in vocational rehabilitation before retraining as an OT.
What’s OT? A science-based, health profession regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. OT is about enabling you to do the activities you want and have to do, including self-care, work, leisure, and social participation – all the everyday occupations that bring purpose and satisfaction to life. Where counselling focuses on psychological wellbeing, OT looks more at practical aspects of daily life - a unique and holistic approach that considers the whole person in their environment, aiming to overcome barriers to engaging in meaningful occupations and thereby improve your physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being.
I am passionate about enabling autistic people to participate fully in mainstream life – we can thrive in almost any setting given appropriate support and necessary adaptations. Many of us have co-occurring neurodivergent conditions (such as ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia), sensory sensitivities or alexithymia; health issues such as chronic pain and fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, and anxiety disorders are also common. I work in collaboration with you to understand your specific challenges, abilities and priorities, helping you modify activities and adapt the environment to meet your needs.
Since 2018 I’ve been an NHS clinician specialising in autism diagnosis in a multidisciplinary adult neurodevelopmental service. I am accredited in the use of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview (3Di). However, after a diagnosis there is usually very little guidance on offer, so my aim as an associate at The Divergent Space is to provide holistic autism-specific 1:1 specialist occupational therapy & guidance to enable you to live your best life at home, at work – and everywhere else.
My own journey as an autistic person navigating the pressures of demanding workplaces (clinics, colleges, schools, prisons, charities & community outreach), and of helping hundreds of neurodivergent clients overcome challenges, has taught me above all that a diagnosis is just a starting point. It can be a springboard to self-understanding, self-compassion, self-advocacy and self-actualisation.
My approach is solution-focused and adapted to your unique needs. For example we may focus on overcoming everyday or workplace difficulties; or energy management and how to avoid burnout; or managing sensory issues; or dealing with change - starting work or uni, retiring, moving home, starting a family or embarking on a new relationship. Do you have difficult time communicating your needs to medical professionals, or within the family, at work or in education? We can work on strategies to ensure you get the right kind of support, to enable you to form realistic, achievable plans for a positive future.
