Nine weeks of, “Are you surviving, thriving or overwhelmed?”

I was an Occupational Therapy student in the Riverland… continue reading for a short, sharp, and shiny spiel of my 9 weeks with The Potential Ability Group (TPAG). Inclusive of all the good bits, the incredible bits, and the overwhelming bits (mostly incredible though).

Beginning my placement at The Potential Ability Group (affectionately known as TPAG), I really had no idea what to expect. My first day began at my supervisor’s house, she opened the door while fretting about a mouse in her house (safe to say the ice was immediately broken), and I soon came to realise this placement was going to be like nothing I had ever thought. The team at TPAG really welcomed me with open arms and were always consistent with support and providing regular ‘check ins’ to see how I was going. After my first shadowing visit my supervisor hit me with the “so how are you feeling? Surviving, thriving, overwhelmed?” I soon realised how important these three reflective words would become throughout my time at TPAG.

My capacities and knowledge around occupational therapy has changed dramatically since my placement here. My university brain was tipped upside down within the first week of being with my supervisor, I have never felt so inspired yet so inadequate at the same time. Safe to say I was quite literally a sponge during the first few weeks, absorbing so much information! I was really pushed to reflect, and problem solve my own thoughts and queries. My understanding for conditions in paediatrics and the importance of sensory processing within these conditions was something I have never and would not have previously thought to consider. My mind was steered away from the textbooks of the university and standardised assessments and more into the environment and psychosocial being of the individual.

My knowledge of the occupational therapy role grew enormously. My passions were solidified and my anxiety of having chosen the right career path was eased. TPAG as a whole, their values and the company processes support everything I envisioned Occupational Therapy to be, not to mention all the incredible OT’s and their insane amount of knowledge. Absorbing the OT’s passion for their role and advocation for their clients was unbelievable. But don’t get me wrong there were some things that took some getting used to.

Getting used to driving from client to client and having to quickly take notes down in the car before heading to the next client took some adjustment. Safe to say, absorbing this all was pretty tough, more often than not, you’d find me sending messages or voice notes to myself from my supervisor’s phone (as mine went flat), as I refused to miss out on any information/knowledge she threw my way!

Wrapping my head around the importance of self-care and self-check ins was something I had never really done before TPAG and something I found really challenging (but trust me when on the road it is so important!). A positive work / life balance is something TPAG holds highly, it took me all 9 weeks (and counting) to recognise the benefits of this, I still haven’t figured it out fully, but I’m working on it! Previously, I was often working overtime and pushing myself to do more and more and guess what?  Burn out happened. It took burn out for me to recognise why this balance is so important. TPAG really stresses openness and honesty of feelings due to the nature of the work being quite solitary at times, and why reaching out and talking is so important. I was consistently being checked in on by not only my supervisor but other members of the team, the collaborative and supportive environment that TPAG can offer is like no other. Even though you might be working on opposite ends of the state you always feel as if there is someone you can call when in need.

Values are not something I had thought too much of before placement. It took my time at TPAG to reflect on these and understand the importance of knowing your own values and boundaries in order to maintain your role. Understanding my own values was important because there were times where my values were tested, however, through reflection with staff, I understood the importance of needing to maintain values and developing the skills to eliminate biases and judgements that could impact my clinical skills.

The importance of applying these values (without bias) to your everyday practice was not something I thought was necessary for good occupational therapy practice, but I was wrong. Values are what shape us, our views, how we hold ourselves and why we react to certain things the way we do. I needed a sound understanding of my own internal values to ensure when values clashed, I was able to keep my clinician hat on and not allow this clash to cause judgement from my part or bias, allowing me to look at the situation from a different point of view, without pushing my values onto others.

My time in the Riverland and with the TPAG team has forced me to look inwards not only on a clinical and professional level, but a personal level as well. I have grown so much as a person, a student, and a future clinician and that, I feel is one of the most valuable lessons I have and will ever have learnt. I have had the opportunity to explore some new and incredibly beautiful places. I have successfully eaten, swam and OT’d my way through the Riverland, without regret. My advice? If the opportunity for a placement in the Riverland comes about, DO IT!!