The BRAVE OT Podcast | Real Conversations with Occupational Therapy Trailblazers

Hosted by Carlyn Neek - OT Entrepreneur Coach, Educator, Founder of ACTivate Vitality

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Aug 2026

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The BRAVE OT Podcast with Carlyn Neek is all about empowering occupational therapists to step-up, level-up, blaze some trails, and maybe engage in a little conscious rebellion in service of the profession, our clients, our work, our businesses, and living our mission wholeheartedly. We are all about keeping it real, doing hard things, unhuslting, being curious, trying new things, growing through our challenges, and finding joy and fulfilment along the way. Really, we are OTing ourselves and each other. About This Podcast The BRAVE OT Podcast features authentic conversations with occupational therapists doing innovative and interesting work, from private practice owners to clinicians pioneering new approaches to OTs, creating entirely new paths for the profession. Through real conversations, we explore the challenges of trailblazing, the reality of navigating uncertainty, and how OTs support each other through it all. Whether you're an OT practice owner facing uncertainty, a clinician exploring new directions to escape environments that contribute to burnout, or an occupational therapist who's ready to do things differently, these conversations will resonate. We talk about the messy middle of building something meaningful, the isolation that can come with going your own way, and what it really takes to create sustainable work that aligns with your values. Host Carlyn Neek brings her lived experience as a multipassionate ADHDer, her decads of work with adult mental health with high achievers and her OT mentorship and business coaching to these conversations. Creating space for honest dialogue about the challenges we face as innovators in our profession is her superpower. The BRAVE OT Podcast is perfect for: Occupational therapists in private practice, OTs exploring entrepreneurship, clinicians seeking inspiration and community, and anyone interested in the evolving landscape of our profession. We aim for 2 episodes per month. 💌 An invitation from Carlyn: If you're an OT who has built a solid private practice but it's time to evolve to make your business work for you in this next phase of life, I'd love to talk to you. I provide coaching for occupational therapists and support for overwhelmed OT practice owners who want to THRIVE without the HUSTLE through my ACTivate Vitality program, an evidence-based approach to building entrepreneurial resilience with a neurodiversity-affirming community where you can find your people as well as the strategy to make intentional, values-led changes in your life and business. https://www.balanceworks.online/avprogram Let's create clarity together by figuring out what you need to make this important shift away from your business running you toward loving your life with a business to support it. 🤗 Book a Clarity Call: https://tidycal.com/carlyn/clarity-call 🔗 Connect with me: https://www.balanceworks.online/contact-links

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August 20, 2026Episode 591 hr 18 min

Ep. 59: Beyond Values Alignment - Building a Sustainable Occupational Therapy Practice That Honours Your Needs, with Guest Rebecca Rae-Hodgson

Doing values-aligned work is supposed to protect you from burnout. But what happens when it doesn't? In this episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, returning guest Rebecca Rae-Hodgson and I dig into what it actually takes to build a sustainable occupational therapy practice, especially when you're neurodivergent or managing a chronic illness. Rebecca was last on the show for episodes 22 and 23, and since then she's gone through the ACTivate Vitality program herself. She's back to talk about the pivot she's made away from 1:1 client work, and why she's learned that values alignment on its own wasn't enough to keep her from burning out. If you're an OT practice owner who's been feeling stretched too thin despite loving the work you do, this conversation names something you may not have had language for yet. In This Episode, We Discuss: Why Rebecca found herself burning out even though her work was fully values-aligned The difference between values alignment and sustainability, and why you need both What it means to bring "needs" into the conversation alongside values How Rebecca is restructuring her practice around supervision, mentorship, and organizational training Disability accommodations as an act of values-aligned self-support, not an exception to it The "90% good enough" mindset and letting go of trying to please everyone What it looked like for Rebecca to tell her clients she was ending 1:1 work, and why that felt so hard Redefining bravery as recognizing your limits and honoring them About Rebecca Rae-Hodgson In Rebecca's own words: "Kia ora, ko Rebecca taku ingoa. I'm an Occupational Therapist/Kaiwhakaora Ngangahau with lived experience of chronic and mental illnesses. I have also more recently discovered that I am Autistic and ADHD. I live in Golden Bay, in a tiny house with my dog (Octavia) and husband. While managing my own mental health and chronic illnesses over the years I have learned many things about myself, what works for me, what doesn't, and the kinds of supports I need to engage in the activities I want to do. I firmly believe in the power of meaningful occupations to improve people's lives. Using my lived experience and occupational therapy skills, I want to support other neurodivergent people with chronic illnesses and mental health challenges to engage in the things they want and need to do." Update Since Recording This conversation was recorded in late 2025. Since then, Rebecca has kept building. She's currently at capacity in her mentorship practice and won't be taking on any new clients until mid-2027. Her focus has shifted toward supervision, mentorship, and organizational training. Resources & Links Chronic Resilience OT resources and worksheets: chronicresilienceot.com/resources-shop Blog: chronicresilienceot.com/blog Lived Experience Feedback on Neurodiversity Affirming Practice in Mental Health https://www.chronicresilienceot.com/resources-shop/p/free-neurodiversity-affirming-practice-in-mental-health-lived-experience-feedback On-demand trainings: chronicresilienceot.com/on-demand-trainings Values Exploration for Us and Our Work Understanding and Supporting Sensory Processing for Mental Health Facebook: The Chronically Resilient OT Book mentioned: Who Deserves Your Love The Empower Model (Bryden Carlson-Giving) Solo School Connect With Rebecca For training inquiries, email is the best way to reach Rebecca. Full details on her current offerings are available at chronicresilienceot.com . Learn More About ACTivate Vitality If today's conversation resonated with you, if you're feeling stuck, burnt out, or isolated even though you're technically doing the work you value, I want you to know you're not alone. ACTivate Vitality is open to new clients right now. We're a community of international occupational therapy practice owners who support each other in building sustainable, values-aligned businesses. We've got coaching calls, an online community, an ACT-based framework to build entrepreneurial flexibility, and 1:1 support. It's not about hustling harder. It's about getting clear on what matters to you and what you actually need, and building a practice that serves your life instead of taking it over. ACTivate Vitality Program: balanceworks.online/avprogram Book a Clarity Call: tidycal.com/carlyn/clarity-call

May 7, 2026Episode 5856 min

Ep. 58: One OT's Lived Experience Journey with Perinatal OCD with Guest Jen Anderson-Frost in support of Maternal Mental Health Week

One OT's Lived Experience Journey with Perinatal OCD with Guest Jen Anderson-Frost in support of Maternal Mental Health Week PART 2 ⚠️ CONTENT NOTE This episode includes open discussion of perinatal OCD, intrusive thoughts about harm to self and children. Everyone in Jen's story remained safe. If this content isn't right for you today, Episode 55, a more ACT-focused conversation with Jen, may be a better fit: Listen Here What happens when an occupational therapist, someone who has worked in mental health, supported others through crisis, and carries all the professional knowledge of how care is supposed to work, becomes the one who needs that care? In this episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, Jen Anderson-Frost and I join you for Part 2 of our conversation to share the deeply personal story behind their work and lived experience perinatal mental health. This is a rare, honest, and at times difficult account of navigating perinatal OCD as an OT and a new parent, through a high-risk pregnancy, profound grief, intrusive thoughts, and a long road to recovery. Jen also shares what they're building now: the Intuitive Perinatal Collective, a membership offering neurodivergent and queer-affirming perinatal mental health support, with a Crowdfunder currently live to support low-income families. --- In This Episode, We Discuss: - What Jen's perinatal OCD actually looked and felt like, including the shame, the hiding, and the compulsions that happened entirely internally - How a traumatic pregnancy, a terminal diagnosis in the family, a trauma history, and a newborn's medical needs converged into a perfect storm - Why being an OT and mental health professional made it harder, not easier, to accept help - The moment the word "ego-dystonic" changed everything and why it was also a double-edged sword - How ACT concepts like defusion, experiential avoidance, and values-based living showed up in Jen's recovery (even before they named them as ACT) - The role of medication, mental health nursing, trauma timelines, and ERP in a complex, layered recovery - Why nervous system considerations matter deeply in exposure therapy and what Jen wishes had been different - Inference-based CBT (ICBT) as a neurodivergent-affirming approach to OCD they're currently exploring - How the Intuitive Perinatal Collective was born from lived experience, passion, and the gaps Jen witnessed firsthand - A call to action for Maternal Mental Health Week in the UK and the Crowdfunder supporting low-income families --- About Jen Anderson-Frost (she/they) is an occupational therapist and intuitive living coach based in the UK. Drawing on both professional training and lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent parent and perinatal OCD survivor, Jen supports queer and neurodivergent parents with perinatal mental health challenges and burnout. Jen also works as a pediatric OT supporting neurodivergent children and families, and hosts the Intuitive Living with OT Intuition Podcast. --- Support Jen's Crowdfunder 🌱 Jen has launched a Crowdfunder for the Intuitive Perinatal Collective, a membership offering preventative and in-the-moment perinatal mental health support for neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ parents, carers, and surrogates. This crowdfunder specifically aims to support low-income families in accessing the membership and optional one-to-one support. If you can pledge, wonderful. If you can share, that matters just as much. 👉 Support the Intuitive Perinatal Collective: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-intuitive-perinatal-collective Connect With Jen Anderson-Frost 🔗 Linktree (all links) 🎙️ Intuitive Living with OT Intuition Podcast --- Follow & Rate The BRAVE OT Podcast If this episode resonated with you, the best thing you can do is follow the podcast and leave a rating or review. It helps other OTs find these conversations — and that ripple matters. 🎙️ Find us wherever you listen to podcasts. About The BRAVE OT Podcast: The BRAVE OT Podcast features occupational therapists doing innovative, courageous, and meaningful work — and navigating the very real challenges of trailblazing along the way. Hosted by Carlyn Neek, OT, coach, and educator, from Calgary, Alberta. 🌐 balanceworks.online

April 21, 2026Episode 5733 min

Ep. 57: Unbecoming - What Turning 50 Is Teaching Me About Authentic OT Practice and Letting Go

In this solo episode, I'm getting deeply personal about turning 50 and everything that milestone is teaching me about values-based occupational therapy practice, sustainable work, and letting go of the structures we've inherited without examining them. If you're an OT who's ever felt like the practice you built for a previous version of yourself is now running you, or if you're navigating your own season of role transition, professional identity, and the ache to do things differently, this episode was made for you. I share the concept of the crone archetype, my experience teaching entrepreneurial thinking at the University of Alberta, and how ACTivate Vitality is helping OTs deinstitutionalize their thinking and build practices that actually fit their lives. In This Episode, I Talk About: What it means to embrace the "crone era" and why our culture gets it so wrong The crone as threshold, not ending: moving from people-pleasing into authentic purpose Why so many OTs become victims of their own success and how to build a practice that serves you again Deinstitutionalizing OT thinking: the beginner's mindset as an entrepreneurial superpower What I've been teaching in my entrepreneurship module at the University of Alberta and how it applies to your OT practice How I use ACT in ACTivate Vitality to help OTs sort through what's next How ACT helps us discern: am I saying yes from values alignment, or from fear? Navigating ADHD, perimenopause, and role transitions all at once My upcoming Entrepreneurial Thinking Workshop and how you can join Resources & Links 🌀 Gillian White - the local facilitator whose crone-themed words are shared in this episode 📋 My Workshop - sign up here: Ingniting OT Innovation Through Entrepreneurial Thinking 💬 Book a Clarity Call for ACTivate Vitality 🎙️ The BRAVE OT Podcast on YouTube Learn More About ACTivate Vitality ACTivate Vitality is my coaching community for occupational therapy practice owners who are ready to build sustainable, values-aligned businesses without the hustle. If you've built something successful and now it's running you instead of serving you, this is the space to sort through what needs to change. We have group coaching calls, an online community, an ACT-based framework to build entrepreneurial and psychological flexibility, and 1:1 support. It's not about hustling harder, it's about getting clear on what matters and building a practice that fits your actual life. 👉 Book a Clarity Call: https://tidycal.com/carlyn/clarity-call

March 12, 2026Episode 561 hr 25 min

Ep. 56: The OT Who Showed Up at TED: Bill Wong on Visibility, Neurodivergence & Making Bold Career Moves

The OT Who Showed Up at TED: Bill Wong on Visibility, Neurodivergence & Making Bold Career Moves What does it look like when an occupational therapist refuses to stay inside the OT bubble? In this episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, I sit down with Bill Wong, the first OT student or practitioner to deliver multiple TEDx talks, publish those talks on TED's platform, and attend many TED conferenend ces . Bill is a home health OT, a neurodivergent individual, a TEDx event organizer, and one of the most intentional networkers in our profession. Our conversation weaves through career resilience, neurodivergent-affirming mentorship, and a provocative challenge to the OT community: instead of waiting to be given a fish, why don't we learn to fish for ourselves? If you've ever felt like OT is healthcare's best-kept secret, or wondered what it would look like if we stopped waiting for an invitation and started creating our own opportunities, this conversation is for you. IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS: • The "teach OT to fish" principle: why Bill believes our profession needs to stop waiting to be invited and start creating our own stages • Resilience, risk-taking, and the "Hall of Fame vs. Hall of Very Good" framework Bill has used to drive his career forward • Neurodivergent-affirming mentorship: what it means to meet mentees where they are while still holding them to their own stated goals • How Bill became the first OT to deliver multiple TEDx talks and what he learned from his early "failed" attempts at organizing TEDx events • What it's actually like inside a TED conference as a paying attendee and why Bill thinks more OTs should be in those rooms • The barriers that keep OTs from showing up in non-OT spaces and how to start breaking them down one brave move at a time • Bill's OT lens on autism, advocacy, and building connections with people completely outside the healthcare world ABOUT BILL WONG, OTD, OTR/L Bill Wong is an occupational therapist based in the United States, currently practicing in home health. He is the first OT student or practitioner to deliver multiple TEDx talks, the first to have his TEDx talks published on TED's platform, and the first to pay his own way to attend TED conferences as a full attendee. Bill is a TEDx event organizer (TEDxAlmansorPark), one of two co-facilitators for AOTA's Autism Community of Practice, and a member of Occupational Therapists for Environmental Action. He is also an autistic individual who brings a neurodivergent perspective to everything from clinical practice to professional advocacy. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-wong-24492a18/ Read Bill Wong's LinkedIn article, What Is It Like Inside a TED Conference? Why Should More OT Students and Practitioners Attending In Spite of the Cost & Seemingly Exclusivity ? WORK WITH CARLYN — JOIN ACTIVIATE VITALITY If today's conversation sparked something in you, that pull toward building a bolder, more sustainable OT practice and career, the ACTivate Vitality Program might be exactly what you're looking for. It's a community of occupational therapy practice owners who support each other through group coaching, an online community, and an ACT-based framework for building real entrepreneurial and psychological flexibility. It's not about hustling harder. It's about getting clear on what matters to you and building something that serves your life. • ACTivate Vitality Program: balanceworks.online/avprogram • Book a Clarity Call: https://tidycal.com/carlyn/clarity-call

January 28, 2026Episode 5544 min

Ep. 55: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in OT Practice through Jen's Personal and Professional Experience

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in OT Practice through Jen's Personal and Professional Experience What happens when an occupational therapist who supports others with mental health challenges experiences their own mental health crisis? In this episode, Jen Anderson-Frost shares their journey through perinatal OCD and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy transformed both their recovery and their practice. If you're an occupational therapist curious about ACT, working with clients experiencing intrusive thoughts, or supporting parents with perinatal mental health challenges, this conversation offers practical insights alongside vulnerable, lived experience. Jen talks openly about the difference between traditional CBT approaches and ACT, why understanding that ego-dystonic thoughts are part of OCD mattered, and how creating space for difficult experiences, rather than fighting them, opens up new possibilities for recovery. This episode is particularly valuable for OTs interested in trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approaches to mental health support. --- IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS: - What perinatal OCD looks like and why it's often misunderstood - The concept of ego-dystonic thoughts and why this reframe matters - How traditional CBT exposure therapy can be traumatizing without nervous system consideration - The difference between CBT thought-challenging and ACT's approach to difficult thoughts - Why Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was more effective in Jen's recovery - How ACT fits naturally into occupational therapy practice across all settings - Using ACT with clients who appear "stuck" or "non-compliant" - Inference-based CBT (ICBT) as a neurodivergent-affirming approach to OCD treatment - Why professionals often hold themselves to impossible standards during their own struggles --- ABOUT JEN ANDERSON-FROST Jen Anderson-Frost (she/they) is an occupational therapist and intuitive living coach based in the UK. Drawing on both professional training and lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent parent and perinatal OCD survivor, Jen supports queer and neurodivergent parents with perinatal mental health challenges and burnout. Jen also works as a pediatric OT supporting neurodivergent children and families, and hosts the Intuitive Living with OT Intuition Podcast focused on perinatal mental health. Connect with Jen: LINK TO LINKTREE --- RESOURCES MENTIONED Books: - Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally Winston and Martin Seif - Break Free From OCD by Dr. Fiona Challacombe Podcasts: - Your Anxiety Toolkit with Kimberly Quinlan - OCD Stories podcast Additional Resources: - Inference-based CBT (ICBT) for OCD treatment - Research on intrusive thoughts in university students - OCD Action (UK support organization) --- LEARN MORE ABOUT PRACTICAL ACT FOR OTS COURSE Registration is open NOW for the February 2026 cohort! The Practical ACT for OTs course gives occupational therapists practical tools and confidence to integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into practice, regardless of your setting or specialty. What you get: - 4.5 hours of recorded learning modules (lifetime access) - Comprehensive resource library with handouts, worksheets, and references - 4 months of support including live Q&A calls - Online community forum for ongoing discussion - No certification required—ACT is designed to be accessible Enroll now: https://www.balanceworks.online/act-for-ots Registration closes soon for the February 1, 2026 start date. --- ABOUT THE BRAVE OT PODCAST The BRAVE OT Podcast features occupational therapists doing innovative work and navigating the challenges of building sustainable, meaningful practices. Host Carlyn Neek, BA, BScOT, provides coaching, mentorship, and community support for OT practice owners and clinicians who want to thrive without the hustle. Connect with Carlyn: - Website: https://www.balanceworks.online/contact-links ---

January 22, 2026Episode 213 min

Ep. 54: ACT for Occupational Therapists - Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Any OT Setting

ACT for Occupational Therapists: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Any OT Setting Have you ever worked with clients who seem stuck? The ones who don't follow through on goals they set themselves, the ones often labeled with judgy terms like "non-compliant" or "unmotivated"? As occupational therapists, we're often called in when all else has failed. But when psychosocial barriers keep people from engaging in meaningful occupations, we need tools that work with the internal experiences creating those obstacles. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers occupational therapists a powerful, trauma-informed framework for helping clients unhook from difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations so they can move toward the occupations that matter to them. Whether you practice in physical rehab, pediatrics, mental health, persistent pain, or community settings, ACT can integrate into your OT approach. In This Episode, I Discuss: - The experience of clients being "hooked" and moving away from meaningful occupations despite having goals they care about - The ACT choice point model: toward moves versus away moves and what that means for occupational engagement - How the six core processes of ACT break down into mindfulness-based tools and values-based action (aka meaningful occupation) - The four ACT processes that help clients be more flexibly responsive to difficult internal experiences - Why ACT feels aligned with trauma-informed, humanistic, collaborative approaches to occupational therapy practice - How "open up, be present, do what matters" translates to occupational therapy - Practical ways ACT fits into OT sessions across different practice settings About My Practical ACT for OTs Course The Practical ACT for OTs Course is clinical education designed specifically for occupational therapists who want to integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into their practice. It is a psychosocial skill for any area of practice. The course includes: Eight asynchronous video modules (approximately 4.5 hours of content with limitless access) Optional live group calls twice a month to discuss clinical applications and nuance Online community of OT peers learning and applying ACT Resource library with tools you can use immediately in practice Support for applying ACT across all OT settings More than 150 occupational therapists have taken this course, and it's designed to help you add ACT tools to your clinical toolkit without feeling overwhelmed. Learn more and register today for our February 1, 2026 cohort: www.balanceworks.online/act-for-ots If you're listening at a later time, please check the website to see if we're actively accepting registrations for an upcoming cohort. Connect With Carlyn All my links About The BRAVE OT Podcast The BRAVE OT Podcast features occupational therapists doing innovative work and navigating the challenges of building meaningful careers in OT. Host Carlyn Neek is an occupational therapist, educator, and coach who works with OTs through clinical education, business coaching, and community support.

January 12, 2026Episode 11 hr 30 min

Ep. 53: Deinstitutionalizing OT - Field Research, Folk Wisdom & Creating Your Own Path with Dr. Josie Jarvis

Deinstitutionalizing OT: Field Research, Folk Wisdom & Creating Your Own Path with Dr. Josie Jarvis What does it mean to deinstitutionalize yourself as an occupational therapist? In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Josie Jarvis and I explore everything from the historical roots of healthcare systems to why OTs need to reclaim field research and folk wisdom. If you've ever felt stuck in traditional practice settings or wondered how to apply occupational science to your own life, this episode offers both validation and a path forward. We discuss burnout recovery for occupational therapists, the power of community-based folk arts, and why being brave sometimes means daring to ask the "dumb" question. This conversation is for OTs who are ready to experiment, create their own paths, and remember that innovation doesn't require permission. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS: ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ - Why deinstitutionalization matters for practitioners, not just clients - How occupational science can help OTs recover from moral injury and burnout - The historical context of healthcare systems and women's contributions through folk wisdom - Understanding twice-exceptionality (gifted + learning differences) and how it shows up in OT practice - Why field research and observation are more valuable than we've been taught - The problems with the traditional evidence-based practice pyramid and the Tomlin & Borgetto alternative - How grades and academic metrics aren't real and why that matters - Building community through folk arts and crafts as a vehicle for policy change - The Being, Becoming, Belonging quilt project and its impact on systemic change - What it means to be brave: daring to be vulnerable, asking questions, and showing up in your fullness ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ABOUT DR. JOSIE JARVIS ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Dr. Josie Jarvis is a twice-exceptional (ADHD/NVLD/Gifted) occupational therapist, critical implementation scientist, and host of the Evolved Living Podcast. She brings over a decade of clinical experience across home health, acute care, memory care, pediatrics, and K–12 education together with her neurodivergent lived experience to explore how systems shape human occupation, creativity, and identity. After collaborating with Carlyn Neek in the ACTivate Vitality program, Josie deepened her commitment to reviving a contemporary folk arts/crafts and critical implementation science movement that supports collective occupational wellbeing and recovery from systemic harm across borders and practice settings. Her work blends OT/OS scholarship, accessible education, and creative praxis to help practitioners and communities reclaim meaningful occupation and systemic integrity. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ RESOURCES MENTIONED ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Josie's OT and OS Work can all be found at https://engage.evolvedlivingnetwork.com/ Including: - OT/OS Substack & Evolved Living Podcast: https://josiejarvisot.substack.com - Professional Website: https://josiejarvis.com - OS 101 Course – Foundations of Occupational Science for U.S.-Based OT Practitioners - OS 101 Guide Josie's Creative & Intuitive Work can be found at https://josephinepatricia.substack.com including: - Josephine Patricia Creative Substack - Various products and courses related to rewilding, arts, circles and more Books & Resources: - Witches, Midwives & Nurses Book Club - Article on Witches, Midwives & Nurses - Beyond the Hierarchy (Tomlin & Borgetto Research Pyramid) Previous Episodes of the BRAVE OT Podcast Referenced: - Episode 13: With references to Dąbrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration - Episode 43: Overcoming Entrepreneurial Perfectionism with the Scientific Method ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ WORK WITH CARLYN ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ If today's conversation about deinstitutionalizing yourself and finding hope beyond burnout resonated with you, the ACTivate Vitality Program offers a community of OT practice owners who are navigating these same challenges. We focus on building sustainable, values-aligned practices through group coaching, ACT-based frameworks, and genuine support not hustle culture. Book a Clarity Call Learn more about ACTivate Vitality

December 16, 2025Episode 5236 min

Ep. 52: Using AI to Ease Documentation Burden Ethically, with Tech Leader Raj Paul

Ever feel like you're drowning in documentation while the work you actually trained for gets squeezed into the margins? Or maybe you're curious about AI tools but worried about privacy, security, and whether using them is even ethical? You're not alone and this conversation might be exactly what you need to hear. In this episode, I sit down with Raj Paul, Director of Engineering at Jane, where he leads the teams building clinical features designed to reduce administrative burden. Raj brings a unique perspective he's not an OT, but his wife is, so he deeply understands our world. He's also openly multipassionate, generating many ideas and he shares about how he uses AI to challenge and refine his thinking and communicate more effectively. We're having the real conversation about AI documentation tools that so many OTs are craving. Raj walks us through exactly how AI Scribe keeps your data private, how to get proper consent from clients, and why you don't need to be afraid of this technology. But here's what really hit me: We talk about this pervasive belief that for work to be valuable, it needs to be hard. I share about the experience of OT entrepreneur coaching clients who had a turning point when she started using AI for documentation. She realized she'd been using her leftover energy for her family instead of finding ways to work less hard. That shift cascaded into her riding bikes more, making art, volunteering with her kids' sports teams, and actually living her life. Work doesn't have to be hard to be valuable. In this episode, we cover: How AI Scribe actually works and what makes it secure (BAAs, human-in-the-loop design, AWS partnership) Why Jane's team can't access your transcripts or notes - and how they improve the tool without seeing your data Getting informed consent from clients (regulatory considerations, intake forms, and having the conversation) How to start experimenting with AI safely before using it clinically The "AI as intern" analogy - why you still need to check its work Privacy concerns, environmental considerations, and making values-aligned decisions Why Raj uses Claude personally to challenge his ideas and improve his communication The importance of psychological safety in creating better ideas and better outcomes Practical tips: Start with free tools, check your privacy settings, get comfortable before jumping in This episode is for you if: You're curious about AI documentation but need the safety and privacy facts first You're burned out from documentation and wondering if there's a better way You've been seeing AI conversations in Facebook groups and need real information to decide You're ready to challenge the belief that struggle equals value You want to reclaim your time and energy for what actually matters Ready to try it yourself? Use the code VITALITY or follow this link to get a one-month grace period on a new Jane account , which includes free access to 5 AI Scribe sessions per month. I haven't had a list of chart notes waiting for me in a really long time. They're done in minutes, and it's genuinely changed my practice. My Article: How I Customized My Jane AI Scribe Template to Make it More OT Jane's Article: AI Scribe: How To Talk to Clients & Get Consent Connect with Raj Paul: LinkedIn

November 1, 2025Episode 511 hr 14 min

Ep. 51: Redefining Brave When Everything Changes With Trish Williams

Ever wonder what happened to some of our OT entrepreneur trail blazers who went quiet? If you've been around OT social media or podcasts, you probably know Trish Williams from her brand, OTs Get Paid. In this raw, honest conversation, Trish opens up about why you haven't heard from her in more than a year and it's not the story you might expect. This episode is about what happens when your capacity fundamentally shifts. When perimenopause rewires your brain. When family crisis demands everything you have. When the version of yourself you've been living and sharing doesn't fit anymore. And when slowing down becomes the bravest thing you've ever done. In this conversation, we explore: The collision of perimenopause and family crisis that changed everything Why Trish went back to being a mobile OT after thinking she'd "graduated" from that How cognitive changes in perimenopause can feel like late-onset ADHD The shame that comes with not being able to keep up anymore (and the rotting cooler story) What it really means to slow down when your whole identity was about achieving Redefining "brave", from launching businesses to getting reports done on time The shift from hope to faith when life gets really hard Building boundaries, finding what lights you up, and detaching with love Why volunteering at Pride and Folk Fest became her community lifeline The daily practices that keep her grounded (and why "scary thing" became "brave thing") This episode is for you if: You're noticing your capacity has shifted and you don't know what to do about it You're in perimenopause or menopause and feeling completely disoriented You're navigating a major life crisis while trying to keep your business/career going You're tired of maintaining an image that doesn't fit who you are anymore You need permission to slow down without giving up You're a single parent or primary caregiver feeling stretched beyond your limits, even while parenting adult children You want to hear what building a life that actually works for you looks like Connect with Trish: Email: trish@trishwilliamsconsulting.ca and listen to the OTs Get Paid Podcast . Join the conversation in The BRAVE OT Facebook group - come share what "brave" looks like for you in your current season. Questions OTs are searching: What are perimenopause symptoms affecting my work? How do I manage my OT practice with changing capacity? Is it normal to feel burnt out as an occupational therapist? Can I go back to clinical work after business coaching? How do I pivot my OT career in midlife? What does mobile OT work look like? How do therapists handle family crisis while working? Is perimenopause affecting my ADHD symptoms? How do I slow down my OT practice without quitting? What are signs of therapist burnout? How do I rebuild my OT career after time away?

October 9, 2025Episode 501 hr 4 min

Ep. 50: Sustainable Practice - Purpose + Profit with Jason Stein

Ep. 50: Sustainable Practice - Purpose + Profit with Jason Stein In this milestone 50th episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, I sit down with Jason Stein—acupuncturist, executive coach, and the cowboy-hat-wearing wellness practitioner who's mastered the art of building a sustainable occupational therapy practice that honors both purpose and profit. If you're an overwhelmed practice owner wondering how to create more vitality in your work and life, this conversation offers wisdom you can actually use. Jason shares his journey from hospital-based integrative medicine to building a wellness center in rural Oregon (population: one person per two square miles), and how he helps founders and leaders find balance between making money and staying human. We explore Key Vitality Indicators (KVIs) instead of KPIs, why befriending money doesn't make you less spiritual, and the simple practices that are often the hardest to maintain—but create the most transformation. In This Episode, We Discuss: Why so many therapy practice owners experience burnout and what Key Vitality Indicators can tell you about your business health How Jason shifted from perseverating about outcomes to surrendering control—and why ketamine therapy opened a door to deeper presence The practical magic of closing your eyes for half a breath during heated conversations Why making money and being a heart-centered healer aren't mutually exclusive (and how to befriend money like a best friend) Natural rhythms, seasonal cycles, and why we've disrupted our connection to rest through electricity and hustle culture The Kawa Model (Japanese river model) for understanding life flow, obstacles, and opportunities in your practice (See Ep. 31 for the Find Your Flow Kawa Workshop ) How to build a values-based business that doesn't require you to abandon your love of nature, family dinners, or making really good ice cream The truth about AI tools: when they help with self-reflection and when you need actual human connection Some good health advice, "You can pay now or you can pay later, but you're gonna pay" Jane's LIFE CHANGING AI Scribe feature. Check out my article on how I used ChatGPT to customize my AI Scribe template Be sure to use the code VITALITY on your new Jane account for a one month grace period. About Jason Stein Jason Stein is an acupuncturist, executive coach, and storyteller who blends ancient wisdom with modern leadership. With more than 25 years of experience helping hundreds of people heal and thrive, he supports leaders, founders, and communities in finding the balance between purpose and profit. Jason co-owns Wallowa Avenue Wellness in Joseph, Oregon, and hosts the Wellness Renegades Podcast . When not working, he's outdoors with his wife and kids exploring the wilderness and living close to nature. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn Resources Mentioned: - Insight Timer app (meditation timer) - Jon Kabat-Zinn - "Full Catastrophe Living" - Kawa Model (Japanese river model for occupational therapy) - Alan Weiss - "Value-Based Consulting" - Marshall Rosenberg - Nonviolent Communication - Maisie Hill - "Period: The Real Talk You Need About Periods" - Claude AI (for business reflection and planning) Keep the conversation going over in The BRAVE OT Podcast Facebook Group . Work With Carlyn - Time-Sensitive Opportunity: As we enter October, I'll be focusing my time less on marketing and more on deepening the work with practitioners in my community. If you've been waiting for the deadline to explore ACTivate Vitality with me, reach out this week while I'm still actively booking new conversations. Book a Clarity Call The ACTivate Vitality Program is a community of occupational therapy and wellness practitioners who support each other in building sustainable, values-aligned businesses. We have group coaching calls, an online community, an ACT-based framework to build entrepreneurial and psychological flexibility, and 1:1 support. About The BRAVE OT Podcast: The BRAVE OT Podcast features occupational therapists and wellness practitioners doing innovative work and navigating the challenges of building sustainable therapy practices. Host Carlyn Neek provides coaching, mentorship, and community support for practice owners who want to thrive without the hustle.

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