Clinician Stories: A Day in the Life of Sophie, an Occupational Therapist in WA

Hey! I’m Sophie. I’m a Senior Occupational Therapist, working with NDIS and Home Care participants. I live in sunny WA, and over my years of experience I’ve built up a great network of colleagues and referrers, which has helped me build up my caseload.

One of the things I value most about working through Therapy Coalition is that I can structure my day around my family – if I want to pop by a friend’s house for coffee, or if a participant wants a late evening session, then I can do what works for me.

My day usually starts early - not because of work, but because of my kids! Mornings are a bit of a whirlwind: breakfast, packing daycare bags, finding shoes, and getting everyone out the door. Once the kids are dropped off at daycare around 9am, my workday begins.

In the morning, I start by checking my schedule, reviewing notes from previous sessions, and preparing for my first participant. Most days I’ll see one or two participants in the morning, and then complete reports and assessments in the afternoon while the kids are at daycare. Other days, I’ll do all my meetings on one day and spend the next day doing report writing – it’s always a bit varied, which I love.

By mid-afternoon, I try to make sure most of my billable work is finished and head off to pick the kids up. One of my favourite parts of having this flexibility is that the afternoon doesn’t feel rushed. Some days we’ll head to the park on the way home for a bit of fresh air. If the weather’s nice, we might even stop by the beach for a quick play in the sand before dinner.

The late afternoon and evening are all about family — dinner, baths, stories, and getting everyone settled into bed.

Once the house is quiet, I’ll often spend an hour or so doing the quieter parts of the job if I need to. That might be writing session notes, sending some emails, or planning for the next day. Being able to do some of that work in the evening is great, because I can still ensure I get everything done, without having to cram it into a 9-5.

For me, the biggest difference is the balance. I still get to do meaningful clinical work, but I can also be present for my kids and enjoy life. I like the flexibility of knowing that if I want to change up my day a little, I can – there’s no one hovering over me making sure I clock in at a certain time, or checking I’ve met my KPIs.

Working through Therapy Coalition gives me the flexibility to build a career that actually fits around life, not the other way around.