Occupational Therapy and Life Coaching

Jill Martin and Nicky Green are co-founders of the Mental Health Occupational Therapy practice, Purpose People Ltd. Please see their website for more information.

Jill Martin (Lead Occupational Therapist) qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1993. She practised Occupational Therapy (OT) in NHS Mental Health Services in Community Mental Health Teams and specialist units including Eating Disorders, Forensic, Addictions, over 65’s and General Psychiatric units for 18 years. In 2017 to complement her OT skills Jill trained as a life Coach and Hypnotherapist and went on to establish The Purpose People Practice with her co-founder Occupational Therapy Assistant and Nutritional Coach, Nicky Green in London.

Jill and Nicky lead a highly experienced and expertly trained team of over 20 associate Registered Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants, all of whom are dual trained in various approaches.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy is a clinical profession, OT’s are registered and regulated by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and qualify after formal training to degree level. OT is unique in that it is the most holistic of all professions, trained in physical health, mental health and learning disability OT’s focus on a client’s life in its entirety. OT’s assess and treat clients through the use of meaningful, purposeful activity and are the only clinical professionals who analyze cognition via practical activity. Humans are constantly engaged in activity, and therefore all activity - positive, negative, active or passive, is significant to human well-being, even sleep is regarded as a purposeful activity. It is through activity that humans live, create, function, express themselves in the world.

The OTs at Purpose People will first meet with clients to discuss their expectations and desired outcome. This typically begins with a review of their client’s current activity priorities across all areas including work, leisure, domestic, physical and emotional, they will then formulate a treatment plan with the client. As sessions are often activity based, the OT and/or OT Assistant will regularly join clients carrying-out activities alongside them, supporting them to build confidence, adjusting and adapting where necessary in order to achieve their goals. In partnership with their clients the OT will carry out a detailed activity analysis identifying and addressing any barriers and planning necessary steps or goals required in order to realise full potential in activity performance.

Occupational Therapy assists in formulation of diagnosis and in the identification of any services, aids or adaptations necessary to promote independent living in the home, work, leisure and community. The approach is always collaborative, OTs work in partnership with clients empowering them to bring about positive change in the areas of their lives that they deem priority.

Coaching

Alongside Occupational Therapy the Purpose People Practice offers coaching to people who have emotional health concerns or a specific psychiatric diagnosis, and the carers of those with mental health conditions. When coaching the team at Purpose People support clients and carers to notice the here and now, plan and then action their goals, regain control, find new insights and perspectives optimising their well-being and life satisfaction. Purpose People offer stand alone coaching and if appropriate they will use coaching techniques to complement Occupational Therapy treatment sessions.

Group Work

Humans evolved to live in community with one another and are social creatures, connection and cooperation is essential to most of the activities we perform in our lives. OT therefore has group work at its core, all OT’s are trained to deliver treatment in a group setting. OTs are highly skilled in this area and work with clients in groups addressing resilience and well-being, anxiety management, anger management, assertiveness training, effective communication skills, sleep hygiene, healthy living, relaxation techniques and the use of creative mediums for self-expression.

Purpose People Team treat clients at the Orchard Clinic and in their rooms in central London, however the majority of treatment is delivered in the client’s homes or in the community, whichever is most appropriate to the treatment aims and objectives.

Personalised Support to Create Space for Change

Our 1-5 day Intensive Occupational Therapy Service is designed to help you address and overcome key challenges with your mental health and/or neurodiversity. The service is bespoke and therefore tailored to support you to achieve meaningful and sustainable progress.

Occupational Therapy blends the practical and the therapeutic to create meaningful results. For example, one client redesigned her bedroom to reflect her identity and support her independence. This helped her process grief, explore her sense of self, and develop a space she loved. Another client used the service to learn how to live independently in preparation for university.