Ulliana Joined an NHS Webinar on Occupational Therapy

This week, I had an amazing opportunity to attend a live virtual work experience provided by the NHS to learn more about occupational therapy.

It was very interesting learning about the different methods that are used to help the patients, such as a “Sparkle Journal” where there are images and words associated with happy memories or goals such as being able to cook spaghetti bolognese. It is wonderful how just a 30-minute weekly visit can have a huge impact on someone’s life. 

It was also fascinating to learn about how the inside of a mental health institution for eating disorders works. It was very upsetting to think that teenagers my age would have to spend weeks if not months there but seeing their feedback after they feel healthier is priceless. Something I never considered before is also how hard it must be for the relatives to make the decision to send their child to a hospital like that, so it was very heart-warming to know that occupational therapists provide support to the relatives too. 

It truly was an amazing opportunity that was brilliantly organized, especially as it was all online. I would recommend these webinars to anyone, as they can really widen and deepen your understanding of the career you want to go into. 

Ulliana, Lower Sixth