11/02/2026
Some beautiful wins from today’s sessions.
Today reminded me why I love this work.
✨ Session 1 – OT + Somatic Inquiry
Worked with a young woman with ASD and a history of eating disorder. She’s been waking at the same time every night, feeling restless, dealing with allergy flares and rashes.
Instead of trying to “fix” symptoms, we got curious.
She said, “I think my body is trying to send me a message.”
Through gentle somatic inquiry, we explored patterns of self-sabotage — choosing things she knew didn’t support her health because it felt safer than risking rejection or not fitting in.
We traced that pattern back to a younger part of her that felt she didn’t belong.
Instead of pushing it away, we:
• Acknowledged it.
• Validated it.
• Re-parented it with self-compassion.
• Practised power poses and self-support statements to embody safety and self-acceptance.
Her nervous system visibly shifted.
That’s the work. Not just behaviour change — but nervous system repair.
✨ Session 2 – Interoception & FASD
Used the youth version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA-Y) with a young woman with FASD and early neglect.
She has very limited awareness of internal body signals.
The assessment wasn’t just data collection — it became a doorway into conversation:
• Does your body feel safe?
• Do you notice sensations?
• What happens when you feel discomfort?
We identified gentle starting points for building interoceptive awareness and safety from the inside out.
Slow. Respectful. Foundational work.
✨ Supervision Wins
Supported an OT who feels exhausted and overwhelmed but knows she needs change.
Instead of pushing productivity, we:
• Regulated first.
• Simplified next steps.
• Built sustainable routines.
• Carved protected CPD and self-care space into her calendar.
Change doesn’t happen from burnout.
It happens from regulation.
Days like today remind me:
Occupational therapy isn’t just about function.
It’s about helping people feel safe enough in their bodies to choose differently.
And that includes us, too.
Oh and by the way, I started the day a little bit late so that I could have time to go for a beautiful gentle surf in Noosa National Park which is one of my favourite things to do. This is something I’ve been looking forward to being able to create balance in my life so that I can surf in the morning and work during the day!
How can we document these clinically within our OT notes?
Here’s some examples
SOAP Note – Client 1 (ASD + ED History)
S – Subjective
Client reports waking nightly at consistent time, increased restlessness, and recurrent histamine reactions. States, “I think my body is trying to send me a message.” Acknowledges engaging in health behaviours (alcohol, trigger foods) despite knowing they exacerbate symptoms. Identifies feelings of not fitting in.
O – Objective
Engaged in guided somatic inquiry to identify body sensations associated with emotional triggers. Identified link between self-sabotaging behaviours and early experiences of rejection. Participated in compassionate re-parenting exercise and practised self-affirmation statements. Trialled power postures to support embodied confidence and affect regulation. Observable reduction in muscular tension and improved affect by session end.
A – Assessment
Sleep disturbance and health-compromising behaviours appear linked to emotional triggers and maladaptive coping patterns rooted in early relational experiences. Client demonstrates growing interoceptive awareness and insight into behavioural drivers. Positive response to somatic regulation and self-compassion interventions.
P – Plan
• Continue interoceptive tracking and self-compassion practices.
• Develop structured strategy for responding to triggers (pause + body check + alternate behaviour).
• Monitor sleep patterns.
• Reinforce embodied confidence practices.
⸻
🗂 SOAP Note – Client 2 (FASD + Limited Interoception)
S – Subjective
Client reports limited awareness of body sensations. Difficulty identifying internal signals related to hunger, stress, or safety.
O – Objective
Administered Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness – Youth Version (MAIA-Y). Client required prompting to identify body sensations. Demonstrated limited differentiation between emotional and physical states. Engaged in initial body awareness exercises (breath noticing, simple sensation naming).
A – Assessment
Findings indicate reduced interoceptive awareness consistent with early neglect history and FASD profile. Limited internal signal recognition impacting emotional regulation and self-management capacity.
P – Plan
• Introduce graded interoceptive development activities.
• Incorporate sensory-based regulation strategies.
• Focus on building internal safety awareness before advancing emotional processing work.
• Reassess progress in 6–8 weeks.
