Meet the Team – Kate Shepherd, Occupational Therapist
Kate joined KW Therapy in 2022 after five years working in the NHS in stroke and neurological rehabilitation.
She started her career at Leeds Mount Psychiatric Hospital while completing a psychology degree, before deciding one degree wasn’t enough and adding a MSc in Occupational Therapy to the mix.
Kate testing out her driving skills on one of the Batec hand bikes….clear the way!!!
Q Occupation
Occupational Therapist
Q Favourite Food or Drink
Hot – Cappuccino, Cold – Diet Cherry Coca Cola
Q Dream Holiday Destination
Australia and Bali
Q Hobby
Strength training at the gym, reading, seeing as many musicals/theatre shows as I can, trying out new cafes and restaurants on my ever growing list.
Q What part of your job makes you smile every day?
That I get to feel like I am helping and making a difference everyday. It can be very demanding work, but it is rewarding to see people improve and to regain a better quality of life.
Q If you could invent a new therapy tool, what would it be and how would it work?
Communication and cognition are so closely linked, that it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between what is a cognitive problem and what is a communication difficulty. Often it can be more difficult to undertake cognitive rehab when an individual has communication difficulties, and whilst there are assessments and tools to highlight the difficulty, there needs to be more resources out there and the development of new tech and interfaces, in particular to help those with comprehension difficulties as well as expressive language difficulties/aphasia.
Q Tell us about your most memorable client moment?
For me, it’s the little things that all add up. We set goals alongside clients, often things they once were able to do but have no longer been able to manage or engage in. Being able to see a client re-engage with a task or activity that they once loved, and they thought was no longer accessible to them, become manageable through hard work and potentially adaptations, is the most wonderful feeling and I can think back over clients that can now eat and drink independently, a client that can play chess with his dominant hand again, a client can play pool again. It doesn’t have to be a big intervention to have a huge impact.
Q If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Teleportation – travel between clients over the North West would be a breeze 😂 I’d save so much time!
Q How do you unwind after a busy day?
I like to chat to my friends and family, exercise, cook a lovely meal for tea and then relax with a tv series or film.
Q What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie! I have done sky diving, bungie jump, lots of climbing and abseiling and had some flying lessons to.
Q If you could switch places with any other healthcare professional for the day, who would it be and why?
I would want to switch places with a Neuro surgeon/rehab consultant, to see the complexities of the work that they carry out and understand the reasoning behind every decision made and what the outcomes may be from their perspective.
Q Describe a day in the life of an Occupational Therapist in three emojis
🌈 🤹🏼♀️ 🧩
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