about michelle

Fast forward five years, to the end of 2018 and she was finally done. But not without some hold backs. Being a complete stranger to the academic world and once believing that she was not smart enough to go to university, living with undiagnosed ADHD (and for the most part, unaware that she had the condition and that therefore that was what was contributing significantly to ongoing challenges), and experiencing significant financial hardship, all contributed to the onset of burnout and inability to work for three months.

Since then, Michelle has been using her OT skills to manage the ongoing impacts of burnout, such as fatigue, social isolation, anxiety, depression and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Whilst also living with chronic migraine and endometriosis, she orchestrated and managed her own Return To Work intervention, has recently (2023) been diagnosed with combined type ADHD, and through that process of understanding more about herself has learnt first hand how important early intervention really is. 

On a daily basis, she practises the implementation of environmental adaptations and supports to her own environment, and is deeply passionate about prevention before cure, which can significantly reduce the impact of conditions like anxiety or depression, that may be an outcome of other undiagnosed or misdiagnosed conditions, or overlooked barriers to participation.

Through the lens of occupational therapy, ongoing professional development for current neuro-affirming and neurodivergent research, and the rise in access to information through technology, Michelle has learnt that she scores high in Autistic traits. She is yet to seek diagnosis, and while she understands the benefits of seeking diagnosis, she is taking her time to understand herself more before deciding whether or not it is necessary.

She is extremely grateful for the skills she has gained and continues to learn from being an OT, and being neurodivergent, embraces the process of practising what she preaches in her own daily life through lived experience.

She passionately embraces the movement in neuroaffirming, trauma-informed and safe, professional practices. One progression in this space that she is celebrating is the respect for the experiences of neurodivergent people, where identification with being Autistic, without diagnosis, is now accepted, and unless diagnosis is necessary (such as for personal reasons or to access funding) it is not necessary to prove through diagnosis if a person is happy with identifying as so. Read more about this here, with an Australian charity ran by Autistic people, Reframing Autism.

Learning about her neurodivergent brain has opened a whole new world of possibilities, as combined with the gift of understanding it makes navigating a confusing world so much easier. In line with the Neuroaffirming Practice movement, embracing the problem that what society thinks she should do (‘fix’ or ‘change’, rather than support unique needs) is not often what she needs to do is something she continues to practise understanding, and recognises is one of the major key players to successful outcomes - if not the key player. It also makes her a fierce advocate for anyone experiencing disability or barriers to quality of life and wellbeing through inequality or ableism.

Prior to occupational therapy, in true ADHD style, Michelle tried and experienced a wide range of jobs and professions, which complement her ability to engage and relate to all walks of life.

The skills she has gained also provide a wide range of experience, which complement her entrepreneurial streak for running a business.

Some examples of her work related experiences, that are by no means limited - Michelle finds she is always remembering other jobs she’s had that she forgot about - can be found on the previous page under the heading ‘Credentials’.