My story starts with a strong passion and desire to help others, coupled with my fascination with the human body’s anatomy and physiology. My love for psychiatry grew from this and learning about how the human brain manifests human behaviour, specifically day-to-day task engagement.

My passion and love for both the fields of occupational therapy and psychiatry continued to grow throughout my undergraduate university career at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). Upon completion of my undergraduate degree, I was very fortunate to have been placed in the rural Eastern Cape and completed my year of community service at Zithulele Hospital. The pace was fast and ‘making a plan’ was key at this under-resourced rural hospital. During this year, I had the privilege of being accepted into the Zithulele community where I immersed myself in a culture outside my comfort zone. I had the privilege of learning from both my colleagues and patients. I saw and felt the value of our profession, the extent to which we help people, and our irreplaceable value within a multidisciplinary team. I gained a new perspective and understanding of mental health in South Africa that drove my desire to further my education in occupational therapy and mental health. I then went on to pursue my postgraduate studies and completed my Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy at Wits.

After my community service year, I returned to Johannesburg where I have continued to build on my enriched experience in the rural Eastern Cape. I continued to work in the public sector as my passion extended to public healthcare.  I worked in an acute psychiatric unit at a tertiary hospital. It is here where I gained the majority of my clinical experience and applied my skills to work within a closely-knit multidisciplinary team.

In addition to my clinical work, throughout my career, I have been involved with undergraduate student training at Wits and as a guest lecturer at the University of Pretoria. I thoroughly enjoy and feel strongly about the teaching, training, and development of future professionals in the occupational therapy profession. Furthermore, since my postgraduate studies, I have had a growing interest in contributing to our profession’s future through research.

MSc research presented at the:
• 2022 “IFSSH, IFSHT & FESSH COMINED CONGRESS” in-person in London and on a local platform for the South African Society of Hand Therapists (SASHT) members,
• SASHT and Wits Occupational Therapy Consensus Development Conference in 2023.
Co-authored and presented on the topic of ‘Burnout’ at the 2022 “IFSSH, IFSHT & FESSH COMINED CONGRESS” in London and on a local platform for SASHT members.