Our quarterly Spotlight on allied health feature, highlights the incredible work of providers across our community. This time we’re speaking with Rebecca McCarthy, an occupational therapist and co-founder of Wildflower Holistic Services at Tahmoor.
Background
Rebecca McCarthy is an occupational therapist and co-founder of Wildflower Holistic Services, a multidisciplinary allied health practice supporting children, young people and families across the Wollondilly region. Together with her team, she provides neuro-affirming, strengths-based and trauma-informed therapy, assessments and family-centred supports for individuals with a range of neurodevelopmental differences and mental health challenges. She is passionate about helping individuals build independence and confidence to be able to meaningfully participate across home, school and community settings. She says Wildflower’s holistic, collaborative approach is unique because it ensures everyone they work with receives personalised support which creates lasting outcomes and strengthens our local community.
What inspired you to become an OT and keeps you motivated in your work today?
I’ve always known I wanted to work in a profession where I could help people understand themselves, recognise their strengths, and use those strengths to achieve what is meaningful to them in life. When I discovered occupational therapy, I found a profession that aligned perfectly with those values, particularly the opportunity to work alongside children and their families.
What continues to motivate me today is the privilege of walking alongside clients through both the challenging and successful moments in their lives. I love seeing children and young people apply strategies we’ve explored in therapy, develop greater confidence, build independence and engage more fully in the activities which matter to them. It’s often the small wins which have the biggest impact, and celebrating those moments with families is incredibly rewarding. The relationships I build with clients and their families, and the trust they place in me, are what inspire me to keep showing up every day.
What do you wish more people understood about the role of your profession in primary care?
I wish more people understood occupational therapy is much more than helping people complete tasks. We help people participate in the activities and roles which give their lives meaning. In primary care, occupational therapists play an important role in supporting individuals to build independence, develop skills, overcome barriers, and improve their ability to engage at home, school, work and within their communities.
There is greater recognition needed for the preventative role occupational therapists play. Early intervention and timely support can reduce the need for more intensive services later, improve long-term outcomes, and help people remain engaged in education, employment and community life.
Occupational therapists bring a holistic perspective, considering not only a person’s challenges but also their strengths, environment, relationships and goals. By working collaboratively with families, schools, healthcare providers and other professionals, we help create practical and sustainable solutions which support participation and wellbeing across all stages of life.
When should other clinicians consider referring their clients to an occupational therapist like yourself?
Other clinicians should consider referring to an occupational therapist when a person is experiencing difficulties participating in everyday activities, regardless of whether the challenge relates to physical, cognitive, sensory, emotional, behavioural or developmental factors. Occupational therapy is particularly beneficial when these difficulties are impacting independence, learning, self-care, social participation, emotional regulation, school engagement, work or community involvement.
For children and young people, referrals are often appropriate when there are concerns regarding sensory processing, emotional regulation, attention and executive functioning, motor skills, self-care skills, school participation, social interactions, play or independence with daily routines. Occupational therapists can also provide support during key life transitions, such as starting school, transitioning to high school, or moving towards greater independence in adolescence and adulthood.
Early referral is important. Families are often told to “wait and see”, however timely assessment and intervention can help identify strengths and challenges early, provide practical strategies, and prevent difficulties from having a greater impact on a person’s participation, confidence and overall quality of life.
What does effective collaboration look like in practice with another health professional?
Effective collaboration is centred around the shared goal of achieving the best possible outcomes for the individual and their family. In practice, this involves open communication, mutual respect and recognising the unique expertise each professional brings to the team. No single clinician has all the answers, and the most meaningful outcomes often occur when professionals work together to develop a holistic understanding of a person’s strengths, challenges, goals and support needs.
As an occupational therapist, effective collaboration might involve working closely with GPs, psychologists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, teachers, nurses and support providers to ensure everyone is working towards common goals. This can include sharing observations, coordinating intervention strategies, problem-solving challenges together and ensuring recommendations are practical and consistent across environments.
From my experience, the most successful collaborations occur when professionals are willing to listen, remain curious, and value each other’s perspectives. When we work together in a coordinated and family-centred way, individuals receive more consistent support, families feel less overwhelmed, and outcomes are often more sustainable and meaningful.
Please provide a success story you/your team have had which highlights the impact occupational therapy can have on a person’s life?
One memorable success story involved a young client whose goal was to learn a musical instrument and eventually perform in front of an audience. While this may seem like a simple leisure goal, achieving it required the development of many underlying skills, including fine motor coordination, bilateral hand use, rhythm, attention, concentration, following instructions and emotional regulation.
Together, we developed therapy activities which aligned with his interests and supported the skills needed to work towards his goal. We also provided practical strategies for home practice to encourage consistency between sessions. Over time, he developed the confidence and capability to learn musical notes, play a complete song and manage the nerves associated with performing in front of others.
The highlight was watching him perform in front of a crowd and seeing the pride he felt in achieving something which had once seemed overwhelming. For me, this perfectly captures the value of occupational therapy. It is not just teaching skills, but helping people build confidence, independence and the belief they can achieve goals which are meaningful to them.
What do you/your team enjoy most about working in South Western Sydney, and what would you say to allied health professionals considering working in this region?
It is the strong sense of community and connection. Families genuinely value authentic relationships and collaborative partnerships, and there is a shared commitment among local services, schools, healthcare providers and community organisations to work together in the best interests of children and families. Despite the region experiencing significant demand for allied health services, there is a real willingness from people to support one another and find practical solutions which make a meaningful difference.
For allied health professionals considering working in this region, I would say it is an incredibly rewarding place to practise. You have the opportunity to make a genuine impact, build strong relationships with families, and become part of a community which values compassion, collaboration and person-centred care. People here are looking for clinicians who are passionate, approachable and committed to helping others – not just showing up to do a job. If you value connection, authenticity and meaningful outcomes, South Western Sydney is a wonderful place to work and grow as a clinician.
What does a typical day in a life look like in your/your team’s role. Is there some aspect about your/ your team’s daily role that people may not expect?
No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I love most about occupational therapy. A typical day might involve planning and delivering therapy sessions, completing assessments, meeting with families, liaising with schools and other professionals, writing reports and documenting clinical notes. Much of our work is highly individualised, so a significant amount of time is spent adapting activities and interventions to suit each person’s goals, strengths and support needs.
At Wildflower Holistic Services, we also spend a lot of time providing parent education and coaching. Some of our most impactful work happens when we support parents and caregivers to better understand their child’s needs and equip them with practical strategies they can use in everyday life.
One aspect people may not expect is how much creativity and clinical reasoning is involved. While therapy can look like play, games, crafts, cooking or other everyday activities, every activity is carefully chosen with a therapeutic purpose in mind. Behind each session is a great deal of planning, problem-solving, assessment and collaboration to ensure we are helping clients work towards meaningful goals. Occupational therapy is often about finding creative and practical ways to build skills, confidence and independence in the environments where people live, learn, work and play.
What’s one wellbeing tip or personal practice you’d like to share with your colleagues across primary care?
My biggest wellbeing tip for colleagues across primary care is to recognise that looking after yourself is not selfish – it’s essential. As health professionals, we are often caring, nurturing people who naturally want to help others. We can easily find ourselves saying “yes” to more than we have capacity for, which can place us at risk of burnout over time.
For me, maintaining strong boundaries both professionally and personally is key. This means being intentional about where I invest my time and energy, saying no to things which don’t align with my values or capacity, and making space for the people and activities which help me recharge. When we prioritise our own wellbeing, we are better able to show up for our clients, our colleagues and our families.
Looking after yourself allows you to continue doing meaningful work in a sustainable way and ensures you can provide the best support to those who rely on you.
