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@yo_thrive

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Nikki☀️ AuDHDer✨ Dog mum🐾 🌿nature + movement🤸🏻‍♀️ Passion for supporting fellow ND souls💖 Psychotherapeutic OT + lived experience🧭 based in Yorkshire📍

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Welcome! I’m Nikki 👋

Neuro-affirming Occupational Therapist & AuDHD human✨

I am passionate about supporting fellow neurodivergent people to understand themselves, navigate burnout, overcome imposter syndrome, and build lives that actually work for them—not against them.

I’m also a dog mum, nature lover, and movement seeker 🌿

After 8 years as an OT, I’m now building an independent practice rooted in doing things differently—combining both lived and professional experience to better support others. ✨

Watch this space, where I'll be sharing insights, support, and real talk on neurodivergent life + my own journey to destination thrive where I can best support my community.

You’re very welcome here 💚

#AuDHD #ADHD #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Neurodivergent #OTcommunity #occupationaltherapy #Neurodiversitycelebrationweek by @yo_thrive

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7 months ago

For a long time, I thought burnout was something I had to manage within the system.

But eventually I realised it was also information.
Information about misalignment, capacity, and what kind of work actually sustains me as a neurodivergent therapist.

This is not a rejection of the health system — it’s a reframing of what sustainable, purpose-driven practice can look like when you’re neurodivergent.

I am going solo in the search of not just autonomy, but coherence. The ability to work in a way that supports both my nervous system and the people I work with.
And I don’t think that should be rare.

Follow along as I share more about building a neurodivergent-affirming solo OT practice.

#NeurodivergentTherapist #OccupationalTherapy #NeurodivergentOT #TherapistLife #BurnoutRecovery #HealthcareWorkers #MentalHealthProfessionals #NeurodiversityAffirming #OTLife #TherapyPractice #SoloPractice #PrivatePracticeOT #NeurodivergentBurnout #TraumaInformedCare #NeurodiversityAtWork by @yo_thrive

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5 months ago

Occupational Therapists are uniquely positioned to support ADHD — because their entire training is built around helping people function in daily life.

Fundamentally Occupational Therapy is person-centered and strengths based.

It’s real-world, neurodiversity-affirming support that actually works.

I hope you found this helpful 🤍

#adhduk #ukadhd #neurodiversityuk #adhdsupportuk
#adhdhelp #executivedysfunction #adhdbrain #adhdlife #adhdwomen
#occupationaltherapy #otuk #mentalhealthot #neuroaffirmingpractice
#timeblindness #overwhelmed #burnoutrecovery #dailyfunctioning
#mentalhealthuk #productivitystruggles #reallifestrategies #smallstepsmatter by @yo_thrive

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7 months ago

Employment-based interventions are important — but they're only one piece of what Occupational Therapy actually supports.

Swipe to see what OT can also help with!

These are all occupations — the everyday activities that shape how well we function and thrive. And they're all within an OT's scope.

#OccupationalTherapy #WhatIsOT #OTLife #HolisticHealth #SensoryNeeds #NervousSystemRegulation #ExecutiveFunctioning #AlliedHealth #MentalHealthSupport by @yo_thrive

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2 months ago

1.7 million people are currently on NHS mental health waiting lists in the UK. For too many, support only shows up once they've hit crisis point. (https://theworlddata.com/mental-health-spending-statistics-in-uk/)

But what if we caught the warning signs earlier?

Occupational Therapy is often misunderstood as purely "workplace support." In reality, OT is about identifying and addressing the everyday precursors to burnout and mental health crises — the disrupted routines, the withdrawal from daily activities, the loss of capacity for basic self-care — before they escalate.

This isn't about replacing crisis care. It's about building the early intervention layer the system is missing.

OT could be a vital piece in solving the UK's mental health puzzle. Let's start talking about it that way.

Sources used: BMA mental health pressures analysis; therachange.co.uk NHS mental health waiting times report; theworlddata.com mental health spending statistics 2026.

#OccupationalTherapy #MentalHealthUK #EarlyIntervention #NHS #BurnoutPrevention by @yo_thrive

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2 months ago

My AuDHD diagnosis in 2023 explained so much - why I could sustain high-pressure work, but everyday tasks like home, routines, and self-care felt completely overwhelming.

Burnout eventually forced me to stop. And in that pause, I discovered something that changed everything: when my environment was calmer and designed for how my brain actually works, everything got easier.

This isn't just my story. So many late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults are navigating homes and systems that were never built with them in mind - and carrying shame for it.
Now this is my passion. Helping neurodivergent adults create homes and routines that support them, not deplete them!

#ADHD #LateDiagnosedADHD #Neurodivergent #ADHDAwareness #ExecutiveDysfunction #NeuroaffirmingCare #ADHDHome #Burnout #TaskParalysis #ADHDWomen #ADHDSupport by @yo_thrive

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3 months ago

Still think OT is just about work? Think again 🙅‍♀️

In OT, "occupation" = every meaningful daily activity — showering, resting, socialising, cooking, and yes, working too.

It's this whole-life lens that helps us catch burnout and mental health struggles before they escalate.

That's the real magic of Occupational Therapy ✨

#OccupationalTherapy #OTLife #WhatIsOT #HolisticCare #BurnoutPrevention #MentalHealthMatters by @yo_thrive

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3 months ago

Your home should work for your brain.
Not society's idea of what a home should look like.

The truth is, most of us were never taught how to assess our environment through a sensory lens. We just internalised the shame when it didn't work.

That's where Occupational Therapy comes in.
OTs are specially trained to assess both your unique sensory needs and your living environment. By doing so they can help you bridge the gap between the two with practical, personalised support that actually fits your brain and your life.

Because when your space finally works with you instead of against you? Everything changes.

A sensory friendly home doesn't always look like an IKEA showroom.
It looks like you.
Your needs.
Your regulation.
Your way of being in the world.

#SensoryFriendly #SensoryHome #ThriveSpace #AuDHD #NeurodivergentHome by @yo_thrive

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3 months ago

As a Psychotherapeutic OT, I most love helping people to find their thrive space.

A Thrive space is the unique combination of environments, occupations, relationships, routines and supports that allows your nervous system to feel safe enough to flourish.

#occupationaltherapy
#occupationaltherapist
#otuk
#otlife
#mentalhealthot
#neuroaffirmingpractice
#strengthsbasedapproach by @yo_thrive

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3 months ago

Voice notes I sent to my sister from my thrive space🌿#nature #nervoussystemregulation #thriving #thrivingnotsurviving #happyplace taken in Wales, UK by @yo_thrive

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3 months ago

As an Occupational Therapist, one of my favourite things to do is help people understand their sensory needs.

There's something so special about watching someone discover what actually helps their nervous system settle — and build a personalised sensory diet that brings calm, focus, and regulation into their everyday life.

Knowing first hand how life changing this can be; that's the values-based work I love!

#Regulation #CalmAndRegulated #SensoryWellbeing #SelfRegulation #NervousSystemRegulation #OTForAdults #SensoryAwareness #SensorySupport #OT taken in West Yorkshire by @yo_thrive

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3 months ago

A diagnosis doesn't change who you are.

It just helps you understand why you've always been this way — and gives you permission to stop fighting yourself.

Swipe through to see the ways in which my personal diagnosis has helped me to thrive➡️

Some of these shifts were big. Some were small. All of them have made life feel a little lighter.

Knowing how your brain works isn't about labelling yourself. It's about freeing yourself.

What has your journey taught you?

#AuDHD #LateDiagnosed #DiagnosisJourney #Unmasking #NeurodivergentPride #JusticeSensitivity #ValuesBasedLiving #RestIsProductive #SensitiveHeart by @yo_thrive

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4 months ago