June 2007

Therapy incorporates mind as well as body

Alfred Hospital occupational therapist Nichola Coombs has found an interesting niche combining traditional elements of her profession with psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

For 10 years, Ms Coombs has worked with infants, children and parents with mental health problems both in Australia and overseas—including stints in a Romanian orphanage and a Bangladesh hospital.

She now works with the Alfred’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

While she deals with the traditional areas of occupational therapy such as assisting children with motor skills and dexterity problems that impede occupational performance, she also works psychodynamically with families and highly-distressed infants.

She may look at how a parent’s childhood, for example, might impact on parenting style and the relationship with the infant.

Ms Coombs trained as an occupational therapist and has completed a Masters in Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy—a rather rare mix of specialties.

Having always had a passion for psychiatry, her first placement as an cccupational therapist was in adolescent psychiatry where she found it fascinating to work with the entire family unit.

Ms Coombs said a strong interest in mental health and a supportive environment at CAMHS had allowed her to branch out from the traditional areas of occupational therapy.

‘I have a similar generic case load to a social worker or a psychologist in CAMHS and enjoy the diversity of an emerging specialty role as an occupational therapist and psychotherapist in infant mental health.

‘It highlights the flexibility of a profession like occupational therapy.’