Supporting the Whole Person: How Physical and Mental Health Intersect in OT
- admin91478
- Jun 18
- 4 min read
With a background in personal training and nutrition, Renee Brady brings a mind-body-soul approach to mental health that’s equal parts science and heart. At The Base Health, Renee helps clients manage everything from chronic pain to emotional overwhelm—always with compassion, curiosity, and care.
Here we catch up with Renee, learn more about her model of care and insights in being a Mental Health Occupational Therapist.
What inspired you to pursue a career in mental health occupational therapy, and how did your background as a personal trainer and nutritionist influence this path?
I really resonate with the philosophy around helping others build a meaningful life. I have always wanted to peruse a career helping people so when I came across Occupational Therapy I knew it was the right choice for me.
Mental health OT was a unique space I was lucky enough to experience in my early training. I instantly connected to the therapy, and the positive impact supporting others with their mental health had on their confidence and ability to thrive in life.
My previous work as a personal trainer and nutritionist really highlighted the need to support the whole person - mind, body and soul. I find mental health OT allows me to explore all aspects of one’s life and address the daily functioning but also the long-term wellbeing of the individual.
Working with individuals with ASD and BPD requires specialized strategies. What approaches do you find most effective in supporting these clients?
The individual is always the expert on themselves. This approach has always been my moto when supporting someone with their therapy goals. I see my role more in supporting the individual to learn how to build confidence and mastery in their life. In recent years, I have spent more time developing a comprehensive understanding of the diagnoses and evolving my practice as the research continues to evolve.
When it comes to specialised strategies, I do largely draw on skills and concepts from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). I am quite passionate about this model of therapy as it offers so much to individuals.
DBT has a range of tools that can be used broadly with people to support them in building self-awareness and finding ways that work for them individually to regulate, socially connect and build a life worth living.
DBT is a handbook on emotion regulation, tolerating distress, surviving crisis, communication, nurturing relationships, and mindfulness. Basically, a handbook for life skills we may not have learnt as a young person. Most people I meet in the therapy space haven’t had the opportunity to learn the skills that work for them.
I also draw on evidence-based neuroscience when working with neurodivergent individuals to help them understand how to work with their preferences and build self-acceptance of all the incredible capabilities of a neurodivergent brain.
CBT, DBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing – are these approaches used together or on their own in therapy? How do they differ, and when might one be chosen over another?
Evidence based intervention is key however one of the most critical aspect of therapy is attunement. Spending time listening and trying to understand the layers of someone’s life experiences with curiosity and compassion is so important before jumping into an intervention plan.
CBT, ACT, and DBT all echo similar key psychological principles. Depending on the diagnosis, nature of the condition, the individuals learning style, and personality, I will explore the options with the client. I will always explore what is most important to an individual and why it’s important to them. this provides so much value to how the therapy is delivered and what resonates with their needs.
For most clients I will stick to one model. This can reduce confusion and help someone grasp the concepts. At times, I may use key strategies from a few models to really increase the depth in understanding and consolidating the skills.
In your experience, how does incorporating physical health considerations enhance mental health outcomes for your clients?
We are one human - mind body and soul! It’s pertinent to consider how our physical health and mental health impact one another. If one aspect is impacted, there is an inevitable flow on effect.
I see clients with permanent, long- and short-term physical health conditions that are having a huge impact on their mental health. Sessions may involve a holistic approach checking in on how someone is managing their physical health to ensure this support emotional resilience and regulation of the body’s systems.
It is also common in my practice to work alongside other clinicians such as physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, doctors, specialists, dietitians to ensure the whole picture for the person is being viewed from the expert’s clinical lens.
For individuals hesitant to seek mental health support, what advice would you offer to encourage them to take the first step?
Don’t wait to feel ‘ready’ or ‘motivated’. We all have the human condition. Full of imperfections and flaws. To feel supported, heard, and safe when sharing your world commonly starts with hesitation about the therapy process. You won’t know how great it can be until you try it out. Therapists have therapists too. Let’s normalise seeking support for our mental health.
