Season 6 Episode 1: The First Hire: Growing a Practice and Growing as a Leader

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, I'm joined by Chris, an occupational therapist running his own small private practice specialising in home modifications and assistive technology.

Chris has been working for himself full-time since 2023, building steadily from a standing start during COVID into a practice with subcontractors, a full-time VA, and a part-time support person. Now, with his first full-time employee, a new graduate OT is about to start, Chris is stepping into a new chapter of his business and a new identity as a clinical leader.

Together, we explore what it really looks like to grow a small OT practice intentionally, and what it takes to bring on and support a new graduate well.

We explore:

Building a small OT practice from the ground up in the NDIS and aged care space

The realities of recruiting in a challenging market, even when you are doing everything right

The difference between onboarding an experienced therapist and genuinely teaching a new graduate

Training versus supervision, and why they are not the same thing

Building clinical reasoning, not just clinical tasks

Documenting competency in a way that supports both the new grad and the practice

Structuring your week to absorb the demands of leadership without burning out

Using existing systems and team members more strategically as you grow