Season 6 Episode 3: Leading with Heart: Building Boundaries, Teams, and a Sustainable Practice

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce is joined by Jessica, a paediatric occupational therapist who built her own private practice from the ground up and is now navigating what it takes to lead well without losing herself in the process.

With close to a decade and a half in paediatrics, including a foundational stint at a larger multi-site practice with strong mentoring and supervision, Jessica reflects on how that early model continues to shape the way she trains and supports her own team today.

Now leading her practice alongside her husband, she shares openly about the boundaries she's had to build with staff and with herself, the discomfort of renegotiating long-standing relationships as the business has grown, and learning to see profit as something that protects her team rather than something to feel guilty about.

We explore

The personal experience that shaped Jessica's path into occupational therapy

Moving from clinician to business owner, and the boundaries that takes

Setting boundaries with staff, and with herself, as a heart-led leader

The shift in long-standing staff relationships from personal to professional

Why being a great clinician doesn't automatically make you a great supervisor

Reframing profit as protective rather than something to feel guilty about

Building a team culture where ongoing learning is the expectation, not optional

Key takeaways