Step into 2019 with your head held high!

With the New Year encouraging us to reconsider our habits and aspirations, Occupational Therapists Julia Reid and Katie Gape have created a refreshing opportunity to make changes in a supportive and welcoming workshop.

Together they have more than 40 years' experience supporting people to learn about what helps and hinders them on a daily basis and making change accordingly. This interest has led to their business partnership Paths to Effectiveness.

Their experience in working in mental and physical health settings - with groups, individuals and teams - make the pair well equipped to understand how the mind and body interplay to create our experience of day to day living, and techniques to greatly enhance this. The sessions are designed to give attendees an emotional boost and check how their emotional wellbeing engine is running.

“Often people are not aware of aspects that influence them for better or worse, or what they can do about them if they are aware," explains Katie.

"Sometimes habits and routines have become embedded and people become accustomed to their daily life and the struggles it may contain, not knowing how to make tweaks that can potentially greatly enhance their life, or lacking the confidence to action something.

“One of the benefits of attending a group is the support and energy it gives you. We are both experienced in facilitating groups and no one need feel anxious about attending.’’ Occupational Therapy provides a scientific, evidence based intervention that focuses on the role that occupation plays in giving us our sense of self. The term occupation refers to each activity we do, and we do many of these in the make up of our day – from personal care to work and leisure.

Occupational Therapy incorporates analysis of the individual, the task, the social and physical environments, and the perception of time.

“This analysis is core to our work, and what we are passionate about," says Katie.

"By identifying problems/barriers to functioning optimally, and making suggestions to overcome these, for example via task adaptation, use of techniques, adjustments to the environment, people can perform better and feel better.”

With the current focus on mental health, loneliness and the potential prospects of the New Year this is a timely opportunity to access expertise in a supportive and friendly environment.

“The first “taster” day will be on Sunday, January 27 at the Littledown Centre," says Julia.

"It will incorporate strategies to build confidence and self esteem, relaxation techniques, fun and creativity. This will be followed by a series of sessions on Tuesday evenings where we will go more in depth about motivation, productivity, sleep, and leisure.”

Paths to Effectiveness are also open to working with individuals and teams.

To book a place, or enquire about how Paths to Effectiveness can help you or your team, contact Julia and Katie via the website.

W: pathstoeffectiveness.com E: pathstoeffectiveness@gmail.com