Growing Oaks OT by Meyer and Nel Occupational Therapy

10/10/2026

This World Mental Health Day, a reminder from the Growing Oaks OT team: you don’t have to have it all together to deserve support you are enough already. Your struggles matter and we hear you. We see your small steps.

01/10/2026

DBT Virtual Workshop

Module 3: Emotional Regulation (PART 1)

😃😂😍🤪🤔🤨🥴

This module teaches you how to better understand, manage, and change intense emotions rather than being controlled by them.

Emotions are viewed as natural responses that provide information and motivate us to act. They are not inherently “good” or “bad,” and having an emotion does not mean we have to act on it!😆

The goal is not to get rid of emotions. The goal is to understand them, tolerate them, and choose responses that are effective rather than acting automatically on emotional urges.😀

DBT also encourages us to understand the different parts of an emotional experience:

Trigger: What happened before the emotion? ❓️

Thoughts: What did I tell myself about the situation? 💭

Body sensations: What did I notice physically?👂

Urges: What did I feel like doing? 🤸‍♀️

Action: What did I actually do? 🎬

After-effects: What happened afterward? 🤔

WARNING ! ⚠️

🌿🚗 Calm road. Beautiful scenery. Peaceful moment…

And then… 😱

Did your heart race? Did you hold your breath? Did your body tense or jump?

That reaction is a great reminder that emotions aren’t just something we think, we experience them in our bodies too. Our nervous system can react in a split second, before we’ve even had time to process what happened.

So… what did you notice in your body?💪🏼

🧠💭 Time for a quick check-in with yourself.

Pause...Take a breath... Notice what’s happening inside...

Not sure what you’re feeling? Use an emotion wheel 🎡 to help put a name to it.

25/09/2026

KINDA CHIC to celebrate OT Week 🧠✨

Helping people reconnect with what matters, rediscover meaningful occupations, and find their way back to everyday life.

17/09/2026

11/09/2026

Amber: Jamie how do you regulate during the week?

Jamie: Padel, all day, everyday 😉

After a few busy weeks Jamie suggested that we play padel after work. Why is padel regulating you might ask?

Movement helps release tension, while focusing on the game can bring you back to the present moment. It also provides social connection, structure, sensory input and those little “I did it!” moments that build confidence. 🌱

Sometimes regulation can look like moving your body, having fun and connecting with others. 🎾✨

03/09/2026

ADHD in the Mall- the final one!

We’ve shown the forgetting, the losing things, the impulsive buys, the walking back and forth and all those little ADHD moments that can make a simple trip to the mall… not so simple.

But let’s end with this side of ADHD.

The playfulness. The spontaneity. The ability to find fun in the most ordinary moments.

Because sometimes a ramp isn't just a ramp…
Sometimes it's an opportunity to grab your trolley and have a little fun.

ADHD can come with real challenges, but it can also come with an enthusiasm and sense of play that we don't always have to suppress.

We spend enough time telling ourselves to slow down, concentrate, remember, organise and “act our age.”

Sometimes you can just enjoy the ride.

And that's a wrap on ADHD in the Mall!

01/09/2026

In-service Training 🌱

Last week, a m b e r shared her experience from the OT Grow Basic Experiential Course, held in May 2026, during an in-service training session with our team.

She took us back to the group procedure and reminded us of the importance of creating meaningful, engaging groups to get the best out of our patients.

Because let's be honest... no group is completed with a good ice breaker/warm up activity! 😄 And you definitely don't need to ask Amber twice to get everyone involved.

For our warm-up activity, the OT team was challenged to create an outfit entirely from recycled materials within just 15–20 minutes. And, to no surprise, our OTs absolutely understood the assignment! 👗✨

The theme? “Rubbish to Red Carpet” ♻️❤️

This creative activity highlighted the idea of transforming negative thoughts into more positive and empowering ones, taking something that may seem “rubbish” and turning it into something with value.

A little creativity, a lot of teamwork, and plenty of laughter later 🌟

Do we think Jamie is ready for the red carpet? 💁‍♀️

01/09/2026

And so your maternity leave begins…

Stephanie, we’re sending you off with so much love as you step into this beautiful new chapter.
May the months ahead be filled with slow moments, precious memories, plenty of cuddles and time to simply enjoy your growing family.
We’ll miss you, but for now- soak it all in.

See you next year, Steph!

29/08/2026

The Emodied People Series🌿