OTGrow

OTGrow We train & provide Occupational Therapists & health care workers, nationally & internationally, in f We don't stop after the training.

We strive to keep OTGrow trained therapists current and to offer consistent professional and personal support. We have seen OTGrow therapists develop into dynamic therapist who make a difference in any field they are in. We acknowledge the sacred space of each group and the potential it offers to "Heal SA (and the world) one group at a time"

Anyone who has worked in a group knows those moments, the ones that are difficult to explain but impossible to miss. A ...
15/06/2026

Anyone who has worked in a group knows those moments, the ones that are difficult to explain but impossible to miss.

A shift happens. Conversations soften.

People who were once guarded begin to lean in. Even disagreement can settle into something more human, more understanding. These moments don’t happen by accident. They emerge when people feel safe enough to put down their defences, even briefly, and show up more honestly. At OTGrow, we hold space for that risk because when it happens, something powerful comes through. And it’s often in those moments that real connection begins to take shape again.

https://otgrow.co.za/

Crafts in groups can be so much more than a completed product.In the final episode of our OTGrow series on using crafts ...
12/06/2026

Crafts in groups can be so much more than a completed product.

In the final episode of our OTGrow series on using crafts in groups, Louise brings the series together and reflects on how crafts can be used as meaningful and effective therapeutic tools in occupational therapy group work.

Throughout the series, we returned to three important questions:

- Where is the therapeutic intervention?
- Where is the group intervention?
- What goal are we trying to achieve?

This final episode recaps how crafts can be used to support specific skills, strengthen group cohesion, facilitate team process, and create space for creative process through the Model of Creative Ability.

It also reminds us to consider the wider context when selecting craft activities: the group, the community, the culture, and the purpose of the intervention.

We would love to hear from you:
What stood out for you in this series?
Has anything shifted in the way you think about using crafts in groups?

Watch the final episode on the OTGrow YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/PeUUM47oYak

Happy facilitation!

FINAL CALL!Not all groups connect, but they can. This course shows you how.Advancing Social Cohesion in Groups & TeamsSt...
10/06/2026

FINAL CALL!

Not all groups connect, but they can. This course shows you how.

Advancing Social Cohesion in Groups & Teams

Starts 22 June
Online | 19:00–21:30
36 CPD points
R5,250

Registration closes 12 June and spaces are filling quickly. If this work matters to you, now is the time.

Register here: https://otgrow.co.za/training/advancing-social-cohesion-in-groups/ or contact: [email protected]

Hugenote Kollege I Hugenote Kollege / Huguenot College Wellington

There’s a moment in group work when someone pauses… and you can almost see the decision happening: “Do I say what I real...
08/06/2026

There’s a moment in group work when someone pauses… and you can almost see the decision happening: “Do I say what I really think or soften it?”

Many people have learnt to hold themselves back to fit in, keep the peace, or avoid getting it “wrong.” Over time, that can create distance, even in a room full of people. At OTGrow, we work carefully to create spaces where people can take that risk, to speak more honestly, even when it feels uncomfortable. Because it’s often in those unfiltered moments that something shifts, connection feels more real, and people feel less alone in who they are.

https://otgrow.co.za/

Crafts in group therapy are never “just crafts.”In Part 5 of our series on using crafts in groups, explores how craft ac...
05/06/2026

Crafts in group therapy are never “just crafts.”

In Part 5 of our series on using crafts in groups, explores how craft activities can become part of a deeper creative process, one that supports participation, confidence, belonging, drive, and community empowerment.

This episode looks at how the Model of Creative Ability can guide our facilitation, especially when working with groups where self-doubt, fragile motivation, or low confidence may be present.

Louise also shares beautiful examples of creative group projects, including mosaics, compassion blankets, signboards, and community performances reminding us that the goal is not simply to complete a craft, but to facilitate growth through the process.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/tXRz8SYxL8s

Happy facilitation!

Groups lose momentum fast when energy dips and facilitators feel it immediately. OTGrow’s Warm‑Up Series is designed to...
03/06/2026

Groups lose momentum fast when energy dips and facilitators feel it immediately.

OTGrow’s Warm‑Up Series is designed to change that. This online resource gives you:

- Access to all 8 training videos.
- Louise’s Favourite Warm‑Ups Manual.
- A downloadable Warm‑Up Evaluation Form.
- 4 months’ access to revisit, reflect, and refine.

These aren’t filler activities. They’re intentional warm‑ups that energise clients, increase participation, and set the tone for meaningful group work. If you want your groups to arrive present, engaged, and ready this is where you start. Purchase online via the OTGrow website and strengthen your group sessions from the first minute.

https://otgrow.co.za/product/warm-up-series-louises-favourite-warm-ups-manual/

So often, people hold themselves back, not because they lack ability, but because they’re focused on who they’re expecte...
01/06/2026

So often, people hold themselves back, not because they lack ability, but because they’re focused on who they’re expected to be. Bernie Siegel reminds us that growth begins when we shift our attention inward, away from performance, approval, and “acting”, and toward authenticity and being.

In group therapy, this shift is powerful.

At OTGrow, our training encourages participants to move from What do others think of me? to What do I think of myself? From doing more, to being more fully present. Through the IGM, group activities become spaces where participants can explore, express, and reconnect with themselves in meaningful ways. This is where real change begins.

What helps people feel safe enough to stop acting and start being in your groups?

https://otgrow.co.za/

Crafts in groups are not just about making something beautiful; they can become a powerful team process too. In Part 4 o...
30/05/2026

Crafts in groups are not just about making something beautiful; they can become a powerful team process too.

In Part 4 of our Crafts in Group Therapy series, Louise explores how shared craft projects can be used to strengthen social participation, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and group cohesion. This episode is all about looking beyond the activity itself and seeing the therapeutic value in the process of creating together.

If you facilitate groups, this conversation will help you think more intentionally about how crafts can support deeper therapeutic goals especially when the therapist steps in and out of the process to guide the group when needed. In this video, we explore:

- Using crafts to facilitate teamwork.
- Supporting social participation through shared projects.
- Therapist facilitation in group process.
- Building cohesion through creative collaboration.
- Practical examples of team-based craft projects in groups.

What group craft projects have worked well for you? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1WovsuOr5zc

29/05/2026

What happens when a group moves beyond words?

In the Basic Experiential Workshop in Pretoria, Mandy experienced how movement can unlock vulnerability taking groups beyond surface conversations into something deeper, more real, and more shared. Because the truth is: Group spaces are vulnerable, but they are also where connection happens. Where we realise that what we feel isn’t isolated… it’s shared, just expressed differently. And that changes everything.

If you’re ready to bring this kind of depth into your own groups and practice:
Durban Workshop: 17–19 June. Registrations close 5 June. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience this for yourself. Sign up now!

https://otgrow.co.za/training/basic-experiential-workshops/

Mending broken beauty

Time is almost up! If you’ve been thinking about registering for Advancing Social Cohesion in Groups & Teams, this is y...
28/05/2026

Time is almost up!

If you’ve been thinking about registering for Advancing Social Cohesion in Groups & Teams, this is your moment to act. This course is designed for professionals working in real-world complexity where group dynamics are not neat, predictable, or easily resolved. You’ll engage, test, reflect, and return with insight that actually shifts your practice.

– Online.
- 36 CPD points.
- Designed for experienced practitioners (NQF Level 8).
- Immediate, real-world application.

This is not something to “get to later.” Registrations close 12 June. Secure your place now: https://otgrow.co.za/training/advancing-social-cohesion-in-groups/

In collaboration with Hugenote Kollege / Huguenot College Wellington

Address

Anyskop
Tulbagh
6820

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 04:30
Tuesday 08:30 - 04:30
Wednesday 08:30 - 16:30
Thursday 08:30 - 16:30
Friday 08:30 - 01:30

Telephone

+27793442022

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