16 Apr Meet Lucynda Flett
Senior Mental Health Occupational Therapist and CEO & Ffounder of Thrive On Therapy
I haven’t always wanted to be in health science, in fact when I completed yr 12. I went straight to The Whitehouse institute of Design to become a “Fashion Designer”.
I learnt very quickly that the industry was hard, bitchy and I just did not have the creativity as those in my cohort. I completed my degree, but “threw” the piece of paper in a folder- and to be honest, I haven’t looked at it since ( this was nearly 15 years ago). BUT I did learntI loved op shops and that’s about it. It wasn’t for me.
I think my young mind was thinking I could be the next Sex and the City stylist or somtheing extreme??
I got married young, had my now eldest daughter London 11yrs and became a personal trainer ( this all came from being a fat child, and embarking on my own weightloss journey hence post high school, one thing led to another).
In between, I created and owned a donut business and a gym – go figure???!! Strange. But it didn’t fill my soul.
I am often asked, why did you become an OT? I would respond, because I was a personal trainer and I had a young gentleman with an acquired brain injury whom I just couldn’t make progress with. It was keeping me wondering all night!
His impairments and my knowledge/skills were worlds apart. I realised then… I MUST do more, I NEED to know more to master this! I went to uni as a mature-aged student looking to do Physiotherapy, released the course was too hard and my brain was too small therefore, I chose OT… BEST decision of my life! As I studied more and more, I felt, “yes”, this is my calling!
After completing a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy, then joining the field in Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation, my passion and fire drove me to further educate myself to be the best clinician I can for my clients. Therefore, I proceeded to complete my Masters of Mental Health. From there, I found my calling in community mental health and have loved every minute of my professional role! Some days emotionally break me- the physical and emotional pain of others can often weigh down my heart( cons of being an empathic personality), and other days; the wins- bring me to tears of joy.
However, I never really knew why I was so passionate about my purpose until a few years ago, after completing intensive life coaching which happens to be my best friend. I reflected and came to the realisation that during my teenage and early adulthood years, I experienced my own struggles with mental health, but like most of us, I swept it under the rug and took on the ” old school country way”, of head down, bum up approach. Surprise, it all festered! Working through my traumatic emotional experiences- learning to accept who I am, my good and bad decisions, that my journey did NOT turn out like our year 9 dreams of the “white picket fence” and “perfect life resume”, and THAT’S OK!! I have settled in the fact that I am UNAPOLOGETICALLY me, and every hard road, every win has formed me today.
I see the “old ways” of me in the people I treat everyday, so I try everyday to encourage them, that there is LIGHT, HOPE and answers, it may be a maze to get to them, but it’s there.
I have had the blessing of meeting and assisting the most amazing clients and other health professionals in my field. I believe my purpose in life is to be and do exactly what I am doing daily… Helping others achieve their best life. I am a mentor and clinical supervisor for Occupational Therapy students and assistants, allowing me to spread and teach my passion and knowledge to others to continue making an impact in the mental health field.
I do also get a slight excitement rush when involved in complex cases as the complexities challenge my brain; which helps me evolve, appreciate and add more “tools” to my skill set to make a better clinician. Like a conqueror, I guess?
Thrive On Therapy was created with a small idea and a big passion- that i never really realised the depths of my WHY unless only a few years ago .
My goal is for all of our staff and clients to “thrive” and live their best life.
We have just collaborated with Beddown, a charity that is turning large carparks into beds for the homeless, providing meals and employment pathways to improve their quality of life. So instead of receiving a speaker fee from The Brunch Club, I have asked Lauren to donate the fee directly to Beddown on my behalf.
- $20 can provide a clothing pack for a homeless person
- $60 can provide a great night’s sleep for 2 people at a Beddown venue
- $80 can provide clothing packs for 4 people
- $120 can provide a bed and linen pack for someone to sleep on.
- $150 can support the provision of a bed and bedding for a guest to get a great night’s sleep
- $360 can provide a safe and great night’s sleep for 12 people.
See you at The Brunch Club, where you will be helping to provide for our community’s most vulnerable people.
Find Lucynda online…
https://www.facebook.com/thriveontherapy/