Leesa Tuffnell is an experienced Occupational Therapist and coach with over 20 years in the field. Through her business, The Mindful OT, she helps clinicians prevent and recover from burnout by blending OT principles, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) techniques, and somatic practices, empowering them to thrive both at work and in life. Eleanor, our Marketing Coordinator met with Leesa to learn more about her experiences.
Hi Leesa, thanks for accepting our invite to do this interview. To begin, could you please share how you ended up here; what did you do before OT? And how did The Mindful OT come about?
Thank you for inviting me!
I’ve always been an OT. I attended the University of Queensland fresh out of high school and graduated in 2003.
The Mindful OT was born out of my own lived experience of burnout, stress, and self-doubt as an OT. I saw how much Occupational Therapists needed more than just clinical skills – we also needed to be able to address our own mental and emotional well-being. After training in mindfulness, NLP, and somatic coaching, I created The Mindful OT to provide therapists with tools to prioritise self-care, emotional resilience, and sustainable practice.
I love how you found a challenge in your career and decided to do something about it. OT is such a broad-support therapy. For the non-OTs reading this. Would you be able to summarise what OT means to you?
There’s a quote that I particularly love, and this sums up what OT means to me:
“When people ask me, what OT is and what we do, I tell them this. Picture a wall in front of you, as far to the left, as far to the right, and as far high you can see. In that wall, there is a door and that door is locked. On the other side of that door is what makes your heart happy – Playing with your kids, sewing, taking your dog for a walk, taking care of yourself without any help… It could be anything that makes a bad day not so bad anymore. That’s your occupation.
Some people are born lucky and have their key and can walk through the door their whole life without a problem. Other people aren’t as fortunate. They’ve either lost their key or never had it to begin with, and it’s my job to get them through that door.
If I can’t, we bust a hole and make a new one.”
– Katie Mary
Oh wow. I think I’m going to keep that imagery in my back pocket the next time I get asked about what an OT does. I find people tend to get confused about what an OT can support with. What is a common misconception that people tend to have about OT?
Where do I start?!
Aside from the common misconception that ‘occupation’ refers solely to employment, the big one I see in coaching is the belief that every therapist has it all figured out.
Every single OT experiences doubt at different points in their career. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. Is it natural? 100% And contrary to popular belief, doubt can be super helpful!
Impostor syndrome is so so real and rampant in our industry of selfless givers. (Quick sidenote to all the OTs and allied health therapists reading this, you’re doing great, keep going. Now back to the interview – ) What is your favourite part of being an OT?
For me it’s the scope and flexibility of practice. During my career I’ve been lucky enough to work across a variety of clinical settings – hospital, aged care, mining and paeds (just to name a few!)- but I’ve also had the opportunity to work in Quality Assurance, Research & Development, Senior Operations and Supervision. The very best part of being an OT is that I get to do work that aligns so beautifully with my own values, which are contribution, creativity and health!
“…there’s no need to tackle your OT journey on your own. Our industry is full of amazing people who are passionate about providing support – because no OT should be left behind!
It’s incredible the variety of experiences you can get within the one discipline. What does your day to day look like?
Ooooh I love my day! As a sole trader, I have made a conscious effort to ensure that my business works for my lifestyle, and that all of my activities of daily living are directly linked to my values. I typically get up early, do a workout and then enjoy a coffee whilst getting my little people ready for school. After drop off, you’ll find me engaged in a mix of clinical services, OT coaching, training, online course creation, plus running my social media accounts. I work between school bells, which allows me the freedom to focus on quality family time of an afternoon and evening.
I love that you’ve curated your career to work for you. We spend so much time working, it’s so important that we make our career supportive of the life we want to live. What’s a highlight you’ve had as an OT?
I once had the opportunity to re-design an underground conveyor belt for a mining giant. The system was problematic in that it required workers to use heavy / awkward manual handling practices to operate it, which of course resulted in a high injury rate.
I was able to use my OT knowledge of body mechanics, ergonomics and change management, to develop a much safer alternative. The belt went on to win an industry award and was implemented across several sites. I love being able to contribute to things that are bigger than myself!
Oh wow. That’s incredible. It’s great seeing how OT skills can be used outside of the clinical space. What is your favourite part of being an OT coach?
Definitely playing witness to the amazing transformations that happen during coaching. I’ve seen OTs completely turn their lives (and businesses!) around for the better.
Being an OT coach allows me to live out my personal mission, which is – to leave an afterglow!
“Every single OT experiences doubt at different points in their career… And contrary to popular belief, doubt can be super helpful!”
Oh that’s beautiful! Before we close off our interview. Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
It’s okay to not have everything figured out, and there’s no need to tackle your OT journey on your own. Our industry is full of amazing people who are passionate about providing support – because no OT should be left behind!
If you want to learn more from Leesa, join her community at
- The Mindful OT Facebook Group
- The Mindful OT on Instagram – @themindfulotau
- Connect with Leesa on LinkedIn
Or, check out The Mindful OT professional services at themindfulot.au
Leesa is the founder of The Mindful OT, a community that supports Occupational Therapists. She is a highly experienced OT, certified in Training & Assessment and Mental Health First Aid, with over 20 years in diverse roles and settings. She’s an accredited NLP Practitioner, Somatic Coach, and Yoga Teacher, with a career spanning from occupational rehab, hospitals, private practice, aged care, and beyond. Leesa’s extensive background also includes mentoring by top OTs and learning from specialists like doctors and psychotherapists.
Eleanor Quinn is the Marketing Coordinator at Ignite Healthcare, she is passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels valued and supported, no matter their background or abilities. Eleanor draws on personal and professional experiences in the disability sector, she believes in recognising people for who they are, championing strength-based support and the Human Rights model of disability to ensure that everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
