Kylie Coningham
Kylie has worked in the NHS as an Occupational Therapist in various mental health settings since qualifying in 2007, gaining experience across acute inpatient mental health settings and the community. She has worked with people experiencing acute mental health issues as well as long-term conditions including depression, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders and eating disorders, and has recent experience supporting people with autism and ADHD diagnoses.
She has extensive experience supporting people with activity scheduling, developing domestic and self-care activities of daily living, vocational skills and leisure participation. Kylie uses person-centred goal setting to guide her practice and takes a creative, collaborative approach to problem solving.
Kylie is highly experienced in using the Model of Human Occupation to guide assessment and intervention. She is a Mental Health First Aider and has completed training in Compassion Focused Therapy, Social Stories and ARFID. She is currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Sensory Integration.
Kylie is also a trained Yoga Nidra facilitator and has delivered numerous sessions to support staff wellbeing within the NHS.
I was studying for my Psychology degree and had started volunteering for Mind at a drop-in service where we supported people to engage in meaningful activity — cooking, crafts, relaxation — and one of the support staff was a former OT who said I’d be good at it! I fell in love with the idea of using activity as a therapeutic tool and supporting people to be more independent in managing their wellbeing, so I went back to university to get my OT degree. I love the collaborative nature of OT — I always feel I’m going on a journey with the people I work with, and seeing real positive changes in their lives is endlessly rewarding.
“You’ve been a real constant that has given me a space to not always be talking about eating. You’re a kind and caring person and I really value the time and strategies to move on in life.”