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For many years, I have been increasingly concerned about the emotional and mental toll of working in our sector.
We enter this field to be of service to others to support the health and wellbeing of our community, and yet this can be at the cost of our own health and wellbeing.
The challenges are not just limited to direct client work. Increasingly, it is the underfunded and ever-changing systems and workplaces expectations and dynamics that create the strain.
In 2024, I felt compelled to address this through writing a free book and a series of associated webinars. Addressing the Cost of Caring series was designed to raise awareness and provide practical support to a sector I am part of and feel deeply for.
This series recognises a critical truth - you cannot out-resilience a system that is not designed to support sustainable care.
The pressures facing providers across all sectors have not eased. Ongoing funding constraints, policy shifts, financial and administrative pressures and increasing service demand continue to shape how care is delivered and experienced. These are not isolated challenges. These conditions extend beyond individual responsibility and reflect broader system constraints impacting the workforce.
If you would find it helpful to explore these themes and be better equipped to:
Recognise the difference between individual responsibility and system constraints
Understand the cumulative impact of sustained care demands
Identify what can be influenced, and what must be acknowledged
Build sustainable ways of working within imperfect systems
then my resources below are designed to support you.
Free Book -
Free Book -
Caring Costs - Addressing the Cost of Caring in Healthcare
Drawing on powerful survey responses and interviews with healthcare professionals, this book delves into the challenges of sustainability, burnout, moral injury, and the toxic systems that undermine wellbeing.
But it's not just about the problems. This book offers a vision of hope, providing practical pathways for individual wellbeing and team transformation.
The book itself is available for FREE to all via downloadable PDF by clicking the link below and completing the form.
What Readers Are Saying
“Michelle’s book is timely and powerful, a frank depiction of the wicked problems facing the healthcare system.
The heartbreaking stories gleaned from healthcare professionals cannot be ignored. Michelle not only unearths the concerns for all to see but with grace delivers hope for a future. Michelle generously shares practical steps each one of us can take to improve our own and our team’s well-being while highlighting the advocacy role we need to take collectively for the benefit of the community we serve.
Every person in the healthcare industry from clinician to politician should read this book!”
— Dr Julie Rowse | Leadership Wellbeing Expert & Mental Health OT
“With generosity and insight Michelle has clearly and comprehensively laid out the costs of caring for health professionals.
She names what many of us have been experiencing and puts the responsibility where it lies - with our underfunded and overstretched systems.
She also clearly outlines what needs to happen for workplaces to be psychologically safe and for workers to be able to work in alignment with their values.
I highly recommend this book for all health professionals and especially for those who fund our health services.
— Naomi Kalman | Mental Health OT | Family Therapist | Supervisor and Consultant.
“As facilitator of the NDIS OT Community of Practice, the stories shared in Caring Costs deeply resonate. They reflect the struggles I hear daily from allied health professionals working in the NDIS space.
This wonderful book reminds us that meaningful change can start with a few voices coming together to spark a movement—a movement to uplift our professions, our workplaces, and the clients we care for.”
— Sarah Collison | Director Verve OT
“The book examines how this crisis has arisen and introduces the reader to the concept of the ‘Wicked Problems’ of Healthcare’.
It explores complex issues such as burnout, moral injury, toxicity in the workplace and in overarching systems, and the overall cost of these on individual health professionals and the healthcare sector. The final section explores sustainability and importantly offers hope for a way forward. It reminds us that individuals can take charge of what is within their control, have influence and be advocates for systemic changes.
Michelle’s extensive experience as a mental health clinician, supervisor and leader in the health sector shine through. She generously shares her wisdom, knowledge and her passion for supporting health professionals to thrive in sustainable, psychologically safe and healthy workplaces.
Caring Costs is a highly accessible must read for all health professionals and leaders in health care.”
- Kathy Eyre | Senior Mental Health Clinician (OT in public and private practice)
“In Michelle’s true style, this book is a valuable gift, written with thought, compassion and expertise. Easy to read, she offers many practical self-care strategies while fostering hope.
Within the first few pages, you will feel seen, really seen and very appreciated.”
— Sian O’Neile | Senior Occupational Therapist | Around and About Occupational Therapy Driving Assessment
Free Recorded Webinars
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Setting Boundaries
August 2024
In this webinar, Michelle covers three key areas:
• Understanding the critical importance of boundaries
• Exploring the common barriers to setting clear boundaries
• Practical Strategies for Setting Effective Boundaries
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Thriving Sustainably Webinar Recording
August 2024
In this webinar, you will gain valuable insights and tools that will help you not only survive but even thrive in your healthcare career.
During this 45 minute recording, I explore these three areas:
Building sustainability through crises
Sustainable self-care practices
Strategies that leaders and teams can apply to build sustainability
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Navigating Moral Injury Webinar Recording
August 2024
Moral injury encompasses the impacts that systems can have on our mental, psychological and spiritual well-being.
During this 45 minute recording, I explore:
• What is moral injury?
• How is it different from vicarious trauma?
• What are the emerging approaches to navigating moral injury?
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Addressing the Cost of Caring Webinar Recording
July 2024
In context of healthcare cuts and NDIS challenges, we need. to address the costs of caring on our workforce.
During this 45 minute recording, I explore:
• What are the costs of caring?
• What are the emotional, occupational, spiritual, personal and professional impacts?