Sasha Wray Occupational Therapist

27/04/2026

Presence is the here and now and us the only moment that truly matters. Being present is the path to happiness, health, recovery from pain and living a good life.
But the reality is that it's very very hard to be present every moment of the day.

We can practice being present, like in meditation or when are fully engaged with what we are doing.

Or we can experience it in nature. Feeling this boab tree in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens was like connecting into a never ending still point on pure presence. Dropping into this space was an inkling of ferling connected with the he unified field.

Happy Earth Day

22/04/2026

A snap shot of the past 4 days at the 2026 Conference in Adelaide.
So great to connect with this world wide community - all with one thing in common - helping people living with pain.

20/04/2026

Super happy with my poster presentation at the Australian Pain Society conference Adelaide this week.

Thank you to who co-authored, edited and guided me in the process of translating the clinical case to an academic standard.

It is show casing the important & vital role of occupational therapy in treating chronic pain.

As a therapist who values the importance of person led care I'm surprised that my poster is one of very few with a real person pictured!

It's a case study of recovery from back pain within 6 months of OT involvement after 23 years of having every other intervention available.

Aside from this incredible outcome the poster highlights an OT model of practice which puts personally identified occupational disruption at the centre.

Feel free to reach out if you want to find out more. The full case presentation can be read at https://www.nextwavetherapy.com.au/meaningful-occupation-is-a-life-shaping-force-case-study

14/04/2026

08/04/2026

Flow is essential part of the therapy I offer for pain management, fatigue and mental health.

Flow State is an integral part of human nature and the occupational brain.
Neuroplasticity occurs because of experience and participation in life activities (our occupations).

When meaning, presence, rest & flow are integrated - the nervous system can make the changes it needs for healing.

06/04/2026

Our understanding of FND or Functional Neurological Disorder has come a long way since even the mid 1990's where I first encountered the condition while working in an acute psychiatric hospital.

FND is a neurological disorder
- diagnosis is no longer made by negative tests (ruling out other conditons)
- there are very clear daignstic criteria and tests to diagnose FND

FND is a functional disorder
- this means the way the nervous system functions (communicates) is impaired

Symptoms include
- functional seizures
- muscle cramping / intense spasm
- problems with gait/balance / mobility
- involunary movements
- speech, swallowing and language problems
- bladder & bowel changes
- cognitive changes
- sensory changes
- pain
- fatigue

➡️all ultimatley cause occupaitonal disruption‼️

Occupational Therapists help FND by focusing on
🛁🧹 what you need to do in life,
🎻🚴‍♀️what you want to do in life
so you can focus on being you!

📞 Call 93374640 fo rmore info

04/04/2026

I had synchronicity moment this morning with Moon 🌝
At the traffic lights on my way to work, I listened to the count down for Artemis to take off for the moon. The first time since 1972, the radio announcer said...

"Wow 😮 incredible my thoughts were as I looked up to see the actual moon!! And then start to ponder on flow and how these incredible moments happen when we are feeling aligned, relaxed and purposeful in life.

The pressures and stressors are still there but we somehow transcend it all."

My musings were brought back to earth 🌍 when I then heard the interviewee say that the plan is to build a base on the moon as a stopover to Mars. With people living there and regular commutes from Earth by 2040!!!!

Now ever since I saw the movie 2040 this has been a year that I associate with potentially environmental disaster unless we change how we live and treat the earth.

I'm not sure which way we'll go.

03/04/2026

When it comes to chronic pain recovery, upskilling in managing thoughts + feelings is essential.

This quote by — Hector Garcia Puigcerver - says it all.

“If we try to get rid of one wave with another, we end up with an infinite sea.”

Let me explain..

Thoughts - when pain persists it is likely and expected that soemone would develop obsessive thoughts e.g. about recovery "what can I do?", self pity "why me?", worry "will this ever end?", anger "I've done everything advised and it hasn't worked"

When you are then told that thoughts can impact pain - it can be hard to understand, especially when you are then told not try to control them or get rid of them. If we do, they become more intense.

Emotions - We don’t create our feelings; they simply come to us.

Whether it's thoughts &/or feelings that you are struggling with, this quote is another way of saying that have to find a way to accept them.

The trick is welcoming them, making room for them to be there alongside pain and discomfort.

We can’t predict or control them; we can only observe them.

31/03/2026

I had to share this marginalian article because it speaks of hope, forgiveness, art and power of engagement in life and living (your occupations).
And because I'm a huge Nick Cave fan, from his early days, and he just gets better with age!

In praise of “the necessary and urgent need to love life and one another, despite the casual cruelty of the world.”

24/03/2026

AI in health care is something I am still grappling with. This video highlights some very alarming concerns.
- predicted discharge dates that have to be adhered too despite patients not being ready

Within most presentations there is a recognized treatment pathway where we can predict the course of time someone needs for recovery.

It's helpful so that when recovery doesn't happen within the expected timeframe we know it's time to review things.
We don't say according to the literature or allogorthym you should be healed and then see them off.

This type of discharge planning will lead to increased injury, suffering and cost.

24/03/2026

We rarely hear about fatigue in Endometriosis and Adenomyosis

21/03/2026

When I was a child, little delighted me more than the magical green garlands draping from the pine trees, which I made into wreaths and mustaches to roam the mountains of Bulgaria as a miniature Or…