How I Got Here: My Journey as an Overseas Qualified Occupational Therapist.

When I shared this website with a friend and asked, “Do you think it reflects who I am?” she replied, “You need to tell the story of how you got here.” As a therapist, an Argentinian, and a migrant, she insisted that sharing my journey could inspire others—showing them that someone has been in their shoes and made it through.

Although I don’t like making it about myself, I think she has a point, which is why I’ve decided to write this post.

If you are an overseas-qualified OT in Australia, or if you’re back home feeling ready for the next step in your career and considering migration, then maybe—just maybe—this post will spark something in you.

If you’re looking for a supervisor and want to know if I’m the right person for you, this post will give you some insights into who I am and why I do what I do.

I wrote this post as a letter to a friend (you) because I felt it was the best way to address the topic. But also, after spending the last two years mastering academic writing, I wanted to embrace the flexibility of a more personal approach. (In other words, I’m exhausted from writing in passive voice and present perfect!)

Before you dive into my letter, there are two important things to keep in mind: I wasn’t an English speaker in 2020, and I wasn’t born into a wealthy family that could easily provide opportunities for me to travel. Proudly, my sister and I are the first in our family to attend university. Like many Latin American clinicians, I struggled with health insurance payments and found it challenging not only to make a living but also to save money to pursue my dreams.

Dear friend,

You have no idea how much has happened in the last six years. It has been an infinite cascade of events that somehow fell perfectly into place—leading me here.

Remember that training I told you I wanted to do but kept debating whether it was worth the time and money? Well, I did it. I completed my certification in Ayres Sensory Integration. While I was fascinated by the intervention, I also struggled to understand how it was being implemented. So, I had one of those crazy ideas—you know how I get—I asked the instructor (a world-renowned OT) if I could visit her clinic in the U.S. to see how they were applying the approach. And guess what? She said yes!

I know I didn’t even speak English, but I told myself, I’ll make it work. I started taking English classes twice a week, switched my Netflix to English, and even hosted English-speaking travellers to learn from them at home. By September 2018, I was on a plane to California, spending three months learning from the very best.

Then, one day, my tutor had an overlapping schedule and couldn’t be with me for a week. To keep me busy, she handed me the keys to a small storage room in the clinic and simply said, “Try to organise it.” When I walked in, I found it full of data! Piles and piles of assessment forms—some pre, post, and follow-up reports of the same clients. I was fascinated by what I saw.

When my tutor returned a week later, I not only organised the storage room but also created a database with hundreds of data points that tracked clients' progress. That was my first—entirely incidental—experience with research. (By the way, this study was later published in Spanish in the Argentinian Journal of Occupational Therapy). That’s when I discovered my love for research. But I also realised that to pursue research, I needed formal validation from the scientific community—I needed to do a PhD. The problem? There were no PhD programs in Occupational Therapy in Argentina. And that’s when the idea of migration was planted.

Back home, I spent an entire summer immersing myself in English. (I promise I’ll do a post with all my hacks to learn/improve your English!) I took an international English test two times. And guess what? No, I didn’t get the score I needed to apply for a PhD in the U.S. But then I had another great idea—my score was enough to apply for a Work and Holiday visa in Australia!

I thought, I’ll go to Australia for a year or two, take any job I can find, immerse myself in the language, and then apply for my PhD in the U.S.

I got my visa and started looking for jobs—farming, babysitting, anything. But then a friend suggested, “Why not look for an OT job?” I thought it was impossible because, well, my English was terrible. Still, I took a chance and posted in an Australian OT Facebook group:

"Hi, I’m Carolina; I’m an OT with experience working with children and families and advanced training in Ayres Sensory Integration. I’m arriving in Australia on February 13, and I’d love to stay connected with clients and continue learning."

To my surprise, the owner of a clinic reached out. I know, right?! Sometimes, our biggest barriers are just our own doubts.

We had an online interview—OMG, it was so hard—but somehow, I managed to explain myself (I even made a drawing to help). And… I got the job!

I moved to Australia with 1000 AUD and one backpack. I learned the language while working as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. After a year and three more attempts, I finally passed the English exam and completed my professional registration to practice as an OT in Australia.

In the meantime, COVID happened, and the world changed in ways we never imagined. I’m grateful my family remained safe, but being away from everything I knew while the world felt like it was falling apart was incredibly hard. My partner couldn’t come to Australia due to the lockdown, and our relationship fell apart. Even my dog, after getting all his paperwork approved, was stuck at home and couldn’t fly. I found myself completely alone, in a vastly different culture, literally on the other side of the world.

I moved houses several times, felt exhausted by the instability, and often felt like I was starting over again and again. Despite all that, I had amazing colleagues who became friends and helped me thrive. I continued pushing forward with a clear goal in mind; while working toward my professional registration, I completed an online Master’s degree in Argentina. Finally, in 2022, I was already in love with this country, applied, and was accepted into a PhD program in Australia.

Let me say this explicitly, my friend: there are no excuses. If I could do it, you can. It is hard but not impossible.

Now, my PhD explores Ayres Sensory Integration through an occupational-centred lens (I remain curious about how this fascinating theory and frame of reference is implemented in practice). I transitioned from a clinical position to a supervisory role and found my passion in supporting OTs through their journey. My main areas of interest are helping overseas OTs achieve their professional registration in Australia, supporting OT's professional growth, self-confidence and clinical skills, practising in an occupational-centred, family-centred way, and encouraging OTs to incorporate a sensory lens into their practice.

Throughout my PhD, I’ve presented at several conferences, received the Best Student Paper award at the 2023 Australian Occupational Therapy Conference, and was awarded one of the three best research works at the Latin American Sensory Integration Conference the same year. Soon, my first paper in English—A Systematic Review of Ayres Sensory Integration with Children—will be published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for both of us! This journey has been full of hard work, effort, and challenges, but it was worth it! Sending you love and hoping this motivates you to leave your comfort zone, make your bags, and pursue your dreams!