Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My story, much like any other, begins with my parents and their parents. My parents were born in China in families each with four or five siblings in an area of poverty. There were limited opportunities available at this time. What I admire so much was their courage to leave their family and friends, and everything they know to immigrate to a new country in pursuit of a better life and opportunity for their children to come. I imagine moving to a new country, not knowing the language, having limited to no funds, and having to adapt to a whole new culture – that shocks me and I am in awe of their bravery. My parents put in a lot of hard work, working long laborious hours for low wages. Their hard work and sacrifice put me through private education schooling, additional tutoring and extracurricular activities. My mother particularly, instilled and modelled a sense of hard work and persistence through challenging times to which I owe my success.

Although many immigrant parents push their children to become doctors and lawyers, passing on their dreams that stem from their childhood living in poverty with limited opportunities, I am so thankful that my parents didn’t. While there was an encouragement to ‘do your best’, there was never a focus on top grades. They allowed me to find and explore what career paths I was interested in which led me to the field of health, paediatrics and occupational therapy. They have supported my passion and every career move I have made including venturing out on my own and starting my own business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a paediatric occupational therapist and business owner. That means that it is my job to help children do the things they want to, need to, or are expected to do! This can be activities like learning to write their name, tie their shoelaces, learn to make friends or how to ride a bike. This job requires a tonne of playing – which is incredible!

I had always known that I wanted to work with children, or as I call, “little humans”. They are genuinely so playful, honest and curious. Whether it was a teacher, early educator, nurse, a speech language pathologist (SLP) or an occupational therapist (OT). While I had studied on the path to become a SLP, my path led me to be an OT. Over the years, I realised that not getting what you want is an extraordinary stroke of luck. I feel so aligned to my work as an OT.

In Australia, there is a shortage of OTs. Children are often stuck on waiting lists for months or even years. A challenge for clients is that they can experience inconsistent care as therapists move from company to company, which impacts their progress and quality of care. This is where I decided to venture out to start my own practice where I was in control of the quality of services I provide and the number of clients I see per day to prevent burn out and maintain work life balance.

As a business owner, what sets me apart is that I can be creative about the services I provide to meet the needs of my families. For example, this year, I introduced a toy library into my services so that I can lease educational and therapy tools and resources to families so they can practice implementing strategies throughout the week to maximise therapy progress.

In today’s digital era, it is important to stay up to date with social media. Through my platform Jess Than Perfect, I share activity ideas, therapy strategies, educational and lifestyle content to parents, teachers and therapists all over the world. This is an incredible platform to inspire and BE inspired.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The most challenging thing I experienced in my life was overcoming Topical Steroid Withdrawal (also known as TSA, TSW, RSS). Topical steroids are creams that are prescribed to treat and control eczema. However, with use, our bodies become used to the medication and a higher dose is required to control the eczema. In my 2.5 decades of eczema, I used a variety of topical creams and oral steroids then suddenly nothing worked. My body was so angry and calling for this medication that it had become addicted to! At my worst, the best way I can visually describe my skin was that of a burn victim.

The symptoms associated were not only physical – the red, weepy, flaky skin. I experienced challenges with movement, sleep, concentration, depression and social anxiety. It’s funny – the irony. As an occupational therapist, I am trained to support my clients to play, be independent with self-care and develop friendships. Meanwhile, I myself could not move with ease, shower comfortably or be confident in social situations. I managed to work part-time and remotely where possible so that I could be most comfortable.

It took a long time for me to find the right treatment. The biggest challenge I faced was actually seeking medical support – just asking for help. It seems simple – if you are sick, you go to the doctor, right? However, I lost trust in the medical system. After all, my illness was due to the treatments provided by doctors I trusted. I found a research hospital and went through clinical trials, which were unfortunately unsuccessful.

When I found the right treatment for me, I felt like I was given a new life. I was finally able to get through a day of work and still have energy remaining. I had strong friendships and social commitments. I was dating my now-fiance. We bought a home together. I travelled a lot! I had to courage to change roles and seek leadership positions. I worked and I loved it. I even over-worked just because I could and there was absolutely nothing holding me back.

My experience with TSW has moulded me into the empathetic therapist I am today. It has also taught me about resilience. I always have a plan B. I always make the best of each situation. I always make space for how I’m feeling and keep moving forward.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

In my experiences, I value growth mindset, therapists who ask for feedback and are able to reflect on their learning experiences. These are practices that therapists can do to actively improve and to create change!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jessthanperfect.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessthanperfect_ot/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-lee-16ab9783/