The Open Practice

Have you visited The Open Practice recently?

Whether you’ve attended an appointment, assessment, therapy session, workshop or event, we’d love to hear about your experience.

Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well, identify areas for improvement, and helps others find the support they need.

If you’d like to share your thoughts, you can:
• Leave us a Google review
• Complete our contact form
• Send us an email

Thank you for taking the time to support our team and help us continue providing the best possible care.

Menopause is often discussed in terms of hormones and symptoms, but the nervous system also plays an important role in how women experience this stage of life.

In this episode of the Minds Thrive Talking podcast, Andrew Harpham-Salter, Ben Allez and Dani Hristova explore the role of the vagus nerve and how supporting the nervous system may help women navigate menopause with greater resilience and wellbeing.

Together, they discuss topics including stress, sleep, emotional balance, breathwork, movement and the body’s natural capacity for regulation and restoration.

A thoughtful conversation that offers a different perspective on menopause and women’s health.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk5K6VAtVeA&t=1518s

Did you know The Open Practice has a dedicated therapy space designed to support sensory and movement-based work, alongside more traditional Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions delivered by Marina Dias?

Marina has now been with us for six months and, thanks to growing demand, has expanded her clinics to three days a week. This welcoming space has become a fantastic environment for helping children and young people build confidence, develop skills, regulate emotions and engage through play-based therapeutic activities.

Marina works closely with the wider team supporting neurodevelopment, education and emotional wellbeing, including Kate Hudson, Kirsty Hodge, Gina Selby, Alice Voute and the team at Access Potential. This collaborative approach gives families access to a breadth of specialist support, all in one place.

We’re proud to continue growing services that reflect The Open Practice ethos: accessible, collaborative and centred around the needs of every individual and family.

If you’d like to find out how Occupational Therapy could support you, your child or a loved one, visit our website to learn more and get in touch with our team: https://www.theopen-practice.co.uk/contact

We’re pleased to introduce our new weekly Adaptive Yoga Class with Vicky Watson, following a really positive response to her recent pilot session!

Designed as a gentle, supportive middle ground between chair yoga and traditional mat-based yoga, this class focuses on adaptable movement, breath awareness, mobility and relaxation.

Perfect for anyone:

• Returning to movement or yoga after time away
• Managing injury, stiffness or reduced mobility
• Looking for a calmer, more supported approach
• Wanting movement that feels adaptable rather than performative

There’s no pressure to keep up or get things ‘right’ chairs, props and modifications are encouraged throughout.

During Mental Health Awareness Week, it also feels an important reminder that wellbeing and nervous system support can come in many forms, including movement, breathwork, mindfulness and simply creating space to slow down and reconnect.

📅 Wednesdays
🕕 6pm–7pm
📍 The Open Practice

To find out more or book your place, please follow the link here: https://us.list-manage.com/1CNbobapyua?e=0e45670207&c2id=cc9c852d4e9f3be0316f4870ff672352

Mental Health Awareness Week is an important reminder that mental wellbeing is a fundamental part of overall health.

Many mental health difficulties are not immediately visible, and experiences can vary greatly from person to person. Taking the time to recognise when support may be needed, for ourselves or others, can make a meaningful difference.

At The Open Practice, our multidisciplinary team provides expert care tailored to individual needs, supporting patients across a range of mental health and wellbeing concerns.

To learn more about what we offer at The Open Practice, please visit: www.theopen-practice.co.uk

At a recent CPD event at The Open Practice, we welcomed practitioners for an insightful session exploring how ADHD can present differently in girls and women, and why it is so often overlooked.

The session highlighted how symptoms can evolve across the lifespan, the impact of hormones, and the ways ADHD may be masked by anxiety, perfectionism, or emotional regulation challenges. It also opened up important conversations around more effective, tailored support.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a thoughtful and collaborative discussion.

If you’re interested in attending future events or joining our practitioner community, contact us here: https://www.theopen-practice.co.uk/contact

A big thank you to everyone who came to see us at the Revive + Thrive Health, Fitness and Wellbeing show at Apollo Hotel, Basingstoke this weekend.

It was such a pleasure meeting so many of you and share more about The Open Practice.

A special thank you to those who joined the 1pm talk with Ben Allez & Ben Fedrick, exploring the power of the vagus nerve and a range of insights into how our physical and emotional wellbeing are deeply interconnected.

We hope you found the day insightful!

If you’d like to continue the conversation, you can contact us here: https://www.theopen-practice.co.uk/contact

Why does chronic pain often need more than one type of treatment?

Persistent pain is rarely influenced by just one factor. Muscles, joints, the nervous system, stress, sleep and daily movement patterns can all play a role in how pain develops and continues.

That’s why effective pain management often benefits from a multidisciplinary approach, where different healthcare professionals work together to support different aspects of recovery.

At The Open Practice, our upcoming 8-week Multidisciplinary Pain Management Programme brings together clinicians from several disciplines to provide coordinated, evidence-informed support for people living with persistent pain.

By addressing movement, function, psychological factors and overall wellbeing together, our aim is to help people better understand their pain and build confidence in managing it.

You can learn more about the programme and how to enquire on our website below.

https://www.theopen-practice.co.uk/researchprojects

Introducing our Multidisciplinary Pain Management Programme!

Living with persistent pain can be incredibly challenging, and it is rarely influenced by just one factor. Influences such as movement, the nervous system, stress, sleep and overall health can all play a role.

At The Open Practice, we’re launching a new 8-week Multidisciplinary Pain Management Programme, designed to support people living with long-term pain through a collaborative approach from clinicians across multiple disciplines.

Following an initial triage assessment, participants receive tailored support from our multidisciplinary team, which may include physiotherapy, ACT and mindfulness approaches, nutritional guidance and other clinical input where appropriate.

Our aim is to help individuals better understand their pain, improve daily function and build confidence in managing their health.

If you’d like to learn more about the programme, including suitability, pricing and how to enquire, please visit the page below:

https://lnkd.in/eyCK9xgq

Yesterday we held a fantastic multidisciplinary retreat at The Open Practice, integrating mindful movement, breath practices and nutrition insights to support stress management and recovery. Thank you for the collaboration and engagement from everyone who attended.