Rebecca Thompson

About Rebecca

1994

Mental health foundations

Rebecca graduated from Curtin University of Technology in 1993 and began her career in mental health in 1994, holding positions at Bentley Clinic, Viveash Rehabilitation Centre and Jarrah Road Day Centre in Western Australia. From 1994 to 1996, she worked as a Senior Occupational Therapist in the Psychiatric Unit at The Canberra Hospital.
1996

Royal Perth Hospital

Between 1996 and 2003, Rebecca worked at Royal Perth Hospital across the Inner City Geriatric Service (ACAT), the Home Visiting Unit and the Sir George Bedbrook Spinal Unit, moving from home visiting and environmental modification into spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
2002

Private practice

In 2002, Rebecca established Maximum Independence Occupational Therapy, where she and her team provided acute treatment services to two major private hospitals and community-based rehabilitation services to adults and children with a diverse range of complex diagnoses. These included conditions such as spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputations, burns, multi-trauma, vision and hearing impairments; and various neurological disorders including cerebral palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, multiple sclerosis, stroke, functional neurological disorders, and chronic pain conditions. As Principal Occupational Therapist until 2014, she also supervised and directed the clinical staff involved in these clients’ rehabilitation.
2008

Medico-legal reporting

In 2008 Rebecca commenced work in the area of medico legal reporting. Rebecca is passionate about her role as an expert witness in this field and her diverse skill set and experience enables her to effectively and comprehensively assess all areas of a person’s injury or illness, particularly when there are dual diagnoses or pre-existing conditions.
Now

Principal Occupational Therapist

Rebecca currently serves as the Principal Occupational Therapist at Independent OT Medico Legal, leading the team, supervising their professional development and providing guidance across a wide range of OT medico-legal matters.

Physical, cognitive and psychological expertise

In addition to physical and cognitive diagnoses, Rebecca is well-versed in the psychological aspects of occupational therapy. Her background in mental health, which dates back to 1994, has provided a solid grounding in the assessment of psychological injuries such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic adjustment disorders, personality disorders, and somatoform and pain disorders. This has enhanced her ability to address the complex interplay between physical, cognitive and psychological conditions, which is particularly significant, as many clients with physical injuries and brain injuries often experience concurrent psychological challenges.

This multi-domain expertise is particularly valuable for differentiating overlapping symptoms, such as distinguishing cognitive fatigue caused by sleep disturbance or depression from organic brain injury deficits, or evaluating how chronic pain amplifies psychological distress and perceived functional disability.

Rebecca’s awards and professional leadership

2025Lawyer Monthly Expert Witness Award
2018–2020Sessional lecturer for fourth-year occupational therapy students, Edith Cowan University
2010–2014President, OT Australia WA
201040 Under 40, Business News
2009–2010Private Practice Representative, OT Australia WA
2006OT Entrepreneur of the Year, Australian Association of Occupational Therapy (WA)
2005Research grant, Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development (PHCRED)
2003–2015Member of the HBF Consultative Committee for the Australian Association of Occupational Therapy

Rebecca’s qualifications and professional development

Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy), Curtin University of Technology, WA (1989–1993)
AHPRA registration OCC0001751446

Rebecca completes a minimum of 30 hours of professional development each year. In addition to formal courses, she is a current member of the following clinical interest groups: