Sensory Integration Education

We are pleased to announce the winner of the SI Highfliers Scholarship starting in April 2024 is Occupational Therapist, Joanna Pacewicz. We recently spoke to Joanna to find out more about her background and what motivated her to apply for the SI Highfliers Scholarship scheme.

Joanna originally studied and graduated with a master's degree in Psychology in Poland but has always been interested in Occupational Therapy.

Whilst working as a Wellbeing Advisor for Northamptonshire County Council, Joanna was offered the opportunity to study for the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy apprenticeship at the University of Northampton which involved her working 4 days a week at Supporting Independence Programme and Turn Furlong Specialist Care Centre and studying 1 day a week at the university. Joanna graduated last year and since August has been working as an OT in the OT and Neuropsychiatry division at St Andrews Hospital in Northampton. Joanna works on 2 of the wards there – one covering male admissions with brain injuries and the other for older women with mental health needs.

Working with patients with brain injuries and understanding the impact a brain injury can have on a person’s sensory system have ignited Joanna’s interest in Sensory Integration. As someone who herself is living with misophonia, Joanna has first-hand experience of how a sensory approach can help with managing the symptoms of this.

"I applied for the SI Highfliers Scholarship as this is a valuable opportunity for me to train and become an SI practitioner through a well-recognised and high-quality SI programme. I feel the knowledge I’ll gain through my studies will help to improve the treatment and support I’m able to offer my patients with the benefit of applying a sensory lens to it all."

Joanna Pacewicz

Now having the opportunity to study for the Postgraduate Certificate in Sensory Integration through our SI Highfliers Scholarship scheme, Joanna is looking forward to building upon her knowledge of Sensory Integration and being able to put into practice the benefits of applying a sensory lens to the patients she works with.

Joanna is very excited about what the future holds in her new career working as an OT in adult mental health services and learning more through her studies about the importance of delivering these services in a sensory-friendly environment.

PS If you’re a qualified Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist or Physiotherapist who is looking for ways to make a bigger impact for your clients, why not take a look at our postgraduate programme. All our postgraduate courses in sensory integration are accredited by the UK’s award-winning Sheffield Hallam University and you can find more details here.