Rate My Professor Fiona Graham

Associate Professor Fiona Graham is an occupational therapist and Head of the Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit (RTRU) in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington. She holds qualifications of BOccTher (Otago Polytechnic), PhD (University of Queensland), and NZROT. Specializing in work with families and children, Graham developed Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC) during her PhD, an evidence-based intervention that empowers caregivers to support individuals with disabilities in achieving personally valued participation in everyday life activities. OPC, structured around three enabling domains, is utilized by rehabilitation professionals worldwide for people across the lifespan with diverse health conditions, including children with developmental disabilities and adults post-stroke or traumatic brain injury. As Rehabilitation Course Adviser, she teaches postgraduate interprofessional rehabilitation in the Diploma of Rehabilitation and Certificate in Health Science (Clinical Rehabilitation), with a focus on OPC. Graham provides OPC training workshops in New Zealand as an endorsed trainer and contributes to the international OPC Trainers Network.

Her research interests include supporting families and caregivers, therapists' adoption of evidence-based practices, undergraduate clinical training, and evaluating participation-focused interventions. In 2019, she received a Health Research Council Emerging Researcher First Grant of $233,618 to conduct a trial of OPC for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, enhancing their quality of life and societal participation. Key publications encompass 'Beyond the surface: A qualitative study exploring the experiences of stroke survivors and their families in sharing their values, preferences, and circumstances in inpatient rehabilitation' (Vingerhoets, Hay-Smith, & Graham, 2026, Disability & Rehabilitation); 'Perceptions of people with motor neurone disease regarding the impact of their power wheelchairs on health and participation' (Brown, Graham, & Martin, 2026, Disability & Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology); ''Ask someone, what is their Dreaming?': Exploring occupational performance coaching with service providers supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families' (Chilman et al., 2025, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal); and the book Occupational Performance Coaching: A Manual for Practitioners and Researchers (Graham et al., Routledge). Graham was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022 by Otago Polytechnic. Her contributions have advanced rehabilitation through OPC resources, peer-reviewed articles, and international workshops.