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The Cognitive Capacity Chat

The Cognitive Capacity Chat

Written by: Imogen Nolan
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About this listen

If you’re a community or occupational therapist who feels mentally full, scattered, or constantly behind, this podcast is for you.

The Cognitive Capacity Chat is where we break down cognitive load, executive function, and functional cognition in a way that actually makes sense in real clinical work.

Because this is the reality:
most therapists don’t have a time problem.
They have a cognitive load problem.

And underneath all of it, cognition underpins everything.

How you plan your day.
How you make decisions.
How you communicate.
How you manage your caseload.
How you show up for your clients.

In your day-to-day work, you are constantly holding and processing information, switching between tasks, regulating yourself, and making complex decisions.

But no one teaches you how to manage that.

This podcast will.

Inside each episode, you’ll learn how to:

  • Understand cognitive load and how it shows up in your work
  • Apply a functional cognition lens to both your clients and yourself
  • Strengthen your executive function as a therapist
  • Reduce mental overload and stop feeling constantly behind
  • Build systems and workflows that actually work with your brain

This is not about working harder.
It is about working in a way your brain can actually sustain.

If you want to feel clearer, more in control, and more effective in your work as a therapist, you’re in the right place.

© 2026 The Cognitive Capacity Chat
Episodes
  • The thing community therapists are expected to just know

    The thing community therapists are expected to just know
    May 1 2026

    You walked out of uni expected to just know how to manage a complex caseload, regulate after a tricky client, and write the case note before you've finished the drive home. No one taught you that. And no one's named that this is the job underneath the job.

    In this episode I talk about why I built the Cognitive Capacity Reset — and the moment four years ago that started it. We get into why we don't have the language to bring cognitive load to supervision, why community OTs are already climbing a mountain every day, and what to do instead of downloading another app.

    The Reset is live Monday May 4th. Code PODCAST gets you in for $24 until Monday. imogenot.com.au

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    11 mins
  • If You’ve Ever Questioned If You’re a “Good Mum” as a Therapist

    If You’ve Ever Questioned If You’re a “Good Mum” as a Therapist
    Apr 21 2026

    If you’ve ever sat there and questioned if you’re actually a “good mum”… this is for you.

    In this episode, I talk about:

    • This isn’t about doing more.
      It’s about reducing what your brain is responsible for.
    • what I’m actually holding right now, and how
    • why so many therapist mums feel like they’re constantly split

    If you’re feeling like your brain never switches off, I’ve created something for you.

    My private podcast is designed to help you reduce your cognitive load in just 20 minutes a day.

    It’s available through my newsletter.
    You can sign up to get access.

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    19 mins
  • The Cognitive Load of Everyone Else: How Understanding Your Reader Makes You a Better Clinician

    The Cognitive Load of Everyone Else: How Understanding Your Reader Makes You a Better Clinician
    Apr 13 2026

    In this episode, we're looking at collaboration through a functional cognition lens and making the case that effective communication isn't just about what you're transmitting. It's about the cognitive state of the person receiving it.

    Whether you're writing to an NDIS planner at the end of a saturated workday, creating instructions for a support worker who'll pull them out in an emergency, or trying to build genuine trust with a client who's already exhausted from navigating the system — the information alone isn't enough. You need to understand who's reading it, what they're carrying, and how to structure your communication to actually meet them there.

    We cover:

    • Why your NDIS reports aren't landing (and it's not the clinical content)
    • A real example: writing two completely different hoist transfer documents for the same client — and why that was the right call
    • The hidden cognitive load your clients are carrying before you even walk in the door
    • Practical strategies: email summaries, decision tables, equipment portfolios — and why these are functional cognition interventions, not just admin tools

    This is the clinical skill we weren't trained in. Let's fix that.

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    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
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