About
Jo Linforth is an occupational therapist, cognitive behavioural therapist and lecturer with nine years' experience in higher education. She is the Director of Studies for the MSc Occupational Therapy programme and teaches across both MSc and BSc pre-registration Occupational Therapy programmes. She is HCPC registered and a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.
Jo began her career in teaching and outdoor education, before training as an occupational therapist and moving into clinical, educational and management roles in the charity sector, social services and the NHS, including vocational rehabilitation and community mental health services. This breadth of experience has given Jo a practical, grounded understanding of how people learn, work and engage with the world, informing her commitment to inclusive curricula, critical thinking, and person-centred, occupationally focused practice in occupational therapy education.
Alongside her teaching, Jo's academic and clinical interests centre on the barriers and facilitators to engaging in the occupations (activities) that matter to people across the lifespan. She is particularly interested in the relationship between neurodiversity, mental health and the social environment, and in how greater understanding of these factors can support wider population health and reduce trauma and mental ill health in adulthood.
Jo supervises doctoral and masters-level students and welcomes enquiries from researchers and clinicians interested in collaboration around neurodiversity, mental health, and meaningful occupation, particularly considering work and leisure..