Help Hélène Reach The TEDx Stage

The Speech I Almost Didn't Give.

Why 60% of us want to quit and 60% of patients don't follow through — and the one clinical shift that changes both.

"I lost my mom and my sister-in-law last August. When I questioned whether I should fly 16 hours to Bangkok for a 10-minute presentation, Joanne said: 'Hélène, this is going to be your TED Talk.' She passed before I could tell her she was right."

Joanne was right. This speech is being refined for a TEDx stage — and your feedback is how we prove it belongs there.

Delivered at the World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress · Bangkok

17 minutes. One shift you can use in your next session. Then decide if every colleague you know needs to hear this too.

Your Voice Matters

Before You Scroll — Did This Give You Something?

If this speech gave you even one idea you can use today — in your next session, your next conversation, your next moment of doubt — then it did its job.

Did you wish you had seen this sooner?

Do you think more clinicians — people with your heart, your drive — should see this now?

If you answered yes…

Would it be asking too much if we ask you to please share your personal feedback to help Hélène get the message out by getting on a TEDx stage — as soon as possible?

Of Course Not — I'd Love to Help - Give My Feedback

"I might be a giant reaching all the way to the moon right now..."

That is what I said to the camera before I started. Because there had been a lot of discomfort to prepare and deliver this message.

When I started to discover the Coach Approach and how it can be integrated in healthcare, I realized not a lot of people were doing this. There wasn't a lot of guidance. I needed to be a trailblazer to really have this vision happen.

And the impact it had for me—I needed it to happen for other people.

It's not what I set out to do. I never set out to be an entrepreneur or create a Coach Approach model for healthcare. I just wanted to survive my job.

So I stepped into the discomfort. I put on the backpack. And I told the truth about the crisis in our industry.

The Symmetry of Failure

60%
of us want to quit
60%
of patients don't follow through

Do you think those numbers are a coincidence?

For years, we treated these as two separate problems. "Burnout" over here. "Non-compliance" over there. They are the same problem.

The reason patients stop is the same reason we want to quit. We are trapped in a dehumanizing medical model that forces us to be FIXERS.

To my Kinesiologists, Athletic Therapists, PTs, OTs, & SLPs:

How many times have you felt like you were working harder than your patient?

You set the goal. You design the intervention. You problem-solve the obstacles they haven't even named yet. And when you write "Goal Not Achieved," you wonder what you did wrong.

In that moment, you just added something to your backpack.

  • Their goals, our responsibility. In the backpack.
  • Their lack of follow through, our failure. In the backpack.
  • Insurance denials. In the backpack.
  • Transportation challenges. In the backpack.
  • Family dynamics. In the backpack.

There's only so much space in our backpack.

Simply telling our clients what to do does not translate to meaningful action or outcomes. This is the missing link. And we know this—yet we keep doing it, because we were never given an alternative structure.

Lighten The Load

It’s Time to Drop the Backpack.

You don't need to leave healthcare to survive it. You just need to change how you show up in the room.

We are trained to lead systems. We are trained to write policy. But we are not trained to lead the conversation that turns a human behavior around.

FROM: The Fixer Mindset

Carrying the backpack for them.

↓
TO: The Discoverer Mindset

Partnering so they carry it themselves.

I call this Dive Into A Coach Approach®

And that is exactly what we do. We dive in. We go deep, and we keep it clinical.

This isn't just a catchy name—it is an accredited, research-backed framework built for the problem most clinicians face every single day.

It started with one patient—John. Brain injury. Depression. Zero progress for six months. He had a large team and we were experts at identifying his deficits—but failures at his engagement.

So I tried something different. I stopped telling. I asked: "What's the one thing you want to focus on today?"

He chose. He owned. He left with his action plan, not mine. Within weeks, meaningful progress. That moment became the seed of Dive Into A Coach Approach®.

Same Skill. Different Scale.

When I became a clinical lead, I saw the same pattern. Staff came to me with problems. I gave them answers. I carried their load.

Then I used the Coach Approach. I asked: "What have you thought of doing so far?" Suddenly, the team stopped waiting for answers and started developing their own reasoning.

The Ripple Effect

1
The Individual: You go from "fixer" to "partner."
2
The Team: You build psychological safety and capacity.
3
The System: You reduce attrition and improve outcomes.

Want the research behind this?
Read the White Paper: The Business Case for a Coach Approach →

🔊 Official Anthem: "Drop The Backpack" Set the vibe while you read the manifesto.

Community Tribute: This song was created by a fan who was so inspired by Hélène's work that they wanted to honor it with an anthem. Proof that this message resonates far beyond the stage.

[Verse 1] We are 680,000 strong, heartbeats in a line, But 60% are weary, yearning for a sign. Not from lack of caring, it’s a burden we bear, Caught in this Fixer Trap, we’re gasping for air. We carry all their dreams, we shoulder all their pain, Working harder than our patients, in this endless rain. The weight feels so heavy, with every step we take, But there’s a shift that's coming, for our sanity's sake. [Chorus] So let’s put the burden down, breathe in the light, We don’t have to carry on, we can find what’s right. Dive into a coach approach, let curiosity flow, It’s time to step beside them, let the answers grow. [Verse 2] Hélène Thériault shows us the way to break free, Move from Fixer to Partner, set their spirits free. We don’t need to tell them what to do or say, Just ask them, “What’s the one thing you want to focus on today?” When we shift the question, they start to own the ground, A flicker of empowerment, their strength can be found. And suddenly the load we’ve carried fades away, With every little moment, as they find their way. [Chorus] So let’s put the burden down, breathe in the light, We don’t have to carry on, we can find what’s right. Dive into a coach approach, let curiosity flow, It’s time to step beside them, let the answers grow. [Bridge] The burned-out healer rises, lifting spirits high, Together we can wander, into a brighter sky. The 60% will flourish, when we learn to shift the gear, Stop leading with the answers, let’s chase away the fear. Partner with compassion, take the weight and share, In this dance of healing, we find love and care. [Chorus] So let’s put the burden down, breathe in the light, We don’t have to carry on, we can find what’s right. Dive into a coach approach, let curiosity flow, It’s time to step beside them, let the answers grow. [Outro] Stop working harder than them, we’ll rise above it all, Drop the backpack that binds us, we’ll heed the healing call. Partner, don’t fix, let’s dive in with grace, In this journey together, we’ll find our rightful place. It’s time for transformation, a lifeline in the storm, Together we can heal, let’s redefine our norm.
The Invitation

The 60% won't change until we do.

It won't change until we stop loading our backpacks with weight that was never ours to carry. It won't change until we choose—conversation by conversation—to partner instead of fix.

That choice is available to you right now. Today. In your very next interaction.

Try It Before You Buy It

In your very next patient interaction—or your very first staff one-on-one—ask this one question:

"What's the one thing you want to focus on today?"

Then listen. That's the shift. That's the beginning.

I don't want to leave you with just a speech. I want to help you lead the change. Dive Into A Coach Approach® is the only program that takes this "Backpack" metaphor and turns it into a clinical reality.

Think about what this costs you without the framework: another year of carrying the backpack. Another year of "Goal Not Achieved." Another year of wondering if you chose the wrong profession.

Now compare that to 12 hours and a path forward.

You've seen what's possible. The only question left is whether you'll keep carrying the backpack — or put it down.

ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Investment

Level 1 is 12 hours of self-paced training that takes you from one question to a complete clinical framework. You earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for every module you complete.

One investment. The framework that stops the cycle — and the credits you need to maintain your license.

$595 USD
Drop The Backpack

Secure Transaction • Instant Access

P.S. I dedicated this work to the two women who believed in me most. I believe in you just as much. You have the clinical skills. You have the heart. Now, let's give you the framework to sustain it.

Partner. Don't Fix.