Barbara Sexton Lecture
2026 Lecture Details
February 2, 2026
Great Hall, Somerville House, Western University
4:30 pm
The Barbara Sexton Lectureship was established in 1999 to reward innovation and excellence in occupational therapy teaching and to foster professional enrichment. Western's School of Occupational Therapy annually invites a distinguished visitor to give a public presentation.
2026 Guest Lecturer
Setareh Ghahari
Dr. Setareh Ghahari is an Associate Professor at the School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University. An occupational therapist with international experience across Asia, Australia, and North America, she brings a global lens to her teaching and research. Originally from Iran, she earned her undergraduate and Master’s degrees in occupational therapy, completed her PhD in Australia, and pursued postdoctoral training at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on improving access to healthcare for marginalized populations, informed by her own experience as an immigrant to Canada. Clinically, she has worked in diverse settings, particularly with individuals with neurological conditions, and has taught across all levels of higher education. In this presentation, Dr. Ghahari explores how migration and personal adversity have shaped her understanding of care, highlighting how life’s challenges can foster empathy, courage, and effectiveness in supporting others. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, hiking, and paddleboarding.
Echoes of Experience: Centering Immigrant Narratives in Occupational Therapy Practice
Immigrant experiences are shaped by resilience, adaptation, and the pursuit of belonging. These experiences echo through their everyday occupations, influencing how they engage with their environments, communities, and identities. In Canada, where one in five people is a first-generation immigrant, occupational therapists often recognize the distinct challenges immigrants face—language barriers, cultural differences, and systemic discrimination—that can limit access to services and meaningful participation. Yet immigrants also bring rich perspectives, strengths, and wisdom that can transform our communities. This presentation explores how occupational therapists, by listening for these narratives, can center their practice on fostering inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive care. Through cultural humility and deep listening, therapists can co-create interventions that reflect clients’ lived realities, support functional goals, and foster empowerment and connection. Occupational therapists can harness these echoes of experience from the past and transcend traditional clinical models to create a space for healing, recognition, and belonging.
Previous Sexton Lecturers
| Year | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Clark Patrick Heard, OTD, OT Reg. (Ont.)
|
The Spirituality of Clinical Education |
| 2021 | Lori Letts, PhD - McMaster University | Challenging Hegemonies |
| 2020 | No lecture given | N/A |
| 2019 | Jan Polgar, PhD - Western University | From Activity to Occupation: Reflections on 40 years in the occupational therapy profession |
| 2018 | Cathy Vandersluis - London Health Sciences Centre | Living Life in Colour |
| 2017 | Marcia Finlayson - Queen's University | Building evidence to support practice: The example of managing fatigue in multiple sclerosis |
| 2016 | Bill Miller, PhD - University of British Columbia | Lessons Learned from a Life Woven in Occupational Therapy |
| 2015 | Charles Christiansen, EdD - American Occupational Therapy Foundation | The Path Ahead: A Conversation About Value |
| 2014 | Joyce Tryssenaar, PhD - McMaster University | Living the Questions |
| 2013 | Sue Forwell, PhD - University of British Columbia | The Chicken Soup of Occupation |
| 2012 | Rachel Thibeault, PhD - University of Ottawa | Going Against the Flow: Building Resilience Through Selective Occupations |
| 2011 | Mary Egan, PhD - University of Ottawa | Safety and Connection: Key Concerns of Occupational Therapy |
| 2010 | Huguette Pickard - Université de Montrèal (retired) | Engagement in Society: How can Occupational Therapists Make a Difference |
| 2009 | Elizabeth McKay, PhD - University of Limerick | Exploring the Essence of Exceptional Practitioners |
| 2008 | Helene Polatajko, PhD - University of Toronto | The Occupational Science Imperative |
| 2007 | Gail Whiteford, PhD - Charles Sturt University | Wellbeing: An Occupational Perspective |
| 2006 | Catherine Backman, PhD - University of British Columbia | Doing, Being, Participating |
| 2005 | Ruth Zemke, PhD - University of Southern California | Time, Space, & Occupations: Interactions Shaping Our Perceptions of Life |
| 2004 | Elizabeth Townsend, PhD - Dalhousie University | A Mediation on the Visibility and Viability of Enabling Occupation |
| 2002 | Mary Law, PhD - McMaster University | Participation in Everyday Life |
| 2001 | Loree Primeau, PhD - University of Texas, Medical Branch | Leadership as a Way of Being |
| 2000 | Anita Unruh, PhD - Dalhousie University | Application of the Spirituality Construct to Evidence Based Practice |
| 1999 | Thelma Sumsion, PhD - Brunel University | The Journey of Life |
About Barbara Sexton
Professor Sexton dedicated her career to the profession of Occupational Therapy and its advancement, both nationally and internationally. Following a successful career as a clinician, Professor Sexton joined the faculty at Western in 1973, just one year after the inception of the School. Thus, she was involved in the education of every graduate in Occupational Therapy from Western prior to her retirement in 1995. Barabara’s specialty was mental health with an emphasis on interviewing and small groups. She worked hard to ensure that every graduate of this program was not only educated in the relevant theories of the discipline, but also in the clinical skills required in the day-to-day practice of the profession.
During her tenure at Western, Professor Sexton served in many capacities and on many committees, both internal and external to the University. Most notably, she was the Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences from 1990 to 1994. She served as a member of the Review Board of the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy for nine years. She was actively involved with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists for 12 years, serving as an executive of the Federation for eight years. While functioning in this role, she served not only the World Federation, but also acted as an ambassador for Canadian Occupational Therapy. The University awarded her the status of Professor Emeritus in 1995.
Professor Sexton had numerous publications in professional journals, made numerous presentations at scientific and professional meetings, and is the author of the widely used textbook, “Small Groups in Therapy Settings: Process and Leadership” which is in its fourth edition.
Professor Sexton received the Life Member Award from the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, and was an Honorary Fellow of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. All of these honors recognize her major contribution to these Societies and to Occupational Therapists in general.
Professor Sexton’s academic career was marked by dedication to the profession, to the University, and most notably to her students.
