Chantelle Wood on Returning to Work After Injury
When injury changes everything, returning to work isn’t just about showing up, it’s about rediscovering who you are in a world that suddenly feels unfamiliar. In this episode of It Takes Heart, we speak with award-winning rehabilitation counsellor Chantelle Wood, who has made it her life’s work to help people across Australia return to work after injury and rebuild their lives with purpose, strength and hope.
Occupational rehab is often misunderstood. But for Chantelle, it’s deeply personal.
“We meet our clients after the fact. We meet them after something’s happened. We meet them after the big bad event. So it’s so important to hear their stories and then work out a plan with them.”
Her work isn’t about ticking boxes, it’s about helping people reimagine their future. Whether it’s a nurse who can no longer lift patients, or a tradesman who can’t return to the tools, Chantelle is there to guide the conversation from what’s lost to what’s next.
Take Christine, a woman recovering from a traumatic brain injury who had been placed in an assisted living facility. Chantelle recognised immediately that Christine had more capacity than anyone around her realised. With a gentle but determined approach, she worked with Christine, her family, and a wider healthcare team to support her back into independence and meaningful employment.
“She said to me that she could never put into words just how thankful she was. And I said to her that you thriving is all the thanks I need.”
This episode of It Takes Heart is filled with stories like Christine’s – stories that remind us recovery isn’t just about healing physically, but about finding confidence, identity, and purpose again.
Chantelle also sheds light on the critical role employers play in this process, and how more education is needed to create safe, flexible and supportive environments for people returning to work. Her advocacy for early intervention, mental health support, and person-first care is a timely message for workplaces everywhere.
Watch Season 2, Episode 15 of It Takes Heart to hear Chantelle Wood’s powerful take on injury recovery, identity, and what it really means to return to work, and to yourself.
More about Chantelle’s Organisation of Choice, Solaris Cancer Care.
Solaris Cancer Care is a community-based healthcare organisation. Their Cancer Support Centres are the first of their kind in Australia and offer support, information, education, and complementary therapies to cancer patients and their primary carers. Learn more about their work here.
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