OT 4 Lyfe

Andy Nielsen, OTS is an business innovator having founded products like the patented 8Scape folder and a Facebook advertising company called Big Ocean Commerce. He currently attends A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona and is completing his masters in occupational therapy. Integrating his background in business and his holistic approach to healthcare, Andy started OT Growth, a website aimed at h...

Dr. Karen Ni, OTD, MA, OTR/L, CPDT-KA is passionate about using animal assisted therapy as a meaningful and powerful therapeutic tool. She uses her dogs, Dottie and Tater, as her canine co-therapists to assist in her therapy sessions and provide a different perspective and aspect to therapy interventions. She has also opened her own private practice, Sun Dog Therapy, that offers occupational thera...

Ijeoma (EJ) Ikpeze OTA/S is a OTA student at Erie Community College who recently finished her school work and is about to embark on her first Level II fieldwork. She has a passion for leadership and profound interest in promoting the profession of occupational therapy. EJ is currently the only student and only OTA representative in the AOTA Emerging Leaders Development Program. Sarah and EJ discus...

Elizabeth DeBlasi, MS, OTR/L is a professor at Long Island University who woke up one night with a passion for international volunteer work. Within two weeks she was on a plane to Cape Town, South Africa to learn more about Therapists Without Borders. She and Sarah discuss their passions for pediatric therapy and how much they value sharing their knowledge around the world. They discuss: How many...

Pediatric occupational therapists work in a variety of settings which present their own challenges and advantages. School Based OT’s have their own distinct perspective on working in pediatrics and working in conjunction with teachers and school administrators to provide the most benefit to their clients. Jayson, Abby, and Sarah discuss a variety of topics relating to school based therapy. They di...

Physical therapy in early intervention has a very distinct view. Collaborating with occupational therapists allows each practitioner the ability to see the same therapy intervention from a fresh set of eyes. Jennifer Ogawa joins to discuss collaborating in early intervention. Sarah and Jennifer discuss: The benefits of collaborating between disciplines How to beat traffic in Los Angeles The advant...

As occupational therapy clinicians, our jobs drastically shape our values and perspective on life. We share a unique outlook and approach to meaningful engagement in all of life’s occupations. Today is the first round table session in which Brock and Erika, a few OTs from different practice areas, come together to discuss topics within the field. Guest Panelists: Brock Cook, BA OccThy - Lecturer -...

The student’s first Level 2 fieldwork is over: Feelings during the last couple of weeks Level of growth and now possessing a new prospective Structure of Level 2 fieldworks: back to back or having more schooling in between AOTA Final Evaluation and the Student Evaluation of the Fieldwork Experience Reflections on their perceived strengths and weaknesses from first episode Recognizing their continu...

It’s week 9 of Level II fieldwork and Rachelle and Maya are here to discuss their current state’s as they head into the last few weeks of their clinical rotation: Current expectations at the end of their fieldwork How to handle schedule changes Strategies for documentation and report writing The benefits of having a support system outside of OT Work-life balance Importance of working with the fami...

Every occupational therapists journey begins with OT school. And before school, comes pre-requisites, the GRE, volunteer hours, and applications. Being right in the middle of this process, Rachel Moore discusses how she is managing all the requirements and preparing to begin applying to OT programs. She shares some great insight into resources she has found helpful and tips for what to expect as a...

It’s Midterm and Rachelle and Maya have completed 6 of their 12 weeks of fieldwork. Sarah reconnects with Rachelle and Maya to discuss details regarding the AOTA midterm evaluation and to get updates in regards to their current fieldwork experience. We’ll hear information about: AOTA midterm evaluation Communication with supervisors Pros and cons of videotaping students during treatment sessions a...

While working as a school-based OT, Deedee Levine MS, OTR/L, YT-200, CD has found gardening and gardens to be a unique and integral part of her Occupational Therapy treatments. In addition to that, it’s helping children understand their overall health from a whole new perspective. Using Occupational Therapy as a pillar of her holistic healing approach, she has branched out into multiple other face...

It’s Thanksgiving in the US and that means it’s time to sit down and reflect on all the things in your life that you are thankful for. Sarah sits down to contemplate all the things and people she is thankful for in her life, including: The ability to impact the lives of her clients Being a fieldwork educator and impacting the next generation of OT’s Opportunities for volunteering abroad and the ab...

Having a love for travel and pediatric occupational therapy, Lauren Stanley-Alpert, MS, OTR/L, C/NDT felt the drive to combine her two passions. After struggling to find reliable organizations to volunteer with, she decided to create her own organization to provide a more affordable, responsible, and sustainable volunteer experience for other therapists. Therapists Without Borders aims to connect...

After 5 weeks of their Level 2 fieldwork, Rachelle and Maya are back to debrief about their experiences so far. They are just about halfway done and being expected to do more and more every week. Their caseloads are increasing and the demands are becoming more challenging as they bridge the gap between student and practitioner. They discuss: Daily and weekly responsibilities Adjusting to the high...

Occupational therapy and entrepreneurship have a lot in common. Cami Culwell, MA, OTR/L was having trouble with existing bags during her day to day practice as a treating therapist. Clinitote was born out of a drive to make something that is vital to every practitioner’s life more functional and fashionable. Sarah and Cami cover a lot of topics during their talk including: Their most memorable exp...

Maya and Rachelle return to the podcast with two of their twelve weeks of fieldwork completed. We touch base with them to see how everything is going, shed some light on what the beginning of fieldwork could look like, and discuss strategies for making the jump from observation to hands on practice. The following topics are covered: Current successes and challenges in fieldwork Managing difficult...

Ultra-running and endurance hikes test one’s ability to overcome exhaustion, mental blocks, and limiting beliefs. Besides being a favorite occupation of Dr. Leo Valenzuela PT, DPT, they have also taught him many life lessons that he has utilized in order to start his own physical therapy private practice, Los Leones Physical Therapy. Sarah and Leo meet to chat about how they formed a mastermind gr...

For occupational therapy students, going on a fieldwork rotation is exciting and also a little nerve-wracking. It is the time that they finally get the chance to integrate the information that they learned in the classroom and apply it directly into practice. We had the opportunity to chat with two Masters level students, Rachelle and Maya, who are about to embark on their first Level II fieldwork...

Students bring an unique perspective and undeniable passion to the profession of occupational therapy. Each one enters bringing values and previous experiences imperative to growing the scope and capacity of occupational therapy as a whole. Alex Villanueva, Christina Villasenor, and Regina Sarnicola, three students from California State University Dominguez Hills, join Sarah to discuss what the li...

Every year, occupational therapy professionals and students come together to celebrate the profession and connect with like-minded individuals at the American Occupational Therapy Association conference. It is always a good time and this year’s conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah,was no different. Join us as we hear from fellow conference goers straight from the halls of the conference and hea...

Sometimes life takes twists and turns and might not end up how you expected it to. For Roxie Fernandez, the birth of her second son lead her to find her passion in the profession of occupational therapy. Over the years, Roxie moved from working with adults in a hospital to finding her niche working with children and specializing in sensory integration. Roxie shares her journey through being a stud...