OT 4 Lyfe

Sarah and Jordan discuss:  Today is a big day, why is that? Experiencing back to back fieldworks When did he find out about OT? How the Level 1 Fieldworks were integrating within his program One thing he wished he knew going into his level 2 fieldworks Realization of balancing life with fieldwork Challenges he faced during his rotations Managing self-care Resources for Level 2 students Importance...

Chantal, EJ, and Sarah discuss: Their feelings now that fieldwork is over The biggest hurdle they faced during fieldwork Coming up with novel, fun, and exciting groups in the mental health setting Where they felt like they grew the most in during the rotation Skills they will continue to work on as the make the transition to being a practitioner Leaning into discomfort and pushing outside your com...

Chantal, EJ, and Sarah discuss: Their current feelings heading into the last 2 weeks of fieldwork Feelings about midterm scoring What going through the midterm looked like Importance of self reflection during fieldwork What their day-to-day looks like in fieldwork The importance of having other students with you on fieldwork Practice supervision for OT and OTA students Reflections on expectations...

EJ, Chantal, and Sarah discuss: How they feel after completing 3 weeks of fieldwork Shifting from observing to leading their own groups Distinguishing OTs unique value in mental health services What to do when your treatment plan backfires? Therapeutic use of self Learning to read the patients Daily and momentary goals How their days are structured Differences in supervision The emotional toll of...

EJ, Chantal, and Sarah discuss: Their previous level 2 fieldwork placement Getting experience in many practice areas as an OT student Hardest parts of their first fieldwork placement Challenges with documentation and relating the treatments to the big picture Transitioning from classroom to clinical practice Learning to take chances and not be afraid to make mistakes Preparing for their next Level...

Bianca, Kat, Celia and Sarah discuss: What their OT lives look like currently Excitement about starting Level II Fieldwork What is an OT pinning ceremony? Being a part of the inaugural doctorate program at West Coast University: https://westcoastuniversity.edu/programs/doctor-occupational-therapy.html Finishing up their didactic work for their program Hardest parts of their school program Finding...

Sarah and Laura discuss: Why we need more OTs starting their own practices and businesses Why OTs do not embark on the entrepreneur journey The importance of exposing students to business Taking the chance and leaning into the discomfort of starting something new Writing things down and setting intentions The mindset of being an entrepreneur Donald Miller- Building a Story Brand Podcast: http://bu...

Sarah and Grant discuss: Occupational transitions Difficulties finding a job as a new graduate Why he became an OT and how it has impacted his life since How he got his start in inpatient rehab and mental health MH4OT on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MH4OT/ AOTA’s Mental Health Special Interest Section: https://www.aota.org/Practice/Manage/SIS/Mental-Health.aspx Getting connected with Mental...

Sarah and Alexis discuss: OT settings within the hospital What is acute care? Planned and unplanned hospital stays Supporting clients in the beginning of their journey Typical length of stay in acute care setting Importance of education within the initial session/ evaluation Similarities of Acute Care and Early Intervention practice areas Getting experience in other practice areas to guide our cur...

Sarah and Erika discuss: Meeting at AOTA 2019 and what they took away from the conference Anxiety and stress of being in OT school Factors of burnout How the symptoms of burnout can become the new norm and go unnoticed The importance of having your values line up with you work’s values How the lack of autonomy can lead to burnout Bullying and burnout Her personal experience with burnout Gastrointe...

Sarah discusses Why she started a podcast Advocating for the profession How she got into podcasts The first OT podcasts she found Occupied- http://www.brockcook.com/category/podcast/ Seniors Flourish- https://seniorsflourish.com/category/podcasts/ OT Schoolhouse- https://www.otschoolhouse.com/ Overcoming her shyness and worries What she has gotten out of podcasting so far Her journey into occupati...

Sarah and Sarah discuss Sarah’s love of OT history memorabilia The Healing Heart: The Story of Ora Ruggles Pioneer in Occupational Therapy What sparked her interest in evidence and research? Changes in evidence and research over the past decade Her personal and professional connection to evidence Evidenced-based practice as a tool to guide clinical practice OT Potential Club: https://otpotential.c...

Sarah and Devlynn discuss: AOTA’s Vision 2025: “As an inclusive profession, OT maximizes health, well-being and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities, through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living.": https://www.aota.org/AboutAOTA/vision-2025.aspx Role of incorporating inclusion into the vision Respect for identity and use of pronouns Over...

Sarah and Miranda discuss: Her current OT role working in outpatient neuro and also teaching at a local university How she first heard about occupational therapy Transitioning from student to new practitioner Tips for incorporating evidence into practice Advocating for evidenced-based practice Collaborating with others using evidence to advance the profession A fun fact about Parkinson’s medicatio...

Sarah and Brynne discuss: Her current role as a OTD student Stressful time periods for students and practitioners How to define wellness How stress impacts a person’s life Implementing strategies before getting stressed to maximize effectiveness Engaging in occupations to alleviate stress i.e. painting with watercolors, walks, being in nature Picking one thing to focus on, rather than a bunch of d...

Sarah and Rachel discuss: Link to first episode with Rachel: www.ot4lyfe.com/13 What her orientation looked like The emotional rollercoaster it was applying to OT schools What it felt like to get the acceptance letter into an OT program? Appreciating when things don’t always go as planned Volunteering not just in OT settings to understand the bigger picture Being a floater in a hospital Hippothera...

Sarah shares: Arriving and checking in early to avoid lines Attending the SIS Networking Reception Developmental Disabilities, Academic Education, Children & Youth, Productive Aging, Home & Community Health, Mental - Health, Rehabilitation & Disability, Sensory Integration & Processing, Work & Industry For more information about SIS: https://www.aota.org/Practice/Manage/SIS.asp...

Meg and Sarah discuss: Common misconceptions about autism Looking at the broader picture of autistic children Utilizing the right tools for each individual child Importance of evaluation and re-evaluation Meg’s journey into specializing in autism Finding the right mentor who aligns with your purpose and values Working in early intervention and how that shaped Meg’s current work Common questions fr...

Jason and Sarah discuss: Concepts such as efficiency, time management, prioritization, and redundancy Learning in different ways Lack of consistency in school-based reports Common problems and complaints when writing reports His personal experience and OT journey How he identifies problems and then does something about it What led him to develop Double Tim Docs and what it is Tips for therapists t...

Sensory processing is a complex entity with lots of intricacies and is often times overlooked and misunderstood. As occupational therapists, it is our job to uncover underlying sensory processing and sensory modulation problems within our clients and then educate and provide tips and strategies to help them learn to integrate the information for success and optimal function within their daily live...

Attending conferences is a great way to learn new things and connect with people within the occupational therapy community. And one of the biggest events each year within the United States is the American Occupational Therapy Association conference. This episode details specifics about what the AOTA conference looks like, how to prepare, and tips on how to make for successful conference experience...

Understanding the business side of occupational therapy is pivotal for any therapist and practice owner to know. In order to be successful within our profession, we must be aware of the state of healthcare and be solid within our purpose as a clinician. Our guest today, Brandon Seigel, is a private practice business consultant and executive director of Wellness Works Management Partners with years...

We all discover occupational therapy through different ways and it is always fascinating to hear how each therapist is first introduced into this wonderful profession. Our guest today is the whole reason that our host Sarah became an occupational therapist in the first place after meeting her while she worked at a local preschool. Francesca Avalli, MS, OTR/L has a wealth of knowledge from her year...

Travel therapy is a unique practice area that consists of traveling to different parts of the United States in order to provide therapy services to places in need. Usually, rotations last about 13 weeks and then the therapist moves on to another placement. Sometimes there can be a potential to sign on for additional time if the services continue to be needed. Emily Ann Becker, OTR/L, is a travel o...

Dr. Michael Roberts, OTD, OTR/L, is the founder and current program director of the master’s degree program in Occupational Therapy at Regis College, in Boston Massachusetts. He has a strong passion for all things occupational therapy, as well as educating and empowering current occupational therapy students. His clinical background focused on adult physical dysfunction (inpatient, outpatient, and...