The Uncommon OT Series

In this fun mini-episode, we will kick off my 2nd Year Podcast Anniversary celebration. Get to know me and some of my uncommon OT guests just a little bit more through a series of bonus questions. You will hear about some of our favorite occupations, our OT Elevator speeches, our favorite parts about being an Occupational Therapist, and the individuals who inspire us.  Can you guess the names...

In this episode, we will learn from Hiral Khatri, OTD, OTR/L.  Hiral is a highly respected and accomplished occupational therapist with over 13 years of experience in the field who holds a variety of leadership roles.  She is known for her integrity, innovative approach to therapy, and her unwavering commitment to supporting and advocating for her patients and her profession. Throughout...

In this episode, we will learn from Alondra Ammon, MOT, OTR/L.  Alondra is an occupational therapist who works in community-based mental health and specializes in housing stability & retention. She is a 1st-generation Salvadorean/Haitian American from Maryland. Alondra learned to overcome adversity and strive despite the challenges of being raised alongside her seven siblings by her singl...

In this episode, we will learn from Allie Karagozian, MS, OTR/L.  Allie is an occupational therapist who specializes in Fertility Health.  She lives in Chicago with her husband, Michael, and their two sons. Allie earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and her Master’s degree in occupational therapy from Grand Valley State University in West Michigan. She has worked...

In this episode, we will learn from Bill Wong, OTD, OTR/L an Occupational Therapist who is a speaker and producer of TEDx Events. Bill has been practicing occupational therapy for 10 years. His primary setting is in skilled nursing facility settings. He also is an adjunct instructor and thesis advisor for Stanbridge University's MSOT program as well as an active member of AOTA. He h...

In this episode, we will learn from Joy Doll, OTD, OTR/L. Dr. Doll is an occupational therapist who specializes in Informatics. In 2023, she launched her own consulting firm to support organizations to bridge health care and social care, Hello Better Healthcare, LLC. She is Associate Professor and Program Director of Health Informatics at Creighton University. Prior to launching Hello Better Healt...

In this episode, we will learn from Ashley Reina, BSc. OT. Ashley is an Occupational Therapist in Health Technology who builds practice management and electronic medical record software. She is a graduate of Univ of Alberta in 2005. She has worked in pediatrics most of her career with a love for private practice. She is a visionary and lifelong learner with superpowers including awareness and vuln...

In this episode, we will learn from Dr. Sakshi Tickoo (she/her). Sakshi is a brown, queer Occupational Therapist and Sexuality counselor from Mumbai, India working in the areas of sexuality, relationships, and mental health across the lifespan. She is the founder of Sex, Love, And OT —an inclusive, educational telehealth platform that focuses on sexual rights and liberation through education, cent...

In this post, we will learn from David Merlo, MS, COTA/L, CPRP, ROH. He is an OTP and is managing director of Restoration Society, Inc, a peer-operated community mental health agency Buffalo, NY founded upon the recovery vision that all individuals can lead active lives filled with hope and satisfaction and make valuable contributions to our community. For 8 years prior he was the founding di...

In this episode, we will learn from Amber Edwards, OTR/L, RKC (she/her) an occupational therapist specializing in Fitness & Kettlebell Training. Amber graduated from Ithaca College from the BS/MS Occupational Therapy program in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Currently, she is a Travel Occupational Therapist in NYC working with the geriatric population in SNFs. In addition to being an OT, Am...

In this episode, we will learn from Cheryl Albright, OTR/L an occupational therapist who specializes in Yoga Therapy.  Cheryl grew up with an older brother with autism and an aunt with down syndrome. She began working with the disability community when she was 14 at Rotary Camp Onsewaya. She is a graduate of East Carolina University and has been an occupational therapist for 20 years. She beg...

In this episode, we will learn from Hannah Pugh, OTR/L an occupational therapist who specializes in Digital Health.  Hannah has been a practicing occupational therapist for 5 years. She studied kinesiology at Michigan State University and then received her Masters of Occupational Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh. She has traditional OT experience working in an outpatient se...

In this episode, we will learn from some of the founders and members of the Mental Health Task Force (MHTF). Anne Hiller Scott, OTR/L, PhD, FAOTA, Joan Feder MA, OTR/L, Diane Tewfik, MA, OT (Retired), Mabel Martinez-Almonte, OTR/L. The MHTF is a NYSOTA (New York State Occupational Therapy Association) community of practice that identifies, promotes, and supports occupational therapy practitioners...

In this episode, we will learn from Whitney Pendergrass, COTA/L. Whitney is a certified occupational therapy assistant whose role is titled, Clinical Education Assistant for The School of Occupational Therapy at Belmont University. Essentially, her job is to assist the fieldwork educators in the OTD and MSOT programs with all things fieldwork related. This also includes creating more fieldwork pla...

In this episode, you will learn about My Uncommon OT Year. I take a month-to-month account and highlight all of the non-traditional OT opportunities & collaborations I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of in 2022. What an incredible year it has been! MANY THANKS to EACH of YOU for YOUR LOVE & SUPPORT throughout the year. January Great start to the year! I had the privilege of releasing...

In this episode, we will learn about Mark Koch, OTD, OTR/L an occupational therapist and educator whose areas of interest include community-based practice, trauma-informed care, occupational in/justice, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He received his Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Missouri and his post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate fr...

In this episode, we will learn about an occupational therapy practitioner who specializes in soft tissue & myofascial release in her rural OT practice. Tarsha Long, BSC, OT is a country girl from the bottom southwest of Western Australia, a beautiful Coastal town called Bremer Bay. She spent half of her life as a townie and the other half on the family farm, where she learned the beauty in har...

In this episode, we will learn about an occupational therapy practitioner who utilizes adaptive martial arts in her OT practice. Amanda Lynn Piepgras, COTA is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant since 2002 who moved to San Diego from New York in 2015. She has been working with children with special needs since 1999, beginning her career as a teacher assistant at the preschool her sister att...

In this episode, we will learn about an occupational therapist who specializes in pediatric pelvic health. Quiara Smith, MOT, OTR/L has been a practicing Occupational Therapist for over 11 years in both California and in Hawaii. She has worked in various settings including hospitals, schools, an equine center providing hippotherapy as a treatment tool, and outpatient clinics. Her pediatric experie...

In this episode, we will learn about an occupational therapist who utilizes equine movement & animal-assisted therapy in her OT practice. Nicole Raftis, Registered Occupational Therapist, Manager for the Pathways Ponies Occupational Therapy program, ( graduated from Queen’s University’s School of Rehabilitation Science’s Occupational Therapy Program and is a Registered OT in Guelph, Ontario, C...

In this episode, we will learn about two occupational therapists who are Captains in the United States Air Force, Capt. Andrew Antonio, OTR/L, CHT, and Capt. Alain Pierre Eloi, OTD, OTR/L.  Capt. Antonio is an occupational therapist at the Special Warfare Human Performance Squadron, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. He leads a multidisciplinary team of military and civilian personnel across six f...

In this episode, we will be learning about an occupational therapist who works in kinship care. Angela Provenzano-Tobin, OTR/L, OTD is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University occupational therapy program. She has had her fair share of travels- as she is a Connecticut native and attended Mississippi State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology with a Spanish minor....

In this episode, we will be learning about an occupational therapist who works in dementia care. Mary Osbourne, OTR/L, PAC has been an Occupational Therapist and certified positive care approach consultant for 10 years. She founded her consulting company, Your Dementia Therapist which is focused on helping family members and caregivers better care for their loved one who is living with dementia. S...

In this episode, we will be learning from 3 occupational therapists who work in therapeutic climbing.  Jaisa Sulit, MsOT, Laura Burnett, MsOT & Laya Polowin, MsOT.  With CACS, Canadian Adaptive Climbing Society, they run therapeutic programs that aim to use climbing to address physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of the participant’s rehabilitation journey.   ...

In this episode, we will be learning about an occupational therapist in grassroots organization. Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is the director of admissions and associate professor of clinical occupational therapy at the USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Dr. Anvarizadeh is responsible for developing the holistic admissions process and mainta...