What I Learned about Therapeutic Relationships

The major takeaways I got from last class on therapeutic relationships is how incredibly important they are.  Creating a good, healthy relationship between the therapist and client is important because it establishes trust and builds rapport for future sessions.  We learned what to do and not do as a therapist when working with a client, as well as the best methods to creating a good therapeutic relationship.  From my personal experience, at the clinics I observed at during undergrad, I witnessed great therapeutic relationships that made the clients feel comfortable and able to talk about their situations and problems that they wanted to focus on or fix.  I could tell they trusted the therapists I was working with.  My goal is get better at doing that and building trust with people.  I haven't always been the best at communicating well with those that I do no know, but that is something I want to get better at. 

Guest Speaker Discussion

Based on Dr. Keisling's presentation on the 14th of March, 2019, and the TEDx Talk that we were to watch before today's session, the main takeaway I found from both is a need to treat those with disabilities as equals.  Ever since I was a child, I was taught to treat everyone with respect and encouragement; to not discriminate based on ethnicity or race, and certainly not based on whether someone is able-bodied or not.  What I learned from these two presentations was how prevalent ableism was in U.S. society, even up until the most recent years.  How, only within the past few decades or so have we seen an increased awareness and respect for those who have disabilities.  How it is important to look at an individual with a disability, as an individual, not whatever they carry with them.  It is important to listen to these individuals, especially as professionals in the world of rehabilitation, to talk to them and figure out what works best for them on an individual level.

Learning about all that I have learned today has put into perspective how important this type of treatment can be in the world of OT.  As a future occupational therapist, I have to remember that how I treat my clients on an interactive level will be crucial in their progress.  Treating them with respect and dignity is of utmost importance in the world of rehabilitation.  Treating them as equals is also important, as well as not addressing them as just what they have, but who they are.  Knowing their dreams and aspirations, their goals, habits, etc., make for a better, more personable experience with them.  It is important to remember this as an occupational therapist, because our whole approach is about being client-centered.  We must remember that when it comes to those with disabilities, as well.  

The OTPF

The OTPF, or the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework, is an official document of the AOTA, which provides a generic outline of the domains of concern of OT and also provides a common terminology for the profession.  The reason that the OTPF is important to learn about is because it guides the OT profession in client care, as well as improves the standards of communication and highlights the occupational therapist's scope of practice.

One Role that I Carry

One role that I carry with me, personally, is that I am a cosplayer, or someone who dresses as certain characters and wears costumes.  Some different occupations that I have that go with being a cosplayer are attending conventions, traveling/driving to conventions, and also making/sewing my costumes.  Some activities that I perform while sewing my costumes is threading the sewing machine needles, pinning patterns together, and cutting out pieces of fabric with scissors.  Some tasks associated with the activities is gripping the needle and thread, grasping the scissors, kneeling on the floor to cut the fabric, gripping the pins, and movements of the wrists, such as flexion and extension.

How has OT's view on Mental Health Changed Overtime

For decades, mental health has played a crucial role in the field of therapeutic rehabilitation.  Within the field of occupational therapy, specifically, the importance of mental health has had an up and down trend analogous to that of a roller coaster, with its importance in including it within therapeutic treatments changing rapidly in each decade.  In this current decade, mental health is seen as a vital component to a client and how they are able to go back to their daily functions and occupations.  Incorporating techniques and management of mental health are important skills that an ot must have in order to better help their clients in having a successful treatment.  It is with great hope that future ots continue to place emphasis on the importance of this topic when it comes to treating clients, for it is a major factor that plays a role in a person's well-being and how they function in everyday society.      

Why Did I choose the OT Profession?

Why I chose the OT profession is quite a journey, albeit a short one.  I was a freshman in undergrad, attending George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.  I had thought I had wanted to be a Forensic Scientist, doing DNA analysis of evidence, so I had declared my major at that point.  I was also a part of the rowing team at my school, living the life of a D1 athlete.  Halfway through the year, close to when school would start back up for the spring semester, I sustained a back injury that took me out of my sport for a little over two months, and during that time, I was in rehab, working on different movements and exercises and different modalities like TENS treatment, ultrasound, heat, and ice.  Though I was upset I could not perform in my sport, going through the motions of therapy made me realize that that was what I wanted to do with my life: be the reason and the road for others to get back to their daily living.  I had looked into PT and realized that that wasn't what I wanted to do, though it was close.  Then a friend introduced to me to the world of OT, and I looked into it, and that was when I realized what my calling was: to be an occupational therapist.  I declared my major in Pre-OT in the the spring of 2015, and haven't looked back since.