In this episode, we’re diving deep into OT burnout prevention —what it looks like, why it happens, and how we can address it head-on. Whether you’re a seasoned therapist or a student just entering the field, burnout is something we all need to be aware of. But here’s the good news: burnout isn’t inevitable, and there are ways to prevent it. I’m joined by Deanna M. Ottinger, ppOTD, OTR/L, CAPS, LSVT BIG , Associate Professor at Milligan University in Northeast Tennessee. Deanna shares how her int...
May 28, 2025•57 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode, I’m joined by Jessica Miller OTR, CBIS, an occupational therapist with a passion for neuro, to discuss chaining techniques , and how it helps patients in neuro rehabilitation. Jessica shares practical insights on incorporating backward chaining in therapy, her approach to fostering patient independence, and tips for OT practitioners working with neuro patients. Key Takeaways: Backward Chaining : A powerful technique for improving patient independence, especially for neuro client...
Apr 22, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Struggling with OT goal writing? In this episode, I explore why goal writing can be so challenging and how to overcome common pitfalls. I'll also give a sneak peek into my upcoming ebook, Mastering OT Goal Writing The Ultimate Guide and Goal Bank for Adult Rehab, launching next week! Key Takeaways EMR Limitations Dont let dropdown menus box you incustomize when possible. Goal Formats Use COAST, SMART, or RHUMBA to fit client needs. Outcome Measures Matter Tie goals to measurable progress with to...
Mar 20, 2025•32 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Level II fieldwork is a major milestone in occupational therapy education—both exciting and nerve-wracking. In this episode of the OT Flourish Podcast, Erin Jeffords OTD, MS, OTR/L joins us to share real advice from students who’ve just completed their 12-week rotations. We’ll discuss their biggest challenges, what they wish they had known, and practical tips to help you succeed with confidence. Whether you’re starting fieldwork or mentoring students, this episode is packed with valuable insight...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 3
In this episode, we explore the power of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in occupational therapy. If youve ever felt uncertain about your treatment decisions, EBP is here to guide you. We cover the three core components of EBPresearch evidence, clinical expertise, and client valuesand offer practical tips for integrating EBP into your practice without feeling overwhelmed. Key Takeaways What EBP is and why its essential for confident decision-making. How to balance research, experience, and client ...
Jan 21, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome back to the OT Flourish Podcast ! After a much-needed pause, I’m so excited to be back behind the mic and reconnecting with this amazing community of occupational therapy practitioners and students working with older adults. In this episode, I share why the podcast took a break, the lessons learned along the way, and what you can expect in this next chapter. Whether you’re a new grad feeling overwhelmed or a seasoned therapist looking for fresh inspiration, this podcast is here to suppor...
Jan 15, 2025•6 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Sex is an ADL! Do you address a client's sexuality or ask how they identify? These are the questions that we must ask ourselves in order to provide client centered care, keeping in mind 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." Guest Devlynn Neu MS OTR/L shares their passion for bringing awareness and unity within ...
Feb 18, 2020•59 min
The biopsychosocial model and occupational therapy are the perfect match as they both focus on the biological, psychological, and social elements, as well as a person's individual experiences. It is often confused as being a biopsychosocial frame of reference, but it's not, as a model of practice helps organize a clinician's thinking and approach, vs a frame of reference is a tool to guide one's intervention. What I love about this model, is that it really puts the person first - but wait, I kno...
Jan 09, 2020•48 min
Caregiving is hard. Listen to the personal story Katherine Ayala OTA, shares about being a caregiver to both her mother and father while finishing up occupational therapy school. Stories like hers give us, as healthcare professionals, a perspective to help us love, forgive, strive and be the best we can be. A special thank you to Katherine for sharing her story. → 3 Key Takeaways Caregiving is a hard role, especially when it isn't a role you have planned. "Balance" is more than difficult to achi...
Dec 10, 2019•48 min
The Patient Driven Payment System (PDPM) for occupational therapy practitioners in SNFs is a hot topic these days. I get questions about what does PDPM mean for therapy and what is PDPM's impact on therapy services all the time and listen to the stories on how this change of payment systems have impacted services provided and jobs. I was fortunate to be able to get some of your questions answered by Sabrena McCarley MBA-SL, OTR/L, CLIPP, RAC-CT, QCP, who not only presents the webinars for AOTA o...
Oct 21, 2019•58 min
What do we need to do to promote occupational therapy? Do we have to? How do we define occupational therapy and what we "do" for our patients? Brock Cook OT, the host of the occupational therapy podcast, Occupied , and I dive into these questions and hash out how OT's distinct value is communicated in healthcare, with out patients, our coworkers and communities. Also, check out all the the occupational therapy podcasts at OTpodcasts.com...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr
Occupation based treatment ideas feel like they should come easy, but sometimes we as OT practitioners find barriers to getting creative and finding the occupations that are meaningful to our clients. Timisha Tross BS, COTA shares how it doesn't have to be hard to put more occupation, creativity and fun into your occupational therapy treatment sessions - especially if you are working in a skilled nursing facility. Resources: Timisha's ebook: 12 Case Studies Treatment Intervention and Documentati...
Sep 18, 2019•54 min
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Aug 27, 2019•1 hr 2 min
Have you ever had wanted to volunteer internationally using your occupational therapy skills? Ever dream of exploring cultures, helping others, meeting like minded professionals or promote occupational therapy in foreign countries? In this episode, Sarah Putt MA, OTR/L and I talk about how she uses volunteering internationally to sharpen her critical thinking skills, creativity, and giving back to the occupational therapy profession. Resources World Federation of Occupational Therapists | WFOT C...
Aug 12, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Even though there is a large percentage of the US population that affiliates with some level of spirituality or God, our current healthcare system does not often put a priority on spirituality and intuition outside of a typical hospital chaplain. Because occupational therapy looks at the "whole person," it is an important aspect of people's lives that we sometimes don't address. Some areas of OT practice integrate this more easily, such as roles in hospice and palliative care , but given the fac...
Jul 10, 2019•50 min
Many know that occupational therapists help with driving rehab, but how about driving retirement? It is a HUGE shift to go from driving to not driving and what is our role in preparing our patients with this transition? The more we can help our patients explore alternative options, the easier it will be for them in the future. Terri Cassidy OTD, OTR/L, Certified Driving Rehab Specialist, discusses what this looks like, as well as how we can work on these goals for our patients to maintain as muc...
Jun 25, 2019•49 min
Curious what an occupational therapy fieldwork looks like? Guest Chelsea Rowe OTR/L just finished her level II fieldwork and shares her pros, cons, challenges and celebrations of her experience. She also talks about resources she couldn't live without , tips for assessments, productivity and what to expect when diving into fieldwork! MUST HAVE Resources Chelsea Recommends for Level II Fieldwork: Learning Lab Membership OT Toolkit Additional Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Mastering Fieldwor...
Jun 10, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Occupational therapy practitioners are continuously looking for ways to maximize the potential of their clients that have had a stroke. But what does the research say? Lauren Sheehan OTD, OTR/L & Lauren Souders OTR/L, CBIS dig into the intensity and repetition for task based practice in order to increase the motor function after a person has a stroke. Tips for how to do it, options for technology to assist us and when should we get started. Resources from the Show: Virtual Reality and OT Neu...
May 14, 2019•51 min
Occupational therapy practitioners improve quality of life in hospice and palliative care by helping people engage in those meaningful occupations, even if it is at their end of life. Karmella Bognot MS, OTR/L shares her experience working with people in a hospice and palliative care setting and how our role as OT practitioners is just as important in this stage of life, as it is when they are younger. Resources: The Role of Occupational Therapy in Palliative and Hospice Care fact sheet Talking ...
Apr 09, 2019•1 hr 1 min
I have struggled over the years finding the right treatment options in helping my clients that have Parkinson's Disease optimize function. LSVT BIG is determined to help OT practitioners do this through evidence based intervention! Not only is LSVT BIG treatment customized to each person's specific needs and goals, it helps them more more normally and these strategies can be utilized regardless of the stage or severity. The team from LSVT BIG has joined me on the podcast discussing the evidence,...
Mar 27, 2019•55 min
Feeling a bit burned out by OT or maybe looking for a sidegig where you can use your OT skills to revive your passion for your career? There are many non-traditional occupational therapy jobs out there where you can use your skill set for non-clinical positions that will help you to love your work again! Sarah Lyon OTR/L, OTpotential.com and Meredith Castin PT, DPT, theNonClinicalPT.com share resources and discuss how we can narrow down our OT skills to find a job that is perfect for you. Resour...
Mar 13, 2019•1 hr 4 min
Arthritis can be so debilitating to our clients because it is often not always the direct (or only!) reason we are seeing them. Occupational therapy practitioners have a unique perspective to not only treat the diagnosis, but we get to look at our patients holistically and address the things that are important to them, even in an outpatient setting. Guest Hoang Tran OT/L, CHT talks pain, when to (or not to) splint, joint protection techniques and what do we do about those "junky" shoulders. Look...
Feb 28, 2019•50 min
Have you ever wondered, " how should I be prescribing home exercise programs" or " what type of approach is best to address my patient's upper extremity dysfunction?" Anthony Mucci COTA and I discuss how we should be using a combination of a biomechanical approach in conjunction with occupation based techniques to help our patients achieve their optimal outcomes. It is definitely not a "one-size-fits-all" approach! Resources from the show: Join the Free OT Goal Writing Challenge Additional Liste...
Jan 23, 2019•59 min
Resources from the show: PDF: Occupational Therapy Supervisory Log Podcast and Resource Links: Occupational Therapy Specialties and Certifications for OTR & OTA Occupational Therapy Assistant Supervisory State Requirements ACOTE standards OTA Leadership page on AOTA (lots and lots of stuff on here!) Standards of practice paper OT Ethics Learn More About Our Sponsor: Looking for MORE resources? The Learning Lab Membership is the source for treatment ideas, patient handouts, clinical resources...
Jan 02, 2019•56 min
I love that the Seniors Flourish Podcast can talk about professional issues that are REAL - like, are you unhappy with your occupational therapy job, or f eeling burned out being an OT? Ericka del Pozo MOT OTR/L, shares her resources and passion for helping fellow OT practitioners bash the burnout! Visit https://seniorsflourish.com/burned-out-in-occupational-therapy/ to get all the resources from the show!...
Dec 19, 2018•55 min
How can the Allen Cognitive Levels help you to provide better treatments for our patients with a cognitive impairment? How can we use this theory to make better discharge planning? How can we help our patient's be successful in their own environments with dementia? Dr Patricia Cornille OTD and Carol Luhman OTR, both former presidents of the Allen Cognitive Network, share how we can integrate this model into our practice to produce better client centered treatments and help our patient's live lif...
Oct 31, 2018•56 min
How can the Allen Cognitive Levels help you to provide better treatments for our patients with a cognitive impairment? How can we use this theory to make better discharge planning? How can we help our patient's be successful in their own environments with dementia? Dr Patricia Cornille OTD and Carol Luhman OTR, both former presidents of the Allen Cognitive Network, share how we can integrate this model into our practice to produce better client centered treatments and help our patient's live lif...
Oct 31, 2018•47 min
Occupational Therapist have a unique role when working in a community based setting for older adults with developmental disabilities. Guest Tomeico Faison OTR/L not only has a passion for providing services to this population, but has grown an OT business! From assessments and case studies to finding a way to serve an unmet need, you will not want to miss this episode. Resources From the Show: OT-Innovations.com ARC COPM Sensory Profile Therapeutic Solutions of NC Tomeico's books on Amazon Faiso...
Oct 11, 2018•44 min
Occupational therapy specialties and certifications - what's out there and what are some options for you to further your occupational therapy career. Any certifications or specialties that have impacted your career and you would love to add - leave us a comment! Resources From the Show: https://www.seniorsflourish.com/occupationaltherapyspecialties/ Learn More About Our Sponsors: Promenaid is the world’s first code-compliant continuous handrail combining elegance, versatility, and easy install...
Aug 31, 2018•35 min
Looking to learn more about being an occupational therapy practitioner and fostering inclusivity with older adults in the LGBTQ+ community ? Learn about the stats, get more information on inclusive language, check out these resources and gain knowledge on practical strategies to increase your competency. Anything you would love to add - leave us a comment! Resources From the Show: theSafeZoneProject.com Human Rights Campaign Fostering Inclusivity: THE LGBTQ OLDER ADULT COMMUNITY New Patient Info...
Aug 27, 2018•48 min
