Thankful for Occupational Therapy
11.09.2014
Thanksgiving is almost here. For us this is a time to stop and reflect on what we are passionate about - Occupational Therapy.
We are so thankful to be a part of the Occupational Therapy profession. A career that allows us to impact the lives of many. To be creative and client-centered on a daily basis. Occupational Therapy is a profession that is gratifying, challenging, and filled with countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our clients and their families.
In this thanksgiving blog we wanted to take a moment and ask therapists, parents, "Why are you thankful for Occupational Therapy?" Here are their answers:
"Our beautiful daughter Abbie has been the best addition to our family! She has the pep and bounce in everything she explores and I love watching the world through her eyes. Her growth has been beyond our expectations and we are thankful every day for her Occupational Therapist that has helped give her the guidance, confidence, and expectations that she needs to achieve milestones that without, she would not have reached so quickly. I firmly believe each session is approached with genuine concern for the well-being of our daughter. As Abbie has learned to build upon the skills she learns, we learn just how amazing her resolve is to achieve the next goal. A big thank you to our OT!"
Stacie McNett, Mommy to Abbie McNett
Ionela Pichiu, Occupational Therapist
Bacau, Romania,
"My first experience with an occupational therapist was decades ago when I met one (who later became both my mentor and instructor) helping my older brother who had cerebral palsy. Besides introducing me to an amazing career, I will never forget those first interactions, with an amazing therapist, years and years ago. For this I am thankful."
Anonymous
"I am thankful for starting a new career in OT because it feels amazing to help someone accomplish something they never thought they would! "
Wendy Williams White
"I am thankful for the opportunity to be in a profession that is dedicated to finding solutions to challenges."
Michelle Satler, MS, OTR/L
Interdisciplinary ASD Certificate
"I am thankful for OT because it is so rewarding to help children everyday to try and improve their lives. It is honestly the best job."
Sara Wade McLean
"I am thankful for OT because it is a rewarding profession and working with children makes it even more rewarding, to see them light up when they are able to do tasks that were or ard for them to complete. They make me love what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything."
Erin Murray Magnotta, MS, OTR/L
"I am extremely grateful to be an occupational therapist. OT is such a rewarding and challenging profession. I am grateful for the people I have met along the way. Co-workers, patients and their family members included. I am grateful that when I go for a run or walk and think I might cut it short I am inspired to keep going by a patient with a recent stroke who puts more effort into transferring from bed to a wheelchair than I do walking around the block one more time. I am grateful that OT keeps me focused on what is important in life and continually reminds me to value waking up each day and being able. OT reminds me to be grateful for being able to shower, able to dress myself, able to fix breakfast, able to remember to turn off the coffee pot, able to drive, able to walk, able to work, able to exercise, able to call my family, able to socialize, able to take a trip with my husband and even able to do laundry! The one thing OT gave me that I am the most grateful for was being better able to care for my father and my mother-in-law when they were in their final days on earth. I guess I owe OT a lot! I am currently grateful to share my writing passion with the younger generation and educate on the profession of OT in my recently published children's book about OT. The book is called, Sophia Discovers Occupational Therapy. It is available on Mascotbooks.com and Amazon.com. I would be most grateful if you would like the facebook page for the book and help spread the word about OT."
Nicole Poplos Thompson.
www.facebook.com/sophiadiscovers
"Ten years ago I was introduced to OT with my daughter who was born with special needs. OT provided me with skills and activities to help her engage with her world. Since I've entered OT school I've learned why those activities work for my daughter and now for others too. I am very thankful for those amazing OT's who worked with my daughter and empowered me as a parent and future OT. It's an amazing profession!"
Barbara Winthrop, MSOT, Class of 2015
"My first intro to OT was when my son was in the NICU. He was 32 weeks and did not have a sacking reflex...the therapists were awesome and helped me so much I later became an OTA. I now have a great career help I no other children and my son was diagnosed with ASD, so now in addition to being an OTA and mom, my son has an OT. OT has been a part of my life for six years I am thankful to OT it has literally changed my life."
Jodie Hines Hart
"I am thankful for OT because it has provided me with a rewarding and challenging career! I am able to see progress in at least one person's life daily. Plus, I get to play on swings, in tunnels, paint, and laugh every single day I am "working" :)
Kelcey Smith, OTS
"I'm thankful to BE an Occupational Therapist and have the skills to help my students and my own boys who have autism and SPD. OT is uniquely positioned to make REAL changes to help kids live a better life!"
Cara Koscinski, MOT, OTR/L
The Pocket Occupational Therapist. www.pocketot.com
"I am thankful I can help families with their children to become the best they can be!!! "
Amy L. Dubey, OTR. THERAPY SOLUTIONS
Traumatic Brain Injury and Pediatric Occupational Therapist
"As an OT, I am thankful for the variety of jobs and people I've been able to work with over the past 34 years of my career. And after 34 years, I still have a career that I love! Go OTs!!"Jean Esposito
"I have been a COTA for 37 years!! I have worked both in school based PEDs and a few years in geriatrics!! I also absolutely love what I do and would not do
anything else! The field has come a very long way and people with disabilities have a better quality of life. We have played and contributed to this!! I am still learning and excited to share ideas with others. I am extremely thankful for OT."
Bertha Cohen, COTA/L
"I am so thankful to be in a profession that I love for 26 years. It is so incredibly rewarding to get people enjoying and living their lives with meaningful occupation! Every day I am on a high from the good things that happen in my day. So grateful that I get to do this all day!"Mary Kostka, OTR/L
Owner and founder of OHANA Occupational Therapy, LLC
"I am thankful that I can try to make a difference in some one's life!"
Anne O'Hara
"I am thankful to an OT who I actually met on a train in 1990 and she not only taught me what OT was, but guided me as I applied for the program at the University of Toronto. She ultimately was my professor! I love being an OT (18 years and still passionate) and I love what OT stands for!"
Lori Howell
"Thankful for OT because the wonderful care my son (has Down syndrome) received inspired me to go back to school late in life and become a COTA!!! I LOVE what I do and only wish I had known about it 20 years ago...God's plan!"
Beth Hefner Hutchinson
"I'm thankful for a profession that has allowed me great diversity and challenge for 30 plus years."Renee Longacre Chancellor
"I'm thankful for being in a profession that restores hope; that feeds my spirit; where I can move from identifying and area of weakness and improving forward to strengthen that area,, rather than merely diagnosis a problem ...My profession has allowed me to travel to places around the world to meet people and reach into people's lives that really needed encouragement. We make a difference in this world!"
Liz Kasza
"I am thankful for OT because it changes people's lives for the better....including mine!
Watching my nephew with special needs improve was inspiring and actually led to my career change to become a COTA."Kristen Cronin, COTA.
"I am thankful for all of the regulation strategies I learn to help me do my job as
a SLP better."
Kristin Medved, MSc., CCC-SLP
Calgary, Alberta
"We are thankful for the diverse roles available on Occupational Therapy. This variety provides us, as practitioners, with many opportunities to help others and shape the future for our profession." Debra Battistella, MS, OTR/L
Andrea Reed, MS, OTR/L
Hand2Hand Occupational Therapy of WNY, PLLC
https://www.facebook.com/hand2handot
We hope that through our blog posts we portray the driving force behind creating Tools to Grow, and the love we have for our profession. We are so thankful to have this beautiful website and for the opportunity to travel on this journey with you!
The goal of this blog and website is to inspire our members with creativity, ideas, tips, information, and resources. We hope that providing you with these valuable tools will help with the most important job there is … helping children grow!
We appreciate each and every one of you, and are truly thankful for Occupational Therapy!
Why are you thankful for Occupational Therapy? Please comment below, we would love to hear from you!
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!
You can find our Thanksgiving resources here: Thanksgiving Resources
Related Topics: General, Press Releases, Thanksgiving
