I could not be happier with my choice of career, Occupational Therapy, which I find enormously fulfilling. Each day, I am anxious to get to work to be with the clients and other caregivers, always appreciating their diligence and resiliency. I enjoy the interdisciplinary aspects of OT with careful coordination between speech pathologists, physical therapists/assistants, and OT assistants. I also love the great diversity among our clients. As a student in your program and later as a certified OT professional, I look forward to learning and practicing new and developing approaches to OT, especially aquatic therapy, and equine-inspired approaches.
After completing your program and earning my master's degree in OT, I hope to find a position with an organization that encourages and supports ongoing training and the cultivation of further specialization within my field. I have not yet had the opportunity to travel as much as I would like, and I hope to find ways to do so as an OT professional; completing positions overseas in the Developing World is on my agenda. Also, I might well choose to serve as an OT in different geographical regions of the US throughout my career, refreshing my profession and life with new surroundings and people.
I look forward to decades to come serving as an OT alongside a highly skilled team of physical and occupational therapists, counselors, speech pathologists, healthcare workers, etc. I profoundly enjoy brainstorming and problem-solving with my colleagues, thinking together in an interdisciplinary fashion, and learning from each other. Dedicated to lifelong learning, I always plan to stay fully abreast of developments in OT research and methodology so that I will be able to provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatment available. For this reason, I look forward to immersion in learning opportunities - to better serve my clients and their families.
I hope to contribute to our knowledge base concerning injury, the psycho-social aspects of disability, rehabilitation systems, and the ongoing refinement of our ability to adapt creatively to our environment and circumstances. I look forward to daily opportunities to develop meaningful relationships and share joy with clients, caregivers, and others. I live for the chance to make a positive difference in people's lives in a variety of ways—from helping them make slight changes to having the opportunity to support them in achieving significant milestones and accomplishments. Nothing brings me as much joy as those lightbulb moments and the inspiration that follows.
I hold a master's degree in counseling and an LPC-Intern license. I have worked in several settings, including XXXX Valley Center for Mental Health and Wellness, which provides behavioral healthcare services to persons with mental illness, intellectual and developmental challenges, and alcohol and chemical dependency. I have also worked at an intensive outpatient treatment facility that focuses on group therapy for individuals with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar disorder. Managing a heavy caseload of clients has made me an accomplished clinical note-taker.
I had a significant physical injury that left me lying prone for two months. I had to learn to do many things over again, just as with many of my clients; thus, empathy and compassion for others in this situation are born from my personal experience – which will always be with me. Pediatrics, family-centered practice, and older adult care are where I thrive most while studying many aspects of OT. Currently enrolled in Abnormal Psychology, Biopsychology, and Kinesiology online, I have also received research training under the supervision of my professor, studying the effects of the media’s portrayal of body shape on the relationship between depression and body image. My group won fourth place at the Oklahoma Psychological Association’s yearly conference.
I have two years of experience working with adults, including senior clients, in inpatient and outpatient facilities, utilizing group and individual therapy. I have volunteered at XXXX Memorial Hermann Hospital, which specializes in rehabilitating individuals who have experienced catastrophic illness or injury, such as spinal cord and brain injuries and stroke. I've also worked at a pediatric outpatient facility. I have been extensively trained in sensory and neuro-based therapies, learning how to assess reflexes, visual-motor skills, self-regulation capacities, sensory needs, etc. I have volunteered at a skilled nursing facility, so I have learned through observation how OTs teach skills to their clients using a walker or a shower chair, for example. I also helped with bed/chair transfers and assisted clients with putting on clothing. I would mostly keep the clients on task, completing fine motor activities such as twisting screws for better skill and cognitive activities like remembering which playing cards go in what suit and putting them in order. I have also volunteered at a skilled nursing facility. My responsibilities included evaluating the person’s home for safety after discharge, recommending adaptive equipment, and teaching patients to use that equipment. I assisted our discharged patients with typical activities, from cooking to driving, as they progressed through recovery.
I am actively involved with the Meals on Wheels Program, distributing food to the elderly in their homes. We package, deliver, and sit with them for a few minutes to chat after giving them their food. Finally, I have been a Sunday school teacher at my church for the last three years. I look forward to continuing to improve the Spanish that I first began learning as a high school student, in preparation for the chance to help vulnerable little Latinos struggling to communicate in two languages, often in a foreign culture, with parents for whom putting bread on the table is an arduous, daily struggle. These children need our assistance.
Thank you for considering my application.
OT, Occupational Therapy Master's Personal Purpose
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