Discovering Occupational Therapy: A Personal Journey

Introduction
Occupational therapy was a career choice I fell into. When I first arrived to Keiser University back in 2009 I was going to apply for the physical therapy assistant program. Physical and speech therapy where the only therapeutic disciplines I had any knowledge of at that time. When I met with the admissions counselor she informed me the waiting list for the PTA program was about two years, I was floored I wasn’t going to wait that long I needed to start school ASAP. The counselor then asked me “ what is your goal?” and my response was “to work with children in the medical field without being too medically involved”. She then handed me an occupational therapy pamphlet and I just signed the paper work to start that month. I honestly

Occupational therapy was based off of psychology; we evolved from treating mentally ill patients with isolation as an efficient treatment plan. We must never forget we are known to be “the art and science of helping people do the day-to-day activities that are important and meaningful to their health and well being through engagement in valued occupations” (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2008). To other professional disciplines this article explains the difference between each of us, yet can also express our relation to one another. The basic goal of all therapeutic disciplines is to better our clients life, through physical, speech or occupational therapy. Every discipline targets different goals, may it be body mechanics, reducing a stutter or buttoning a shirt, at the end of the day our clients well being may it be through science, art or both is all that matters. To the occupational therapy field this article means progress for what we do. Reading this article today in the year 2015 did not seem like old information to me, it is still relevant, I am proud that our field is not only evolving with contemporary time but it is also maintaining its

Woods article compares occupational therapy to the art of weaving. To weave one must interlace two pieces of thread lengthwise (warp) and widthwise (weft). She explains the process of this interlacing thread as the art (weft) and science (warp) combination of Occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is the jack-of-all-trades in the therapy world so to speak. We are known as the artist of daily activates. Unlike other disciplines we can merge into different realms of what occupational practice is for our clients. No matter the diagnosis or the deficits we can treat our patients mind, body and soul with our varied approaches. We are scientists who help heal bones, and better range of motion, and artist to help create opportunities in the canvas of our client’s lives. Making this field the perfect combination of