As a professional I hope to be known as a therapist who has integrity and practices in a client-centered manner, while adhering to moral and ethical standards. As learned through classroom interactions and clinical placements, mutual interdependency amongst healthcare professionals is critical to the success of healthcare operations. I believe that having an understanding of each professional’s role and utilizing everyone’s individual qualities can help improve the accessibility and effectiveness of health care services; miscommunication and inadequate knowledge could impede improvements in client outcomes. I aim to be a collaborative team member who is supportive, but can take initiative when necessary. I hope to be a positive change-agent by enabling individuals and communities to reach their goals.

 

I have a love for travelling that has lead to an appreciation of diverse cultures and communities. I believe that people are the experts in their own well-being and they create their definition of a meaningful life. I aim to have a collaborative client-therapist relationship that blurs the inherent power dynamics to create an equal platform for the client to express their needs and goals. I believe in a strength-based approach, with the perception that everyone has something to offer whether it is to the community around them or simply to themselves.

 

I enjoy working in the community because I feel that it provides the most complete picture of a person’s life. A person’s surroundings both physical and social contribute to who a person is and can be an integral piece of the puzzle when working with a client. I believe in using the P-E-O model to guide my practice – I feel that implementing interventions that are directed at the person, occupation, and environment encourage me to consider all the components of a person, thus, optimizing occupational performance. This also helps to facilitate my main goal as an occupational therapist: maintaining a client-centered approach. I’ve been lucky enough to experience being a student occupational therapist in the community where clients allowed me to enter into their home – a place that can represent the most intimate details about an individuals life. It is in the community that I feel the most comfortable and where I believe my skills can be highlighted. I want to be proud of the work that I do as an occupational therapist and share my passion for occupational therapy with others.

 

A metaphor for my future occupational therapy practice is the essence of the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The Galapagos Islands have a wonderfully diverse and thriving ecosystem with flora and fauna that attract thousands of visitors every year who leave happy, feeling like they have discovered a whole new world. My practice will be the convergence of multiple theoretical ideas and frameworks that combine to produce the most optimal therapeutic environment for clients to enter into, as the cold currents from the Antarctic region converge with warm waters in the Galapagos Islands creating a unique ecological climate. The client will be like the three central islands of the Galapagos where tourists land to begin their adventure. The clients will be the focus of my practice where all interventions and assessments take off from leading to exploratory and educational experiences. The methods I will use with clients will be tailored to fit their individual needs, just as the aquatic animals in the Galapagos thrive around various parts of the islands depending on their survival needs. The scope and delivery of my practice will continue to grow and change just as Charles Darwin discovered in the Galapagos Islands with his finches that adapted over time depending on the environmental demands around them. Overall, I want my practice to bring the same satisfaction and feeling of well-being as many people feel when they are visiting the Galapagos Islands.