Spreading the benefits of purposeful occupation to all the land!
How can occupational therapy help me?
Every human has a unique set of values, beliefs, and spiritual practices that define the way they would like to show up in the world. There is interplay between their unique habits, roles, routines, and rituals, valued occupations, and the skills and strategies they need to get them done. As an OT, I have the skills to look at the whole person within the context of meaningful occupation. My approach is client-led and quite collaborative. It may be tempting to think of this as “coaching”, but in my role of OT practitioner, I interact more as a teammate (with 20 years of experience).
Taking that understanding of each client as an individual, we collaborate to optimize comfortable, more efficient daily function. Starting with an occupational profile, occupational therapy’s unique framework is the perfect starting point to help teens and adults meet their personal goals. If you are an officially or self-diagnosed neurodivergent teen, adult, or family, I’d like to help you make connections within yourself, integrate them into daily engagement, and expand your well being and well doing.
Do you have any of these common challenges as a neurodivergent person living in a world that hasn't quite caught up?
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Sensitivity to touch, sound, movement, and/or any of the other 5 senses
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Feeling drawn to experience certain sensations more strongly
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Frequent dropping items or bumping into things, especially when under stress
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Feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks that seem easy for everyone else
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Constant disorganization
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Challenges getting started and frequent procrastination
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Difficulty planning things and putting steps in order
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Difficulty learning new things
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Relationship challenges related to the above
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History of masking "the real you" to fit in with others' values and expectations
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Feeling misunderstood by yourself and/or others
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Feelings of anxiety, depression, or other uncomfortable emotions relating to these challenges
Do any of the challenges above impact your ability to engage comfortably in the following occupations?
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Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s): basic self-care such as dressing, eating, and hygiene
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Instrumental ADL’s: The “spicier” ADL’s such as money management, caring for others, transportation, and shopping.
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Health Management: This includes both physical and mental health management.
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Rest and sleep
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Education: This includes both formal and informal learning.
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Work
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Play
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Leisure
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Social Participation
My Approach
All good OT relationships start with a solid occupational profile. I will work with you to reflect on your values and beliefs, habits, roles, and routines, skills and challenges, occupational patterns, contexts in which you function, and all sorts of other factors in function to get a big picture understanding of YOU. This, of course, includes your goals! You will be surprised at how much you can adjust automatically as you begin to notice your occupational patterns! We will then work together to prioritize our focus, exploring strategies that resonate with you to refine skills, improve your self-regulation, and adapt approaches.
After beginning with the occupational profile, The CO-OP approach is the framework that I use in working towards functional goals. Along that journey, we may explore more specialized techniques such as Therapeutic Listening, Brain Gym, Sensory Enhanced Yoga, mindfulness, reflex integration, self-regulation techniques, sensory integration strategies/sensory diet, executive functioning strategies, and more!
I am also an approved provider for NYC DOE RSA services!