Blog Post Challenge 10: The Therapeutic Relationship

Today, in class, we talked about the therapeutic relationship occupational therapists have with their clients. The relationship differs from our relationships with friends, parents, or significant others in that it is more about one person than the connection between two people. The therapeutic relationship is directed towards the client and meeting their needs.

There are many techniques involved in the relationship with OT’s and their clients, but I find active listening to be one of the more important ones. I consider myself to be an effective active listener as I have had practice with clients in a previous job as a technician. Gaining trust from your client could be one of the more vital parts of occupational therapy, and I think you achieve this by listening to your client and showing that you truly care.

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Blog Post Challenge 9: Cultural Competence

Today in class, we talked about cultural competence, what it is, and why it’s important. What I took away from the lecture the most was how to gain cultural competence. I grew up in a small town in East Tennessee, and moving across the state to Memphis is even a huge change for me. I think it’s important in my journey through OT school and future career to have cultural competence, because I will be in contact with a wide variety of people. Some key things we discussed in class include self-reflection, exposure, and interdisciplinary or inter-professional relationships. Self-reflection is huge in revealing to yourself what you know and think about different cultures and molding those thoughts if necessary. Like I said earlier, I grew up in a small town, and although traveling some, I haven’t had many opportunities to expose myself to other cultures. Contact with other students and professors in the OT program and other programs is a good step as well in gaining ...

OT 640 Debrief

Blog Post Challenge 5: Clinical Reasoning

“Clinical reasoning enables practitioners to • Identify the multiple demands, required skills, and potential meanings of the activities and occupations and   • Gain a deeper understanding of the interrelationships between aspects of the domain that affect performance and that support client-centered interventions and outcomes.” – OTPF An integral part of the OT process is using clinical reasoning. As discussed in class, acquiring the skill can take time as an OT. It is something for us, as students, to remember as we travel through the program. We have opportunities through fieldwork and RKS to not only watch experienced practitioners use clinical reasoning, but to practice and mold our own clinical reasoning.

Whitney OT425

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