I Love OT Podcast

Back in 2021....finally!  Feel free to play "Where did you go?" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones as you wait for this episode to download.  Quick explanation of where I've been and what I did, then a discussion of how best to build the best OT we can, for now and the future!

My new rescue Ricky says "I may be just a four-year-old beagle, but even I can tell that this episode is an absolute must listen!"  I present evidence for OT's role in facilitating pet ownership for a variety of populations and propose a crazy idea.  Please let me know your thoughts and share this episode with all your OT-loving friends! 

This episode has recommendations on setting your New Year's Resolutions in OT.  Whether you're a new student, new faculty, new practitioner, or starting level II fieldwork, there's something here for you!  Thanks for listening and Happy New Year!

This is the one where I give my take on the entry-level OTD mandate and make an Oran "Juice" Jones reference.  Enjoy! Send comments and questions to iloveotpodcast@gmail.com

Sometimes OT is all fun and games!  Following up on last episode, this installment of the podcast describes two of my favorite collaborative board games and how to incorporate them into your practice.  Hope you enjoy! Get in touch with me at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com or on instagram at iloveotpodcast Thanks for listening! Game box photo is copyright of Gamewright Inc., retrieved from BoardGameGeek.com  

Cue the music! "These are a few of my favorite things..." While talking to prospective students, I was extolling the value of OT as a career and talking about how you can do just about anything you want with an education in OT.  With this episode, I test whether that is actually true by searching for research about OT and skiing, baking, board games, and soccer!

School is back in session, and so is the I Love OT Podcast!  This episode celebrates what is unique and special about our practice, how we think, and what we do.  Also, there is something special that is shared by each and every one of the varied research articles and publications discussed in the episode.  Can you find the connection?   Also, excited to announce I'll be presenting at the MAOT conference in October and the AOTA conference in April 2020!  Stop by and say hi!

Hello and happy summer!  This episode tests your knowledge of OT influencers.  Can you identify the speaker in each of the ten quotes in this episode?  Take a break, have some fun, and challenge yourself.  This one is a lot of fun!  

It's that magical time when students are graduating and completing fieldwork, dreaming of a professional career as an OT practitioner.  In this episode, I talk about what the evidence says about your first year of practice, what you need to understand about professional practice beyond your textbooks, and make recommendations about how to structure your professional development plan for the coming year. Of course, I also talk about the World Cup, Red Sox and Yankees, O'Hara and Sauerbrunn, and....cat juggling...?  Tune in and let me know what you think! Also, come to my presentation on OT and podcasting at the MAOT annual conference this fall!

After a bit of a break, the latest episode is here! In this episode, I explain why "The Future" is a great reason for me and us to love OT.  I talk about how we build and ensure a strong future and value for our profession through our selection and development of the next generation of OT practitioners.  I talk admissions, GPA, GRE, fieldwork, and how it all relates to a strong and impressive future for the OT profession.  Tune in, tell a friend!

Rock climbing!  It's an activity!  It's a sport!  It's a problem!  It's a challenge!  It's a metaphor! This episode is a comprehensive look at the use of rock climbing, top roping, and bouldering as therapeutic modalities for different populations and a wide variety of conditions.  Lots of good information here, providing you with a lot of ideas on how to use an entertaining and challenging activity to address an impressive number of client factors and skills.  Try it out and let me know what you think.  Email me at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com or send a message at my Instagram account.  Thanks for listening!

Commencement addresses inspire you, make you think, challenge you to examine your path forward in life.  Only thing is, you usually only get one when you complete your OT program.  Why can't we have one every year?  We could all certainly use the inspiration!  In that spirit, I offer a brief Commencement Address for Current and Future and Former OT Students.  It is small, but it is powerful.  It is the Lyanna Mormont of OT podcast episodes... Enjoy, and let me know what you think at iloveOTpodcast@gmail.com or on Instagram at @iloveotpodcast

Disaster strikes!  How will the community respond and rebuild? It may well depend on how OT practitioners are involved before, during, and after the event.  This episode describes research that challenges us to re-think our role in our communities and imagine our profession as a critical link to a bright and successful future after disasters or emergency situations. Let me know what you think at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com, check out the Instagram account, subscribe, share, and spread the word!  Thanks for listening, and happy OT Month!

This episode is my recap of all the fascinating, challenging, wonderful experiences and ideas I encountered at the AOTA Annual Conference in New Orleans.  So many great people, great concepts, tough questions, so much to help us learn and grow as OT practitioners.  From the posters to the yoga to the beignets to the Slagle to the conversations about practice and research, the tweets and treats, the new colleagues and old friends, the banks of the River Charles and the impact of OT in Kyrzgyzstan, it's all here!  Enjoy and let me know what you think on Instagram or at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Episode Twelve is focused on tips, tricks, and hacks that will help you get the most out of your experience at the AOTA Annual Conference in New Orleans in early April. I guarantee that you will find something helpful, insightful, and/or inspirational from this episode if you are going to the national conference.  Tips address everything from portable chargers to your morning coffee to scheduling your time to which events will give you the most bang for your conference buck. Please let me know what you think of the episode, or send along your own tips, tricks, or hacks for a successful conference at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com or catch me in New Orleans and tell me in person.  Thanks for listening to this episode and all the great OT podcasts out there!

Episode Eleven continues our discussion on motivation!  Now we're talking about how to sustain motivation and engagement over longer term programs and interventions.  What are the keys to sustained success and what barriers need to be avoided when we want to make motivation and engagement endure for the long haul?  I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com. Episode Twelve will get us ready for the annual AOTA conference in New Orleans.  Can't wait!  

What keeps us going?  What drives our clients to succeed?  Why is motivation so important to our work as OT practitioners?  This episode will get you thinking about why we do what we do in OT, and how we can create the most motivating context for our clients.   Let me know what you think at iloveOTpodcast@gmail.com and please keep spreading the word about this podcast and our wonderful profession! Thanks for listening!

Amaze your friends!  Impress your family! You can do magic! We've already established that OT is magic, so it's time for examples of how magic can be OT!  Listen to these examples of the use of magic in OT, look up the websites with examples of easy magic tricks, and in a few short hours you are ready to become an OT magician!  Doesn't that sound like a great job description?  Well, don't wait! Alakazam and abracadabra!  Transform your practice!

We all know that OT is magical, but can magic be OT? Of course it can!   In this first part of a two-part episode, we'll talk about research that describes the intersection of OT and magic and I'll share my recent experience using magic in the classroom.  Who knew you could make teaching research interesting?  All it takes is a little magic...   Be sure to review the podcast wherever you listen and contact me at iloveotpodcast@gmail.com with any feedback or ideas!  

Episode Seven gets us thinking about virtual reality and how it will fit into our practice as OT begins its second century.  Research about pain management, stroke rehab, motor learning, and strategies for implementation will have you considering new technologies in your own practice.  Thanks for listening and let me know what you think at iloveOTpodcast@gmail.com!

The 6th Episode of the I Love OT Podcast turns its attention toward OT in Africa! I'll discuss unique programs and approaches to intervention, lessons to be learned, and new ideas for practice from research related to OT in Africa.  Many thanks to the practitioners working and collaborating in OT from Morocco to Nigeria to South Africa and everywhere in between!

In this episode, I say "Thank you!" to the OTs who work with medically fragile and complex pediatric clients.  I'll discuss why this work is so challenging and give recommendations from the research about strategies to stay healthy and successful when working with these populations.  Spoiler alert:  having a good "belly laugh" is important to avoiding burnout, so there will be terrible jokes at the end of the episode.  Thanks for listening!

This episode is a sample of interesting finds from my personal collection of historical OT texts.  Some are serious, some are funny, all speak to what is fascinating about our profession and its history.  Highlighting the values and philosophy that are consistent across the years helps show the power of the way we see the world, and the unique contribution of our profession to the larger community.  Together, let's turn the pages and turn back the clock to show that the more things change in OT, the more things need to stay the same.

Today's episode discusses how we have used (and should use!) outdoor activities as a therapeutic medium.  From sea kayaking, to organized sports, to guided hikes, to spelunking (go ahead, Google it, I'll wait), there are plenty of good reasons to get yourself and your clients outside.  What are you waiting for?   Get outta here!

This second episode in the I Love OT Podcast investigates the past, present, and future connections between OT and theater arts!  From the Hull House in 1915 to the modern day, we're calling "Places!" on OT and theater.  ("Thank you, places!").  Come along and learn why your OT practice might look even better in footlights and greasepaint.

Hello! This is the inaugural episode of the new I Love OT Podcast, a labor of love dedicated to everyone who loves occupational therapy.  This episode is focused on my favorite soapbox topic:  Fieldwork.   I'll discuss research by myself and others related to "where the rubber meets the road" for OT education.  Please let me know what you think about the pod, send episode ideas, or share what you love about OT at ILoveOTPodcast@gmail.com.  Thanks for listening and supporting my favorite profession! Functionally yours, Michael