My ePortfolio reminds me of all the things that have influenced my decision to study occupational therapy, and bring me joy with the experiences I’ve had on my way to graduating with an OTD from Pacific University, School of Occupational Therapy. Since beginning at Pacific I have come to understand more fully the scope and value of occupation in people’s lives, especially the relationship between what people do, who they are, and who they will become. I see this reflected in myself as I enter my first year as a practicing OT. This semester, Summer 2022, I completed my capstone project, my final level 2 fieldwork at Providence Home Health, and graduated with a professional level doctorate in occupational therapy. My time at Providence deepened my commitment to psychosocial occupational therapy and my passion for providing services that consider psychosocial wellbeing at all points of client contact. Many of my clients did not have a formal diagnosis indicating psychosocial concerns, yet every person I worked with indicated at some point a psychosocial component of their life that was unfulfilled or distressing. I grew in being able to target these needs individually in sessions though therapeutic use of self, custom interventions, task analysis, and pointedly targeting perceived self-efficacy during treatment sessions. I look forward to carrying this sensitivity and passion for holistic OT into my career.
Pacific University, School of Occupational Therapy