Occupational Therapy month is almost over and so is our series on our Imago Rehab OTPs (occupational therapy practitioners). We are so glad you took the time to meet our team. Our blog series on our OT team at Imago Rehab concludes with our newest and very exciting addition to the team, the highly skilled and hugely empowering therapist, Kathryn Perry.
Kathryn is officially opening our Imago Rehab clinic in Virginia! We have been offering a very small private pay clinic in Virginia for the past 15 months but starting May 1, 2023 we will be offering a full OT virtual clinic with Medicare coverage and contracts with many private insurance payers. Let’s get to know Kathryn!
How did Kathryn become an OT? I knew I wanted to work in healthcare in some capacity. I was exploring my options while at James Madison University and my Mom suggested Occupational Therapy. Her friend’s daughter had just graduated from the OT program at JMU and loved it. Like many people, I had no idea what OT was. I started doing some shadowing in an Outpatient clinic. I could see the diversity and uniqueness OT provided and decided that OT was for me. Recently, I found a Myers Briggs test I had taken from elementary school that listed future professions that would fit my personality and guess what was on there? OT!
Favorite OT moment: Kathy and I worked together quite a while trying to help her find ways to use her right arm again after having a stroke several years before. She was very motivated and a hard worker. One of the things she loved to do was quilt making and she was determined to find a way to continue to do that, which involved recovery of her right arm. At the time of her stroke she was working on a quilt for her daughter and I asked if she ever sold any of the quilts that she made. I always wanted a handmade quilt. Kathy then offered to make one for me that I could purchase. Sure enough, over time, she was able to finish her daughter’s quilt and my quilt. I paid her for her beautiful work and now I have a lovely quilt on the end of my bed. That quilt is extra special because of who made it and the love and determination that went into making it. I am reminded of this and encouraged every time I see it. There is nothing better in OT than helping someone get back to an activity they love after injury or illness.
Best OT lesson: In the medical field, as with any other field, it is easy to become complacent in what you do and lose that spark and drive. At times, I have experienced a culture like this where clients feel more like numbers than people. In OT, we stand apart because we focus on the whole person and what is important to them in their recovery. I have personally seen the difference in recovery when the client is seen as a person with many facets versus just another number that the therapist provides the same “OT in a box” approach to. As I have grown in my career, I have grown to value this whole person approach even more and I enjoy getting to know the people with whom I am working. In fact, this relationship is key. When I know the whole person, I get a better picture of who they are and what they care about. I can then use this information to direct the optimal recovery experience for them. Recovery involves the entire person and must be tailored to their unique needs to truly be effective, which is why the “OT in a box” or “cookie cutter” approach does not produce the optimal recovery of the person. Recovery is physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and environmental. This OT lesson has enhanced my practice immensely.
Are you ready to experience the Imago difference with our #lifeistherapy approach?
Give us a quick call at 617-671-0789 or click today to get started working with Imago Rehab. Our blog series interviewing all of our OTPs will continue throughout April, as we celebrate our profession during Occupational Therapy month!
Simply complete our online request form and one of our intake coordinators will contact you within one business day.
