In this episode, we’re diving deep into OT burnout prevention—what it looks like, why it happens, and how we can address it head-on. Whether you’re a seasoned therapist or a student just entering the field, burnout is something we all need to be aware of. But here’s the good news: burnout isn’t inevitable, and there are ways to prevent it.

I’m joined by Deanna M. Ottinger, ppOTD, OTR/L, CAPS, LSVT BIG, Associate Professor at Milligan University in Northeast Tennessee. Deanna shares how her interest in gratitude and stress management began while supporting her graduate students—and how that work can benefit all of us. Her OT passions include neuro rehab, low-end home modifications, and, of course, long walks on the beach.

• 🚨 The early signs and symptoms of burnout
• 🧠 The powerful mindset shifts that can keep you grounded
• 🌬️ How breathwork and mindfulness can calm your nervous system
• 🧰 Practical strategies like micro-breaks, transition rituals, and peer support

If you’re an OT Accelerator member, don’t forget to log in and complete the post-course quiz for a CEU.

This conversation is full of real talk, encouragement, and immediately useful tips to help you care for yourself while you care for others.

• Box Breathing Technique

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Also, be sure to check out the free resources available at OTflourish.com, including quick references, documentation and goal writing guides, treatment ideas, and helpful tools to support you in your OT practice working with older adults.

And if you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, the OT Accelerator is here for you! It’s the #1 resource and OT mentorship community for OT practitioners and students working in geriatric settings. Inside, you’ll get access to evidence-based resources, treatment ideas, and a supportive community to help you feel confident and capable in your practice.

Learn more and join today at OTflourish.com/membership

Connect with OT Flourish:

• Website: OTFlourish.com
• Instagram: @OTFlourish
• Facebook: OT Flourish

👉 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Your feedback helps us continue bringing valuable content to the OT community. 🎙️

In this episode, I’m joined by Jessica Miller OTR, CBIS, an occupational therapist with a passion for neuro, to discuss chaining techniques, and how it helps patients in neuro rehabilitation. Jessica shares practical insights on incorporating backward chaining in therapy, her approach to fostering patient independence, and tips for OT practitioners working with neuro patients.

Key Takeaways:

• Backward Chaining: A powerful technique for improving patient independence, especially for neuro clients.
• Effective Intervention: Focus on task completion from the final step backward to build confidence and skills.
• Neuro-Rehabilitation: Tailor your approach to each patient’s needs for optimal outcomes.
• Practical Tips for OTs: Learn how to implement these techniques in real-life therapy settings.

Resources:

• OT Accelerator Membership – Join for mentorship, community, and more!
• New to Neuro – Neurorehabilitation mentorship for OT practitioners.
• Follow Jessica and @new.to.neuro on Instagram!

If you’re an OT Accelerator member, don’t forget to log in and complete the post-course quiz for a CEU.

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Also, be sure to check out the free resources available at OTflourish.com, including quick references, documentation and goal writing guides, treatment ideas, and helpful tools to support you in your OT practice working with older adults.

And if you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, the OT Accelerator is here for you! It’s the #1 resource and OT mentorship community for OT practitioners and students working in geriatric settings. Inside, you’ll get access to evidence-based resources, treatment ideas, and a supportive community to help you feel confident and capable in your practice.

Learn more and join today at OTflourish.com/membership

Connect with OT Flourish:

• Website: OTFlourish.com
• Instagram: @OTFlourish
• Facebook: OT Flourish

👉 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Your feedback helps us continue bringing valuable content to the OT community. 🎙️

Struggling with OT goal writing? In this episode, I explore why goal writing can be so challenging and how to overcome common pitfalls. I'll also give a sneak peek into my upcoming ebook, Mastering OT Goal Writing The Ultimate Guide and Goal Bank for Adult Rehab, launching next week!

EMR Limitations Dont let dropdown menus box you incustomize when possible.

Goal Formats Use COAST, SMART, or RHUMBA to fit client needs.

Outcome Measures Matter Tie goals to measurable progress with tools like the Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

Mastering OT Goal Writing The Ultimate Guide and Goal Bank for Adult Rehab ebook: Launching next week!

Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Great for tracking caregiver stress and setting meaningful goals.

If youre an OT Accelerator member, dont forget to log in and complete the post-course quiz for a CEU.

Also, be sure to check out the free resources available at OTflourish.com, including quick references, documentation and goal writing guides, treatment ideas, and helpful tools to support you in your OT practice working with older adults.

And if youre ready to take your practice to the next level, the OT Accelerator is here for you! Its the #1 resource and OT mentorship community for OT practitioners and students working in geriatric settings. Inside, youll get access to evidence-based resources, treatment ideas, and a supportive community to help you feel confident and capable in your practice.

Learn more and join today at OTflourish.com/membership

Connect with OT Flourish

• Website OTFlourish.com
• Instagram @OTFlourish
• Facebook OT Flourish

Enjoyed this episode? Dont forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Your feedback helps us continue bringing valuable content to the OT community.

Level II fieldwork is a major milestone in occupational therapy education—both exciting and nerve-wracking. In this episode of the OT Flourish Podcast, Erin Jeffords OTD, MS, OTR/L joins us to share real advice from students who’ve just completed their 12-week rotations. We’ll discuss their biggest challenges, what they wish they had known, and practical tips to help you succeed with confidence. Whether you’re starting fieldwork or mentoring students, this episode is packed with valuable insights!

Key Takeaways:

• How to mentally and emotionally prepare for Level II fieldwork
• The biggest surprises students encountered during their rotations
• Time management strategies for balancing documentation, learning, and self-care
• How to build strong relationships with supervisors and ask for feedback
• Tips for staying organized and managing stress throughout the experience

If you’re an OT Accelerator member, don’t forget to log in and complete the post-course quiz for a CEU.

Resources & Links:

• OT Accelerator Membership – Get mentorship, treatment ideas, and confidence-building resources for working in geriatrics
• In-Room Treatment Ideas blog post
• Patient Refusals blog post

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Also, be sure to check out the free resources available at OTflourish.com, including quick references, documentation and goal writing guides, treatment ideas, and helpful tools to support you in your OT practice working with older adults.

And if you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, the OT Accelerator is here for you! It’s the #1 resource and OT mentorship community for OT practitioners and students working in geriatric settings. Inside, you’ll get access to evidence-based resources, treatment ideas, and a supportive community to help you feel confident and capable in your practice.

Learn more and join today at OTflourish.com/membership

Connect with OT Flourish:

• Website: OTFlourish.com
• Instagram: @OTFlourish
• Facebook: OT Flourish

👉 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Your feedback helps us continue bringing valuable content to the OT community. 🎙️

In this episode, we explore the power of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in occupational therapy. If youve ever felt uncertain about your treatment decisions, EBP is here to guide you.

We cover the three core components of EBPresearch evidence, clinical expertise, and client valuesand offer practical tips for integrating EBP into your practice without feeling overwhelmed.

Key Takeaways

• What EBP is and why its essential for confident decision-making.
• How to balance research, experience, and client values in treatment.
• Strategies to make EBP easier to implement in your daily routine.

Resources

• OT Accelerator membership
• PubMed OTseeker, and evidence-based research tools
• Evidence Based Practice in Occupational Therapy Embracing Excellence blog post

Take action today by researching an intervention for a client or sharing EBP strategies with a colleague. If youre an OT Accelerator member, dont forget to log in and complete the post-course quiz for a CEU.

Also, be sure to check out the free resources available at OTflourish.com, including quick references, documentation and goal writing guides, treatment ideas, and helpful tools to support you in your OT practice working with older adults.

And if youre ready to take your practice to the next level, the OT Accelerator is here for you! Its the #1 resource and OT mentorship community for OT practitioners and students working in geriatric settings. Inside, youll get access to evidence-based resources, treatment ideas, and a supportive community to help you feel confident and capable in your practice.

Learn more and join today at OTflourish.com/membership.

Lets navigate, innovate and flourish together!

Welcome back to the OT Flourish Podcast! After a much-needed pause, I’m so excited to be back behind the mic and reconnecting with this amazing community of occupational therapy practitioners and students working with older adults. In this episode, I share why the podcast took a break, the lessons learned along the way, and what you can expect in this next chapter.

Whether you’re a new grad feeling overwhelmed or a seasoned therapist looking for fresh inspiration, this podcast is here to support you with real-life strategies, practical tips, and a whole lot of encouragement as we navigate the challenges and joys of working with older adults.

Before we dive into everything, be sure to check out the free resources available at OTflourish.com, including quick reference, documentation and goal writing guides, treatment ideas, and helpful tools to support you in your practice.

And if you’re ready to take your practice to the next level, the OT Accelerator is here for you! It’s the #1 resource and mentorship community for OT practitioners and students working with older adults. Inside, you’ll get access to evidence-based resources, treatment ideas, and a supportive community to help you feel confident and capable in your practice.

👉 Learn more and join today at OTflourish.com/membership.

Let’s navigate, innovate, and flourish together!

Sex is an ADL!

Do you address a client's sexuality or ask how they identify?

These are the questions that we must ask ourselves in order to provide client centered care, keeping in mind AOTA’s Vision 2025: “As an inclusive profession, OT maximizes health, well-being and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities, through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living."

Guest Devlynn Neu MS OTR/L shares their passion for bringing awareness and unity within the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as helping OT practitioners feel comfortable addressing sexuality in our practice.

1. Use neutral terms - "partner," "significant other"
2. Ask "How would you identify yourself?"
3. Start with conversations and being open to learning about

Inclusive Services for LGBT Older Adults A Practical Guide To Creating Welcoming Agencies

National Resource Center on LGBT Aging

LGBT Aging Change, Challenge and Resilience Power Point

Person-Centered Care for LGBT Older Adults

Be sure to learn more from my guest Devlynn with their "LGBTIA+ 101: What do the letters mean" series on Instagram through @therainbowot, theRainbowOT.com and through their conversation with Sarah from OT4Lyfe Podcast called Inclusion, Education, and All the Colors of the Rainbow.

The biopsychosocial model and occupational therapy are the perfect match as they both focus on the biological, psychological, and social elements, as well as a person's individual experiences. It is often confused as being a biopsychosocial frame of reference, but it's not, as a model of practice helps organize a clinician's thinking and approach, vs a frame of reference is a tool to guide one's intervention.

What I love about this model, is that it really puts the person first - but wait, I know what you are thinking, "I am an OT practitioner and I already do put my patient's needs first!" But wait! Rafael Salazar II, MHS, OTR and owner of Rehab U Practice Solutions digs in, gives some examples, and shows us how to use this model to maximize our outcomes.

Apple | Stitcher | iHeart

→ 3 Key Takeaways

1. Utilizing the biopsychosocial model in occupational therapy can help be a more holistic practitioner
2. Using the biopsychosocial model can help you be more client centered and have better outcomes
3. It can help address more psychological factors in a medical model

Resources from the Show

Links, resources and specific recommendations from Rafi

Using Therapeutic Use of Self to Maximize Occupational Therapy Outcomes

Occupational Therapy Documentation: The Ultimate Guide to Simplify Your Documentation

Click Here to Get: Skilled Terminology Quick Reference with Key Phrases for Billing and Reimbursement Cheat Sheet

Research:

• The Biopsychosocial Model: Application to Occupational Therapy Practice
• A Biopsychosocial Approach for Addressing Chronic Pain in Everyday Occupational Therapy Practice

Thank You For Listening

I really appreciate you choosing to listen to and supporting the Seniors Flourish podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it and taking a minute to leave an honest review and rating for the show in iTunes. It really helps in reaching fellow OT practitioners, students and those curious about the OT profession.

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes to make sure that you never miss an episode!

Wanting MORE OT Resources?

The Learning Lab Membership is the #1 source that helps you save time and feel more confident in your practice through clinical support, HUNDREDS of treatment ideas, patient handouts, resources, EBP journal club + more! Join today at SeniorsFlourish.com/LearningLab