MY OT Journey

Kimberly Lucchese and Michal Movashov, two BS/MS OT students at LIU Brooklyn interview LIU OT alum Alexandra Godiva, owner of OT Dance Studio. She can be reached at otdancestudio.com or on IG @otdancestudio .

Christopher Marotta is an Occupational Therapist currently working at the Henry Viscardi School in Albertson, NY. He has gained a wealth of experience throughout his career, working in many pediatric and adult settings, including St. Charles Hospital. However, Christopher's passion is assistive technology. He enjoys the challenge of problem solving, making adaptations and creating modifications to enable independent access to support participation in functional performance contexts across...

Marlon Sobol is a professional percussionist and board certified music therapist who has performed extensively throughout the world. Sobol’s musical pedigree runs in the family. His father was a master clarinetist, concert producer, and educator and his mother is a concert pianist, as well as a music teacher for special learners. The younger Sobol has shared the stage with musical legends Richie Havens(Woodstock 1969), David Amram(Manchurian Candidate), and Candido Camero(2008 NEA Jazz...

Jessica Peterson, OTR, MSOT and Gayle Schwee, OTR, MOT co-founded Matresecence Occupational Therapy to provide community-based OT services to support clients during the transition to motherhood. They started this practice to fill a gap in maternal and perinatal health and wellness during a time of physical, hormonal, and psychological changes in a mother's life. Jessica is an occupational therapist, mother of two, and aerial hobbyist. Born and raised in southern California, Jessica moved to...

Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist, health policy consultant, and the Founder and CEO of Amplify OT. Amplify OT is a company dedicated to promoting the profession of occupational therapy and its practitioners through education on health policy, quality, and advocacy. She has contributed to several publicans and presentations on Medicare policy, value-based care, federal legislation, and advocacy. Clarice can be reached at www.amplifyot.com or cgrote@amplifyot.com. She...

In this episode Dr. Robin Akselrud discusses her new role as interim program Director at LIU Brooklyn and the challenge of the transition

Monique Chabot, OTD, MS, OTR/L specializes in geriatrics, Living in Place and design. She has worked in a variety of settings over the course of her career. Monique received her Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Studies from University of North Texas, Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University and her Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University. Monique is currently pursuing a PhD at Jefferson East Falls. When she is not working as a...

Meera Raval Deters, M.A., CCC-SLP, BCTS, ACAS is the owner of Super Speech Solutions, a concierge practice that provides in home and online Speech Therapy to Houstonians and Texans. Meera received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2006. She has worked in a variety of settings over the past fourteen years. Meera specializes in accent modification and child language, with an emphasis on autism. Meera can be reached on her Facebook and...

In this episode the tables are turned and we are interviewing the founder of this podcast, Dr. Robin Akselrud! Robin Akselrud, OTD, OTR/L, is an Assistant Professor in the BS/MS program at LIU-Brooklyn and the founder of Forward OT PLLC. Robin is currently the Leadership and Management Coordinator for the AOTA Home & Community Health Special Interest Section. In 2021, Robin published a mindfulness/professional development planner for OT students and clinicians, The My OT Journey Planner, and...

In this episode, we are expanding our interdisciplinary professionalism by speaking with Dr. Aliza Ancier! Aliza is a physical therapist who specializes in postpartum recovery and women's health. She trained in teaching mindfulness to help mothers feel more connected and peaceful in motherhood. She offers 1:1 coaching and group programs. She can be reached through her FB group, Meaningful Motherhood Community, IG @yourmeaningfulmotherhood, and email...

Welcome to Students in CHRG! In this episode, we’re talking with Shoshana Shamberg about her experience as an occupational therapist and as an Irlen Diagnostician! In this podcast we aimed to bring insight into the role of occupational therapy within this specialized field, and gain a better understanding of our OT’s journey with Irlen Syndrome, and her incredible stories that got her to where she is now! References: Irlen, H. (2005). Reading by the colors: Overcoming dyslexia and other...

Welcome to Students in CHRG! In this episode, we’re talking with KaRena Lehman about her experience as an occupational therapist within the United States Airforce! In this podcast, we aimed to bring insight into the role of occupational therapy within the military, with a special focus on ergonomics, environment, and psychological impacts. References Baumann, M. L., Brown, A. N., Quick, C. D., Breuer, S. T., & Smith-Forbes, E. V. (2018). Translating occupational therapy’s current role...

Dr. Sammons grew up in Wattsburg, Pennsylvania and attended California and State Teachers College in California, Pennsylvania to study Industrial Arts. Upon graduating, he moved to a small town in WV to teach mechanical drawing to high school students. After serving in the Korean war, he attended Richmond Professional Institute which is now called VCU and received his certificate in Occupational Therapy. Shortly thereafter he started his OT career by finding employment as the chief...

Welcome back to Students in CHRG! As you may know, CHRG Therapy is a telehealth occupational therapy company that specializes in hand, upper extremity, ergonomics, and home modifications. In this podcast we aim to bring you insights into the very field of occupational therapy. For those of you who don't know, April is OT Month! For OT month we’re going to discuss the foundation of CHRG, how to create your own OT business, and the challenges that OT faces today. We have a guest speaker,...

Welcome to Students in CHRG! In our fifth episode, we’re talking with The Milkmaven Mollie about breastfeeding and Ergonomics! We discuss the benefits of proper ergonomics for breastfeeding, common injuries experienced by moms, and the challenges new moms face with COVID-19. Mollie is an OTR/L, CHT, CLC who provides one-on-one consultations for new moms. Sources: References Fernandes, J.G. (2018). Occupational therapists’ role in perinatal care: A health promotion approach. American...

Welcome back to Students in CHRG! As some of you may know, CHRG Therapy is a telehealth occupational therapy company that specializes in hand, upper extremity, ergonomics, and home modifications. In this podcast, we aim to bring you the latest evidence-based research in the field. In today’s episode, we’re going to discuss public transportation accessibility in larger cities, and later we’ll have a guest speaker from Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, better known as...

First-year students from the Iona College MSOT program, Madeline List and Taylor Alvarez interview Michele Morgante OTD, OTR/L on Mission Accessibility. Mission Accessibility is an initiative being taken at Iona College to research campus accessibility and innovatively navigate structural challenges to improve the college experience for all students. Dr. Morgante explains some of the ways her students have been conducting research on campus and utilizing entrepreneurial and design thinking.

Oma Episode Part II includes an interview with Art for the Journey's (AFJ) Executive Director, Cindy Paullin, and VCU's OT graduate student, Hannah Johnson. This episode complements the first part of the OMA episode series by exploring the evolution of Art for the Journey through its inception, which began as a non-profit, volunteer organization, until today, as it perseveres through the obstacles the pandemic has presented. It explains how Opening Minds through Art (OMA) was added to AFJ's...

Welcome to Students in CHRG! In our third episode, we’re talking about Ergonomics! We discuss the benefits of proper ergonomics on the body, and how ergonomic training can be applied to individuals or businesses. We also speak with an expert in the field, Shanna Corbin OTR/L, CEES, on her recent ergonomic specialty. Sources: Baydur, H., Ergör, A., Demiral, Y., & Akalın, E. (2016). Effects of participatory ergonomic intervention on the development of upper extremity musculoskeletal...

Sarah McKinnon is a member of the Board of Directors for the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and is the Program Director for the new on-line Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She completed her Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees from Boston University, also earning a Masters of Public Administration in health care...