Therapuetic Relationships

I had to do an internship before I graduated from undergrad and I did it in a hand therapy occupational clinic. While I was there, I made many therapeutic relationships. One of my biggest strengths as an OT will definitely be empathy. I am very empathetic towards individuals because I know how tough and frustrating injuries and therapy can be. I think one thing that will be slightly difficult for me is knowing when it is only a therapeutic relationship rather than it also being a friendship. When I was in high school, I had occupational therapy. I connected with my therapist and now have a friendship with him. I'm not sure if that is crossing the therapeutic relationship boundaries because we connected over occupational therapy. I am wanting to do hand therapy when I graduate, and I think that will be an awesome chance for me to use therapeutic use of self because like all of the clients I will see, I have been in their shoes and realize how tough it is.

Knowledge check on guest speaker

          The main thing that I got from Dr. Keisling's presentation was how drastically disabilities and the treatment of individuals with disabilities have evolved. I cannot imagine being alive during the times when institutionalization was the answer for children and adults with disabilities. I understand that caring for individuals with disabilities is hard, but I cant imagine giving my child up just because I didn't want to put in the work. I also know that sometimes parents or guardians of individuals with disabilities were not capable of being the care taker, but there has to have been different options to still make the individual feel like a human being.
           The era presentation that we did earlier in the course related to the presentation today because it showed how occupational therapy and also how different disabilities have evolved and changed over time. All of the information that I heard today will definitely impact the type of therapist that I will be. I know that people are defined by more than jus their disability, and I want to be able to make connections with my client's not based on their disabilities, or what they cant do, but what they can do.