Faculty / Staff Resources Student Resources
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
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Tessa Milman OTD, OTR/L (she/her)

Tessa Milman OTD, OTR/L

Associate Director of the Entry-Level Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy

CHP 101A
(323) 442-2861
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Tessa Milman teaches mental health, clinical reasoning, community programming and qualitative research, utilizing Team-Based Learning and other learner-centered pedagogies. Her courses incorporate diverse perspectives and critical theories, to support occupational therapy students to become culturally humble practitioners who care deeply about lived experiences and embody person-centered and trauma-informed approaches. She has practiced and supervised students in pediatric and adult mental health settings.

When working with children, she worked specifically with families who had experienced trauma and were involved in the foster care system. Her personal journey building her family through adoption from the foster care system has provided her with experiential knowledge about impact of trauma on relationships and participation. She is passionate about integrating lived experience with academic knowledge within teaching and practice, and embedding justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into occupational therapy practice and curriculum. Dr. Milman is on the board of the division’s Diversity, Access, and Equity Committee, where she serves as chair of the curriculum workgroup.

Dr. Milman holds her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy and Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy, both from USC. She earned her BA degree in Sociology from Smith College.

Education

Selected Publications

In Chan News