Why Occupational Therapy?

September 3, 2019
by Kevin

What are OS/OT?

Why did I choose occupational therapy? This is a question that I have been asked countless times during my time at USC. While I usually have a quick one-line statement to summarize my decision to pursue this career, here is the full story:

After graduating from San Diego State, I moved up to Los Angeles and began looking for jobs. Quickly, I found a position working at a company that provides behavioral therapy to children with a variety of diagnoses. While I found that work rewarding and I loved the population, there was something missing from the experience that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. Then one day at work, I shadowed my client’s occupational therapist and had a lightbulb moment that this was what I had been missing. The way the client responded to the therapy and the nature of using occupation as a means of therapy was the piece of the puzzle that I was searching for in a career. To be able to build authentic relationships with people while assisting their development was my idea of a perfect profession. Since attending USC, I have experienced the joy of aiding others to participate in the activities that bring meaning to their life. Each day I feel lucky to have discovered this gem of a profession and to be surrounded by instructors and peers who truly share the same passion and drive for occupational therapy.

⋯