Therapeutic Relationships

Last Class, we defined therapeutic relationships as the interaction between the OT practitioner and the client. I think that some aspects of therapeutic relationships will come easy to me, while others I will have to make a conscious effort towards. I have no issue with things like kidness and empathy, things like this come pretty easy for me. What I will have to be more conscious of is nonverbal communication, things like eye contact and body language. One thing I struggle with specifically is my facial expressions. My natural resting face isn't necessarily a happy one, and for some people, that can be off putting. I know that when I interact with clients I will need to be extra aware of my facial expressions. As a practitioner, you want to come across as someone who is inviting, kind, and trusting, and facial expressions are a large part of that. As I prepare to be an OT practitioner, this is something that I will continue to practice and work on, so I can be the best version of me for my clients.

Knowledge Check Session 20

Dr. Keisling's presentation really helped me understand how far we have progressed when it comes to how we treat individuals with disabilities .In the beginning, society was narrow minded and ignorant. We sent those with disabilities to institutions and treated them as criminals. Now, society is more accepting and these individuals have more rights. While we have made progress, the fight is not over. Advocacy for people with disabilities is still as important as ever, and we still have so much work to do.  

In Dr. Keisling's presentation, he spoke about important pieces of legislation that impacted individuals with disabilities. Specifically, he spoke of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 ( later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). This piece of legislation was also mentioned in the Era presentations that we did early on in the course. This Act made it so no person with disabilities could be denied education and required schools to provide any services required by the individual.

This information has really emphasized how important it is to make sure people are treated like people, disabled or otherwise. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter the situation. As a future OT practitioner, I will always strive to make my clients feel like they matter. No one deserves to feel forgotten or unwanted.

 "A person's a person, no matter how small."-Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who!