Meet Occupational Therapist: Rebecca Wall

Meet Occupational Therapist: Rebecca Wall, OTD, OTR/L, SWC

Q: What is your title at Momentum? 

A: Occupational Therapist and Social Skills Department Lead

Q: What university did you graduate from?

A: Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University-Tampa

Q: How long have you worked at Momentum?

A: 3 years

Q: What therapy services are you a part of at MPTN?

A: Clinic Occupational Therapy Services, Leaps and Bounds, Social Skills and Community integration

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

A: Seeing your clients smile and feel proud of themselves on a task that used to be challenging for them in previous months and seeing their confidence soar. 

Q: What is the most challenging part of being an Occupational Therapist?

A: Parent collaboration and carry-over of activities to the home environment is a crucial aspect of therapy and in clients making significant gains in therapy. At times, this aspect can be very difficult for therapists to emphasize the importance to parents. We see the kiddos 1-2 hours per week and parents see the kiddos the remainder of the day, so emphasizing the importance of parent carryover can be extremely difficult to discuss. 

Q: What feelings do you get seeing progress in the children you help support?

A: Happiness, pride, and hope.

Q: Why did you choose to become a therapist?

A: To provide children with disabilities with the initial spark of services and skills to create their dream life where nothing will hold them back, and if when presented with challenges they have the confidence and skills to overcome them.

Q: What is the biggest misconception many people have about Occupational Therapy?

A: Many people think that OT is for finding jobs for people or that we only focus on toileting. Occupational Therapy focuses on the important daily occupations of people of all ages lives. OT’s can work in mental health facilities, surfing camps, in fortune 500 companies providing ergonomically appropriate chairs and desk areas, in inpatient units in hospitals, in the military, in pediatric clinics, NICUs, in social skills and community integration programs, in the home, in school settings, in driver rehabilitation, in the design of homes and playgrounds, in the design of wheelchairs, and in many many other settings. Occupational therapists truly can help individuals in all areas of their lives, and I wish that it was known.