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Therapeutic Relationship

Therapeutic relationships are very important to establish as an occupational therapist. It allows for a deeper connection to be formed, which develops from many factors including trust and empathy. By planning how an interaction with a client will go, including the resources and activities you have planned for their session, it allows for less anxiety and more organization to happen before the interaction. If you let the client know you are invested in their improvement by exemplifying these characteristics, it is likely that the therapeutic outcome with be more positive. As my time as a rehab tech, I saw first hand how vital this relationship can be. When a client doesn't feel confident or sure about therapy and how it will help them, a therapist can let them know with body language and words how they plan to improve their quality of life.

Although I know there is always room for improvement, I think I have a good amount of empathy already established. As my time at UTHSC, I know the situations I face will grow my level of empathy that will ultimately help me as a future occupational therapist.

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Logan and I on our first day of OT school.

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