FAQ

According to the AOTA:

“Occupational therapy is the only profession that helps people across the lifespan to do the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities (occupations). Occupational therapy practitioners enable people of all ages to live life to its fullest by helping them promote health, and prevent—or live better with—injury, illness, or disability.”

If you think that sounds incredibly broad, you are correct!  Occupational therapists work with all kinds of people in many different settings and specialties. 

• OTs can help improve your access to quality healthcare through organization strategies, working on self advocacy skills, and providing recommendations for referrals to appropriate resources.
• Many people with chronic illness have disordered sensory processing.  Sometimes it may feel like our senses are only there to overwhelm and frustrate us!  OT’s can explore ways to cope when sensory input is overwhelming, recommend exercises to improve sensory processing, and  provide education on how you can use sensory input to your benefit.
• OTs can recommend and provide training for assistive technology at home, work, school, or out in the community.
• OTs can also recommend and provide training for strategies like energy conservation and joint protection that can help mitigate fatigue, pain, and risk of injury.
• Some people with chronic illness, ADHD, or Autism may experience problems with executive function.  OTs can work with clients to understand how executive dysfunction impacts them and to find effective strategies to reduce overwhelm stay organized, and Do The Thing with less friction.
• OTs work from a holistic point of view and can suggest changes to your social and physical environment to be more supportive of you and your goals.  OTs can provide caregiver training, advocate on your behalf, and suggest adaptations that will make your physical environment more accessible.    Many OTs in their spare time also advocate for the collective needs of their clients at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Some of the main things I work on with my clients include:

• Energy conservation
• Pain management
• Executive function
• Assistive technology
• Symptom management
• Medical logistic management
• Sensory processing
• Sleep hygiene
• Targeting specific activities like cooking, showering, or computer work

  When we start working together, I’ll get to know you through a comprehensive evaluation, some paperwork, and information from your referral.  We’ll come up with a few concrete and measurable goals that will guide therapy.  

  Then we’ll start regular sessions.  The general structure is spending the first few minutes checking in, a majority of the time working on things, and then the last few minutes talking about the home program.  The home program is (fun) work that you do outside of the sessions to make sure there is good carryover into your daily life.  

In order to provide my clients with the best possible care, I have chosen not to accept insurance. Since you will be receiving treatment from an “Out-of-Network Provider” a Superbill will be provided at the end of each session that you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. There is unfortunately no guarantee of reimbursement by your insurance company.  Due to federal regulations, I can’t see any patients who are on Medicare or MediCal/Medicaid.  

Initial Evaluation: a 60-90+ minute comprehensive evaluation that includes medical and occupational history, goals, plan of care, and letter(s) to requested doctors or other health care providers. (A records release will be required due to HIPAA regulations.)

 Cost: $350

Treatment Session: 50 – 60 min. of exclusive time with occupational therapist.  May include additional “homework” or home program to promote formation and generalization of skills.  
Cost: $150

Recommendations for School/Work Accommodations: a 1-2 page letter with specific recommendations and accommodations.  This can include a phone consultation with involved parties. (A records release will be required due to HIPAA regulations.)

Cost: $150

Studies show telehealth can be a great option!  Telehealth improves access to care, reduces delays in care, and promotes collaboration among your healthcare team.   It has been shown to be effective in both pediatric and adult populations for a variety of specialized needs (source). 

There are some situations when in-person services are needed due to equipment or hands on requirements.  In those cases, recommendations for local clinics and programs can be provided to supplement or take the place of telehealth services.    

Empower OT uses:

• Google Meet to host video calls  
• Google Chat for messaging
• Gmail for e-mail
• Google Voice for phone calls and voice messages
• Ivy for payment

All of these are HIPAA compliant and chosen with your safety and security in mind.

In order to use these, you must have a computer, tablet, or smart phone with a working camera and any modern browser.  You will also need a current email address and phone number.  Payment must be done with a credit card through IVY.

To use Google Chat (optional) you will need to download the app or access it through a Google Chrome browser.  

Otherwise, you do not have to download any apps or programs to communicate with me.  

Sensory processing (also often called sensory integration) is how you effectively take in, process, and use sensory information from your body and environment. 

You can think of your sensory system as:

1. The primary sensory organ – such as your taste buds.
2. The nerves that take information from the sensory organ to the brain.
3. The parts of the brain that process the sensory information.
4. The nerves that leave the brain to communicate responses to the body.
5. Your body’s response – such as spitting out something that is very bitter.

Photo Source

When something goes wrong in this path, your body may not react in expected ways to the environment. 

You may have heard of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) which happens when one or more of your sensory systems have trouble handling sensory information to the extent that it causes significant symptoms and impairs function.  SPD isn’t an official recognized diagnosis, but it is still a useful framework to describe and address sensory issues. 

Though most commonly associated with Autism and ADHD, people with a range of health conditions can have trouble with their sensory systems and how they process sensory information.  People who have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, long COVID-19, etc. can experience disordered sensory processing.  

Absolutely!  Though some symptoms of disordered sensory processing can get better with age, many adults continue to struggle.  Addressing the lack of resources for adults with disordered sensory processing is one of the main reasons why I started Empower OT!

First, we can define executive function as higher cognitive processes, or cognitive processes that regulate other cognitive processes.  If your brain was a company, executive function would be upper management. 

Executive dysfunction refers to when those cognitive processes aren’t doing their job.  It can look like difficulty with planning, impulse control, emotional regulation, motivation, (cognitive) flexibility, organization, and self-assessment.  

People can have executive dysfunction for a variety of reasons including damage to the frontal lobe, brain fog, neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, Autism, etc.), mental health disorders, and dementia.

When someone has executive dysfunction, life can seem much more difficult than it is for others.  People with executive dysfunction may have to spend a lot more energy to get the same work done, or aren’t able to do the work at all.  They may have social difficulties, feel held back in their career, or “not live up to potential” in school. 

Luckily, there are strategies that can address the negative impacts executive dysfunction has on your goals.  OT can help!