Evolved Living Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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This multi-generational podcast discussion is brought to you by the occupational power of music linking the intersectional life paths of Miles Davis, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, John White, Josie Jarvis, Jian Jones, and Avery Geata with an invitation to explore music as a powerful medium for developing and expanding our collective Occupational Lens both within and outside of the Occupational Therapy Classroom & Clinic!

This episode will provide powerful inspiration for exploring the ongoing evolution of Occupational Science and the power of music to heal and restore the collective human spirit across generational differences amid the landscape of historic and contemporary intergenerational challenges. Music and occupation link us all in our path toward meaning and wholeness.

Support Those Impacted by Hurricane Helene 

SSO:USA 2024 Conference Oct 17-19 in Durham North Carolina:
Art and Occupation: Creativity, Critical Theory, and Social Transformation

Video/Text Summary of: Occupations in the Extreme, Life History, Theoretical Perspectives on the Life of Miles Davis  by John White, PhD, MA, OTR/L

Life History of Dr. John White, PhD, MA, OTR/L FAOTA

2021 Folk Ballard of SSO:USA

Dr. Jian Joans, PhD, MA-OTR/L
Two-Fifteens: The Podcast Where Hip-Hop, Occupation, and Identity Collide make connections related to Hip-Hop culture, the science of doing, and the shaping of the identity of people.
Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar

Dr. Avery Gaeta, OTD
All Too Well Taylor's Version
Capstone Research: Exploring the Health Management of Neurodivergent College Students

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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The podcast interview discusses maternal health disparities, the importance of collaboration between occupational therapists and physical therapists, and the role of technology and personal experiences in empowering women and improving healthcare outcomes, with a focus on trauma-informed, individualized care and systemic change.

Released in Tandem with AOTA SPECIALTY CONFERENCE:
Women's Health
https://www.aota.org/events/calendar/aota-specialty-conference-womens-health

Trauma-Informed Collaboration Resource Compilation: https://qr.link/jgmFXO

Katherine Sylvester is a mother of two, physical therapist, preeclampsia survivor, clinical assistant professor for women’s health, and VBAC-certified doula. She is the founder of Operation M.I.S.T. where she and her team teach women to use smart watches and blood pressure cuffs for safer pregnancies, smoother cycles, and better health. She and her team also host More than a Period Parties and Heart Harmony Seminars where they teach ladies about their bodies so they can trust, prepare and protect them throughout all phases of womanhood.

Operation M.I.S.T. 
https://operationmist.org/

The poem (both written and read) is below:

Written poem: From Racism to Remote Monitoring: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H-3lGLBjORkkyhjOkAdTPxo2VLe2_npOV41-WQ8k3YE/edit

Read: From Racism to Remote Monitoring Spoken Word:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=5nXYRxPEqbGBk5H8&v=W1qrTFcVrC8&feature=youtu.be

Kary Gillenwaters serves as a community-based OT and the SOLACE Foundation  director of support and community engagement. Eeleven years ago, the birth of Kary's first child resulted in her becoming a member of a club no one signs up for or anticipates. At the time, little to no support was available online, health care teams had little experience with serious obstetrical tears, and the lack of understanding and meaningful support made an already difficult life transition even more challenging. But as many of the members of this club have learned, these experiences are more common than we think-it's just that it's all too painful (and sometimes embarrassing) to talk about, so we don't. The silence and isolation that so often follow a severe obstetric laceration exacerbate the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual challenges people face, overnight, not just to their body, but to their roles, their relationships, and their identity.

SOLACE Foundation: https://www.solaceforwomen.org/
Raising awareness of severe obstetric lacerations by promoting prevention through maternal education and research, driving change toward a standard of care, and providing women with comprehensive support through their healing journeys.

Kary's 4th Degree Care Story: 
https://solidagovc.com/blog/the-impact-of-birth-injuries-interprofessional-teaming-and-informed-consent-on-the-occupations-of-motherhood

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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Trailblazing OTs: Neurodivergence, Mentorship, and Building Inclusive Communities

Description: In this thought-provoking and insightful podcast episode, Dr. Bill Wong, a trailblazing occupational therapist (OT), and the host Josie Jarvis engage in a candid conversation about the intersection of neurodivergence and OT. They dive into the importance of mentorship and the role it plays in supporting and empowering neurodivergent OTs and students. Dr. Wong shares his personal journey and experiences with Autism while engaged in OT leadership, shedding light on the need for representation and diverse perspectives within the OT field.

Key Points:

• Neurodivergence and OT: Dr. Bill Wong discusses his experiences as an OT with Autism highlighting the importance of representation and diverse perspectives within the profession. Josie explores how these intersections connect with her experiences of neurodivergence with ADHD and NVLD as well. 

• The Power of Mentorship: Both guests emphasize the significance of seeking mentorship as a sign of strength rather than weakness. They explore how mentors can empower neurodivergent OTs and help them navigate challenges in their careers

• Breaking Traditional Boundaries: The discussion explores the need for strategic disruption in the OT profession to foster growth and inclusivity. Both guests challenge the status quo and advocate for a more diverse and open-minded approach to OT practice and leadership.

• Embracing Passion Projects: Dr. Wong shares his experience with organizing TEDx events and how passion projects can provide a creative outlet for OTs to explore and utilize their talents and skills beyond traditional practice.

• Low-Cost Alternatives for Conferences: The conversation delves into the high costs of attending conferences and explores the potential for low-cost alternatives and inclusive approaches to knowledge sharing and professional development.

• Building Inclusive Communities: Both guests stress the importance of building communities that welcome and support individuals from diverse backgrounds, including ethnicity, disability, and socioeconomic status.

• Amplifying Voices: The podcast advocates for partnering with other disability communities to amplify their voices and advocate for accessibility and inclusion in various spaces, including OT practice and academia.

Join this inspiring conversation as they challenge the norms, celebrate diversity, and encourage the next generation of OTs to embrace their unique strengths and talents. Whether you're an OT, a student, or simply interested in promoting inclusivity and mentorship in healthcare professions, this podcast episode is a must-listen!

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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Shifting Perspectives and Supporting Neurodivergent OTs

Description: In this episode of the Engaging Occupational Science Podcast, the conversation delves into the importance of shifting perspectives within the occupational therapy (OT) community. The discussion focuses on partnering with the disability community, building relationships, and considering the well-being of individuals across the lifespan. The lack of infrastructure and support for young adults with disabilities after leaving the K-12 school system is highlighted, particularly in the United States.

The guest, Dr. Bill Wong, a publicly known autistic OT, shares insights into his journey and the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in OT education. The conversation touches on the need for representation, diversity, and support within the OT community. The host and guest discuss the significance of learning from mistakes and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth.

Overall, the episode emphasizes the importance of creating a more accessible and inclusive field of occupational therapy, where the voices and perspectives of individuals with disabilities are valued and integrated into the curriculum, practice, and leadership. Join the conversation to gain valuable insights into supporting neurodivergent OTs and evolving the profession for the better.

Links to Samples of Dr. Bill Wong's Scholarship: https://cris.brighton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/32107109/Twinley_Neurodivergent_occupational_therapists_original_text.pdf

Medbridge Course Coming Soon: https://www.medbridge.com/instructors/bill-wong-occupational-therapy/?utm_source=Google+Ad&utm_campaign=ind_rmk_dynamic_all-pages&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&mbt_adcid=ga-20250817580&gad=1

Bill Wong TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaOADcEH_00

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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Taylor Wilmot, AMFT brings in to this dialog a lens developed as an active student in non-traditional learning environments cultivated since 2007. She offers a lens as emerging practice mental health counselor with an educational background that focused on developing skills to support multicultural approaches to counseling.

It's normal to feel emotions like grief, anger, and confusion when our worldview is challenged by something new. In order to support ourselves and others through this process, we should allow space for feeling without judgment, try to recognize and validate our emotions, and seek towards expression and exploration.

1. Josie and Taylor both went to an interdisciplinary college and are now working as therapists in different fields.

2. They discuss the challenges and benefits of learning in an educational community that is intentionally non-hierarchical.

3. They are exploring how different modes of learning can be used to benefit the inclusion, well-being, and empowerment of diverse humans.

Josie and Taylor discuss the challenges of creating a safe space for emotional expression in an online learning environment. They note that it is important to be aware of the difference between emotions and information and that emotional reactions are not necessarily acts of violence. They also suggest that it is important to be prepared for the possibility that people may show up in a state of hyperarousal and that it is important to have grace for those who are in that state.

The scapegoating dynamic can lead to a blind spot in terms of understanding the full problem and potential solutions. It can also create a sense of division within a group.

It can be helpful to think about your own culture and how it might be different from the dominant culture when you are trying to learn about and be sensitive to other cultures. It is also important to be curious and humble when asking questions about other cultures.

This conversation between Josie and Taylor is about the importance of approaching education with an openness to all different types of perspectives, and the role that educators can play in de-institutionalizing some of the harmful beliefs that are perpetuated in society. They discuss how everyone has a role to play in creating a more just and equitable world, and how we can all learn from each other by engaging in dialogue and critical inquiry.

Supplementary Learning Referenced in Guest Interview (20EP)
Supplementary Learning Referenced in Guest Interview (20EP)

Information on Hyperarousal and Zone of Tolerance 

https://www.nicabm.com/trauma-how-to-help-your-clients-understand-their-window-of-tolerance/

Information on Victim-Rescuer-Perpetrator Triangle 

https://www.heatherhayes.com/overcoming-the-drama-triangle/

Information on Scapegoating

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/07/19/scapegoating-causes-reasons/

Self-Reflection Excercise: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZIhR1t8qlkfEXn077fSJ8qSeeNGPgu3RxvfhSaqPIOo/copy

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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This episode of the Engaging Occupational Science Podcast explores the AOTA 2025 Vision and the complexities that emerge in attempting to realize this vision in the United States context during a time of escalating national tensions and the spread of trans-exclusionary laws that are seeking to target and oppress members of the gender expansive and queer communities throughout the United States.

Please sign COTAD’s 2024 AOTA Conference petition here: 

https://www.change.org/p/urgent-concerns-and-call-for-action-aota-inspire-2024-conference?recruiter=1309629281&recruited_by_id=777815f0-0272-11ee-bfd4-bdda0c0943a5&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink

Panel Guests:

Andi Brown, MS-OTR/L and Writer 

Andi Brown is a trans writer, artist, and occupational therapist. He is passionate about disability rights and the transformative power of story. He is a writer and intersectional OT researcher who conducted autoethnographic research on identity disruption and occupational identity disruption following traumatic brain injury. He is a fantastic example of an OTP who engages with and helps develop our knowledge of occupational science through practice and lived experience expertise. Andi currently works in Boston with LGBT+ youth in the foster care system. Previously, he completed a fellowship at CSU working with college students with mental health challenges, founded a pain management clinic in Oregon State Hospital, and coordinated OT services in an acute psychiatric unit in Oklahoma. 

Susan L. Yebra, OTD, OTR/L, CLT 

Susan L. Yebra a pelvic floor occupational therapist who is focused on improving the inclusion of gender in occupation, specifically gender-affirming surgical techniques + impact on function, to include context, sequencing, and roles associated with gender affirmation.  She is a current member of the AOTA and Holistic Occupational Therapy Association. She has presented at numerous state and national conferences, has been featured on podcasts is currently working on her first submission to the open journal of occupational therapy. 

Website: https://susanyebraotd.wixsite.com/susan-yebra

Capstone Course for OTPs: Lower-Body Gender-Affirming Surgery:

The Occupational Therapy Roadmap

Knowledge Dissemination and Collaboration Facebook Group:

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://beacon.by/evolved-living/occupational-science-101-guide-podcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/

One of the core themes of this module is contextualizing the inseparable connection we have as OTs to the history of the United States and the opportunity we have today to author our legacy and to expand and repattern the legacies of our past foundation to be an active part of constructive change and multilayered intergenerational healing. This discussion highlights how the Arts and Crafts movement can be connected to navigating contemporary social challenges and how OTs can practically build partnerships with community stakeholders such as the Social Justice Sewing Academy and use artistic expression and occupation as a medium to build connections across differences and repair divisions, and harm brought about through system injustice and marginalization. Today we as OTPs have the opportunity to connect to, build off of, and expand the legacy of resistance, resilience, and repair we have inherited in response to current challenges.

Information on Arts and Crafts Moment in OT History

William Dunton's connection to simplified quilt blocks for occupational intervention in mental health asylums in the turn of the century United States Context.

Social Justice Sewing Academy:

https://www.sjsacademy.org/

Social Justice Sewing Academy Free Antiracist Guidebook

https://www.sjsacademy.org/antiracist-guidebook

Social Justice Sewing Academy Learning Community Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sjsaclc 

Recent Book Published on the Social Justice Sewing Academy Remembrance Quilt Project

Stitching Stolen Lives: Amplifying Voices, Empowering Youth & Building Empathy Through Quilts

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F2XWCKY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Trail, S., & Wong, T. D. (2021, September 25). Stitching stolen lives: Amplifying voices, empowering youth & building empathy through quilts. C&T Publishing.

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

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Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://beacon.by/evolved-living/occupational-science-101-guide-podcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/

This panel interview (a sample from the Foundations of Occupational Science for US-Based OTP's Capstone Course) explores the perspectives of 4 Occupational Therapists from different Generations (Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial, and Generation Z) on getting exposed to Occupational Science in the middle of their careers (or before entering the field) and how it has benefited their practice in the field and future aspirations as OTs.

Dr. Susan Burwash (Baby Boomer Panelist)
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/susanburwash
Website: sburwash.wordpress.com (Portfolio)
Twitter: subu_ot

Dr. Karen Dwire (Generation X Panelist)
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karendwireotr/

Anna Braunizer, Reg. OT (BC),  (late Millennial/Gen Z Panelist)
Linked in: linkedin.com/in/anna-braunizer

Supplementary Learning: 

• Link to Dr. Susan Burwash's Dissertation: Doing occupation: A narrative inquiry into occupational therapists’ stories of occupation-based practice
• Link to Dr. Karen Dwire's Capstone Presentation Pets Alleviating Loneliness in Seniors (PALS) An Adjunct Occupational Therapy Program to Impact Loneliness in Isolated Older Adults
• Article Referenced by Anna on Sanctioned Occupations: (Available through Researchgate)
  • Kiepek, Niki & Beagan, Brenda & Laliberte Rudman, Deborah & Phelan, Shanon. (2018). Silences around occupations framed as unhealthy, illegal, and deviant. Journal of Occupational Science. 26. 1-13. 10.1080/14427591.2018.1499123. 

Link to full Podcast Disclaimer

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

Send us a text

Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://beacon.by/evolved-living/occupational-science-101-guide-podcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/

Katie Caspero, MS, OTR/L is the founder of OT Graphically where she uses infographics to help researchers share their work, supports occupational therapists with staying up to date on evidence, and empowers clients to be more engaged in their care. Katie describes herself as an entrepreneur, pediatric occupational therapist (OT), research assistant, and knowledge translator.

Katie has completed an Advanced Practice Certificate in Implementation of Evidence in Clinical Practice at The University of Pittsburgh. She has been a research assistant for over 10 years and a clinical OT for 8 years. Katie's work focuses on taking complex topics and synthesizing them down into easy-to-understand visuals, especially of research articles through her membership community called The OT Graphically Library

This coming fall you can join me along with  Katie  who is partnering with Randi W. Aas, PhD, OT of Sense of Science to offer an interactive online two hours international digital workshop for Occupational Therapists, Occupational Scientists, Students, Teachers, OT academics, and Retired OTPs supports in how to turn their practice and academic wisdom into knowledge translation business to empower awareness of our power field and science base! Here is some info for their upcoming event! I hope to see you there! 

Learn more and sign up here: https://www.senseofscience.no/become-ot-infopreneur-2023

"We need more OT voices out there

Currently, there are more than 633,000 occupational therapists worldwide. Many of them are going beyond to share their powerful and evidence-based message with the world on how activity and participation are crucial for health and living a meaningful life.However, there is a need for more such voices, that can solve the threat of occupational disruption and deprivation, along with the competence to secure occupational justice for more people worldwide. 

Are you ready for a career boost?

This event will be a motivational and an encouraging boost to think outside the box for your future career. In this workshop we will give you 15 examples of new ways to share your knowledge, and we are sure you will be suprised when learning to know these oportunities that you can apply yourself. You will be inspired to learn how many OTs already are spreading their crucial OT competence in new ways, worldwide. We look forward to share stories about OTs that will inspire your future career."

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit

Send us a text

Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://beacon.by/evolved-living/occupational-science-101-guide-podcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/

In this episode, Dr. Tim Dionne explores the importance of building active partnerships between clinicians and academics and exploring where together we have the agency to transform the systems and services our current and future clients receive. We are working together on a textbook chapter exploring how we can start to share and develop information to support our practice outside of official channels that tend to be more exclusive than inclusive.  He will be at AOTA this year sharing information on how OTPs can access research in the field to support their practice and we are working together to develop a knowledge dissemination/discussion/networking/collaboration platform that you can check out here to allow connect more with his work and resources for OTPs: community.evolvedlivingnetwork.com 

Submit Comments on ACOTE Standards by end of the day April 10th here: https://acoteonline.org/accreditation-explained/standards/

AOTA Representative Assembly submissions are not closed for comment

Project ECHO: https://hsc.unm.edu/echo/

AOTA Commission on Practice (Currently in need of an OTA Rep, Reach out to Tim if Interested): https://www.aota.org/community/volunteer-groups/commission-on-practice-cop

Network with Tim at AOTA Inspire and on our new online knowledge translation, discussion, and collaboration platform here: https://community.evolvedlivingnetwork.com/tpdionne

Biography

Dr. Tim Dionne earned his BS in Occupational Science and MS in Occupational Therapy from the University at Buffalo in 2010 and worked at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan Ability Lab) for 5 years. Then transitioned to Rehab Science PhD program at the University at Buffalo, completed in 2019

His research emphasis is on supporting therapists provided quality care, through knowledge dissemination and dissemination and implementation research methods. Improving expertise in occupational therapy across urban and rural settings and equity of knowledge are my top research priorities.

Areas of Specialty

Neurorehabilitation
Assistive Technology
Physical Agent Modalities
Dissemination and Implementation
Mixed-methods research design

Li

Evolved Living Network Instragram @EvolvedLivingNetwork
Free Occupational Science 101 Guidebook
https://swiy.co/OS101GuidePodcast
OS Empowered OT Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1569824073462362/
Link to Full Podcast Disclaimer
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13DI0RVawzWrsY-Gmj7qOLk5A6tH-V9150xETzAdd6MQ/edit