Kathryn Ellis, OTR, OTD, is the CEO and founder of the Institute for Sex, Intimacy and Occupational Therapy, which offers continuing education services for occupational therapy professionals and client services for sexuality counseling. Kathryn is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy and an AASECT certified sexuality counselor. Her mission is to dismantle restrictive norms related to sexuality and intimacy which limit occupational therapists and clients so that all individuals can thrive as sexual beings. On this episode, we talk about the role of occupational therapy in addressing sex and intimacy. 

Connect with Kathryn:

• Email - kathrynellis@sexintimacyot.com
• Instagram - @sexintimacyot
• Twitter - @sexintimacyot
• Facebook Page - Sex Intimacy OT
• Website - Sex Intimacy OT
• LinkedIn - Kathryn Ellis

Resources & Recommendations:

• American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists 
• AOTA handout - Sexuality and the Role of OT 
• OT After Dark podcast
• Kathryn Ellis Consulting - materials on Social Responsibility 
• The PLISSIT Model 
  
• Website: https://www.sexintimacyot.com/  

 

• Guided Self-reflection and discussion of sexuality values, beliefs, attitudes, and bias, live CEU webinar, offered monthly - next offering is on 2/25/20. Information HERE.
  
• Program Development Group Coaching: 6 one hour CEU sessions over 11 weeks - starting 3/3/20. Information HERE.
  
• OTPF Letter to Comment - Download material HERE.

Helen Valencia is an occupational therapist who was born in Colombia and migrated to the U.S. at age 7. Helen grew up in Queens, NY, and earned an undergraduate degree from Queens College. She worked in advertisement sales for A&E TV and then worked for the United Nations as a staff assistant in two different offices, the last one being the office of the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

Dissatisfied with what she calls "the office life," Helen began a journey of self-discovery to help her figure out what was next in her career path. After a year of self-reflection, she learned about OT and, as she says, the rest is history. 

Helen graduated from OT school at Stony Brook University. She co-founded a non-profit called Project InReach which funded self-development/leadership workshops given to adults in Colombia. She also worked as a translator in Suffolk county at IEP meetings during OT school. Helen recently moved with her husband to New Hampshire and is here in the studio today to talk about leading as an introvert, making a career switch as an adult, mindfulness and motivation. 

Connect with Helen:

• Via email
• On Instagram @my_otlife

Kripa Sundar, PhD, is an independent researcher and a learning detective. As a cognitive scientist and leader in the field of education and educational research, Kripa earned her doctorate in educational psychology with an emphasis on instructional strategies, with and without multimedia. She managed the Course of Mind project from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) as their Learning Science Specialist, following which she did a stint as an adjunct professor at Washington State University. Currently, her focus is geared towards getting her own initiative - Learning Incognito - up and going.

On this episode, Kripa discusses the research she and her colleagues have conducted as well as research done in the field of cognitive science over the past 30+ years. We talk about how the strategies uncovered in her work can be used by OT students, practitioners, and educators to aid in the teaching and learning process.

Connect with Kripa:

• Via email
• On Twitter @KripaSundar
• Via her website: www.learningincognito.com