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A new episode will be released every 1-2 weeks.

Episode 10: Mental Health

1/5/2018

3 Comments

Karen Dobyns, OTD, MOT, OTR/L, also known as Miss Awesomeness, is a pediatric occupational therapist as well as adjunct faculty in the OTA program at Grossmont College in San Diego, CA. She got her Master's degree at UTHSC in Memphis in 2009 and then completed her post-professional clinical doctorate through Rocky Mountain several years ago. She is currently working on getting her first children's picture book published (The Centipede Who Couldn't Tie His Shoes) which has some OT strategies built in to it. She's also a big fan of incorporating the "flow arts" into OT, which includes hula hoop dance, flow wand, poi, and more. She has many interests and can always find a way to tie them into OT, although her number one OT passion has to do with addressing the daily mental health needs of clients - and students!

On this episode, Karen shares about how she got her nickname, bibliotherapy - or using books as a therapeutic tool, her soon-to-be-released children's book, her work with the flow arts, and the importance of incorporating strategies to promote mental health in OT practice and in our own lives as OT students and practitioners.

Recommendations from this episode:

FLOW ARTS:

Hula Hoop Dance - a little girl hula hoop dancing in a talent show
Flow Wand - Two OTs practicing flow wand in order to teach to kids
Geoflux - Showing basics of Geoflux (Hard to explain!)
Devil Sticks - Two kids playing together with it. Typically done solo with a “juggling” style.
Poi - using homemade version (soft balls like Koosh balls, tube socks)
Apps for Coping with Stress & Anxiety [Slides from a conference presentation]
The Healing Heart, the Story of Ora Ruggles Pioneer in Occupational Therapy by John Carlova and Ora Ruggles

Ways to Connect with Karen:

Email - karen.dobyns@gmail.com
Twitter - @MsAwesomenessOT
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/missawesomeness.com
Blog - www.missawesomeness.com

In occupational therapy, much is said about the idea of health, well-being, and occupational balance. Therapists promote the idea that maintaining a balance in work, rest, and leisure is important to preserving or improving mental and physical well-being. However, we often don’t practice what we preach."

3 Comments

Julie Benn

1/6/2018 06:02:47 pm

I have had the privilege and honor of speaking at Miss Awesomeness Dr Dobyns' OTA class as part of NAMI's In Our Own Voice program. I wasn't sure what an OT was or did at the time, but have had the opportunity to learn more about it since and have come to the conclusion that OT's are The Practitioners of Making Things Better. And this goes for all aspects of life, especially mental health. Dr Awesomeness truly lives up to her OT moniker with her unbridled passion about championing mental wellness as a part of every situation an OT/OTA may find themselves in. Her students leave her class extremely well-educated on mental illness and its effects as well as having an increased sense of self-awareness/care for their own emotional well-being...so important in the helping professions. To be able to be a part of the educational journey she takes her students on was so rewarding to me as they seemed to really "get it" when it came to compassion and acceptance for those of us who experience mental illness; a trait no doubt fostered in the students by Dr Dobyns' passion for OT and her holistic and inclusive approach to Make Things Better for folks who are struggling with an often "invisible" and stigmatizing illness. OT is a caring profession where you ask your client NOT "what's the matter with you?" but rather "what matters to you?" This can make all the difference in the world and awesome professors like Dr Miss Awesomeness Dobyns know how to weave a mindset of compassion into every fiber of OT training and application.

Karen

1/9/2018 12:14:44 am

Julie,

Thanks so much for your lovely comment. I really appreciate your kind words. I realized I called NAMI's program "In Your Own Voices" instead of "In Our Own Voices," whoops. You had such a big impact on my OTA students with your incredible story and "voice" - thank you SO much.

Karen

luke

1/9/2018 09:54:24 pm

Thanks for sharing this great interview with Karen!

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Episode 10: Mental Health

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