Recreational Therapist Case Study

Occupational Profile
1. Who is the person you interviewed?
Carol Marcus is a 35 yo single female who recently left her job as a Recreation Therapist and moved from Pittsburgh, PA to Chapel Hill, NC in order to pursue a master’s in OT. She currently shares her living space with her dog and a housemate whom she is not fond of.
2. Considering the education and work the person did before deciding to come back to school, why did they decide not to continue with that kind of work: what aspects of that work were not a good fit for the person, what aspects were a good fit, why did they choose OT as their next career move, and what do they think about how the demands of being an OT match up with their strengths and weaknesses?
Carol had the opportunity
What are their priorities and target outcomes for this change in career?
Carol intends to be a practicing OT upon completion of her master’s. She states that she has always felt a special connection with older adults and hopes that this career change will allow her to use her knowledge and skills to teach therapeutic activities in order to improve and enrich the lives of this clientele. Carol feels that, while RT has its benefits, OT will go much further in contributing to the welfare of her clients and be more fulfilling for herself. She also believes that this will allow her to be paid more equitably for the services that she is capable of
Write a paragraph reflecting on how you used active listening techniques to help your interview go smoothly. How did you get your partner to share important information with you? Was this easier or harder than you thought it would be? How would it be different with a client? After thanking Carol for agreeing to do an interview with me, I found it very easy to get her to share her personal history with me. I did use reflection and clarification during the interview but it was more for my sake than to get her to divulge more information. If this had been a client instead, things could have taken many different turns depending on the person’s situation and diagnosis. A client might not be willing to answer questions as freely and openly as a classmate or colleague would. With a client it may be necessary to ask for clarification in order to draw out additional information. Reflecting on the clients comments would also be useful in getting a deeper understanding of their circumstances. Simply restating what they have already said may also be helpful in getting them to share more about themselves. Using these active listening skills throughout the interview may put the client more at ease and therefore generate better results. In some situations it may also be necessary to involve family members and/or significant others in the discussion, particularly if the person is