Alumna Profile: Jessica Listhaus, OTD '21
2021 alumna, Jessica Listhaus was already a professional occupational therapist when she opted to pursue a post-professional OTD program at Chatham. Prior to the pandemic, a return to school wasn’t on her radar, but once COVID-19 forced her to adapt to working with her clients via tele-health, Jessica began to consider the benefits of sharpening her skills as a practitioner. Join us as we catch up with Jessica to learn more about the impact of earning her PP-OTD at Chatham, including the influence it has had on her clients.
Tell us a little bit about what led you to Chatham’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.
Jessica Listhaus: In April 2019, while attending the annual American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) conference, I discovered the post-professional OTD program at Chatham University and was impressed by its outstanding reputation of providing an immersive, intensive, and individualized approach to post-graduate study. Although I was enjoying my diverse professional experiences at the time and did not have plans to pursue academic or administrative positions in the near future, I tucked the idea of returning to school into the back of my mind. During the early months of the pandemic, while acclimating to the new ways of administering therapy through tele-health, I was required to adjust my views of traditional therapy and find creative ways to engage my young students and clients. At the time, I reconsidered the idea of returning to school, and chose Chatham specifically because of the opportunity to explore the impact of evidence-based practice on clinical intervention.
Post-graduation, where are you working and how are you applying your Chatham training?
JL: Since graduation, I have continued to work both in the Department of Education (DOE) and private practice settings. One of the primary areas in which I have been able to apply my training from Chatham is through integrating the findings of my capstone project into the daily practice of occupational therapy. Prior to enrolling in the program, and before the pandemic, I saw students and clients individually, often without parent involvement or while parents sat in a waiting room. Though some of the parents were interested in the therapeutic goals and outcomes, they rarely asked about the intervention. As I transitioned to tele-health, I was required to engage parents and caregivers in the therapeutic relationship so that they could assist the child with performing the activity or with navigating the technology that was required for our sessions. The capstone project I completed at Chatham focused on the impact of parent coaching on perceived carryover of skills to the home environment. The findings of the project showed that the parents and therapist benefited from collaborating on goal setting, as well as the reinforcement of techniques and strategies between sessions. In addition to applying my own findings, I have integrated many of my classmates’ projects into my practice.
What does an average workday look like for you?
JL: My daily workday begins at a NYC Department of Education special education program where I work with students between the ages of 3-10 who are diagnosed with developmental disabilities. After the school day, I work in private practice in Livingston and Hackensack, New Jersey with children, adolescents and adults who have issues with sensory, fine motor, and executive functioning skills.
What is your favorite part of your work?
JL: In both settings, I experience great satisfaction when the individuals I work with achieve the goals they set for themselves. Throughout the years, I have consistently maintained a client- and family-centered approach to treatment that focuses on the impact of treatment on the person’s ability to function in their various roles, as well as the impact of their achievements and progress on their family members. As the sibling of a person with special needs, I spent my life observing and working with many outstanding, talented professionals who improved my brother’s life through the intervention they provided. Early on, I decided to pursue a career in occupational therapy because I was acutely aware of the many benefits of fostering and facilitating an individual’s independence on family members, especially the siblings.
Do you have any advice for aspiring occupational therapists?
JL: My advice to aspiring occupational therapists is that they remain open to learning and exploring new ways of practicing throughout their career. Through education, and especially through a formal program, professionals learn that the field of occupational therapy is vast, diverse, and ever-changing. Though some clinicians may choose to remain in the same work environment and work with the same population throughout their career, it is possible to change paths over the course of a career and learn to apply skills and techniques to many different populations and settings. In addition to formal education, there are always opportunities to learn from colleagues, including those who may be in other related fields, and from the individuals and family members you work with.
Anything else you’d like to highlight?
JL: At the start of this program, I was concerned that it would be difficult to learn and complete a degree that was primarily presented through an online format. Due to the pandemic, I specifically chose Chatham because it had an established and reputable online post-professional degree, but I was concerned about completing my education through this new and unfamiliar approach. From the initial contact with our professors, it was clear that they were approachable and eager to engage with students outside of the specific class times through emails, phone calls, and texts. They suggested that the cohort establish a group chat to communicate and support one another through the process. This chat became a lifeline during the program, and I was able to seek guidance, ask questions and work with classmates on challenging assignments. I found that although the program was rigorous and fast paced, my classmates were always encouraging and helpful, including after a long day of work and into the late hours of the night. In the relatively short time that I completed the program, I developed many close friendships with my classmates, some of whom I spoke to every day during the program and continue to speak to several times a week. Perhaps because the program had an online format, I was forced to develop more intense relationships with professors and classmates than what typically occurs when you sit side by side in a traditional classroom. I am extremely grateful for the many ways that my professors and classmates encouraged me to grow beyond my comfort zone, and well beyond my initial expectations, to become a more creative, compassionate, and confident clinician.
Explore Chatham’s post-professional OTD program as well as our entry level OTD program via the Chatham website.