All Episodes
Episodes
Episode 14: Building Our Own House (1990-1999)
Episode 14 Occupation Under Pressure
Part 6: Building Our Own House (1990–1999)
Episode Description
Who gets to decide what occupational therapy is?
For most of the profession's history, the honest answer was: not...
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Episode 13: When Occupational Therapy Got a Seat at the Table (1970s and 1980s)
Episode 13 Occupation Under Pressure
Part 5: When Occupational Therapy Got a Seat at the Table (1970s–1980s)
Episode Description
Picture occupational therapy in 1970. Not the profession — the room. A small hospital...
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Episode 12: OT Does Not have to Choose Between Science and Occupation (1940-1969)
Part 4: OT Does Not Have to Choose Between Science and Occupation (1940–1969)
Episode Description
World War II. Polio epidemics. The birth of rehabilitation medicine. The discovery of neuroplasticity. And some of...
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Episode 11: The Fight That Never Ended, OT's First Identity Crisis (1920-1939)
The Fight That Never Ended: OT's First Identity Crisis (1920–1939)
Episode Description
Have you ever sat through a faculty meeting, a conference presentation, or a social media debate about whether OT is too medical...
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Episode 10: Occupation Under pressure: The Birth of a Profession (1900-1919)
Episode Description
The early 1900s were not a quiet time to be building a new profession. America was industrializing, medicine was becoming increasingly scientific and measurable, and two completely opposing...
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Episode 9: Meaning vs. Medicine: OT’s First Fight (1790-1899)
Occupation Under Pressure, Part 1: Meaning vs. Medicine, OT's First Fight (1790–1899)
Description
Most occupational therapists were taught that their profession began in 1917. A founding meeting. Six people. A new...
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Episode 8: HR1 Exposed Us: The Financial Crisis OT Should’ve Seen Coming
Episode 8 HR1 Exposed Us: The Financial Crisis OT Should've Seen Coming
Episode Description
This one runs long. It has to.
When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act dropped and Grad PLUS loans disappeared overnight, the...
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Episode 7: The Petition that Predicted the Pipeline Crisis
In this episode of Outspoken OT, host Michelle Eliason, MS, OTR/L unpacks the data behind the 2023 OT Petition and National Survey — a grassroots effort that captured thousands of voices from across the profession....
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Episode 6: Equality’s Out, Equity’s In — But What Does That Mean for OT?
Episode 6: Equality's Out, Equity's In — But What Does That Mean for OT?
In this episode of Outspoken OT, Michelle Eliason examines one of the most significant changes introduced in the 2025 AOTA Code of Ethics: the...
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Episode 5: We Are Giving Our Own Profession Away
Episode 5: We Are Giving Our Own Profession Away
Introduction
Occupational therapy has never lacked value—but we often struggle to communicate that value. In this episode of Outspoken OT, Michelle explores how the...
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Episode 4: What ACOTE’s 2023 Revisions Mean for the Future of OT Education
Episode 4: ACOTE 2023 Standards — Preparing the Next Generation or Lowering the Bar?
Introduction
Occupational therapy education shapes every future practitioner who enters our profession. In this episode of Outspoken...
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Episode 3: Growing in Number, Shrinking in Value
Episode 3: Growing in Number, Shrinking in Value
Introduction
Occupational therapy is often described as one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions, with strong employment projections and increasing demand...
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