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For OT student Julia Redden, it was the flexibility and creativity of occupational therapy that pulled her in — but it was her first placement at St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre that brought it all to life.

From wheelchair positioning to running cognitive and sensory groups, Julia discovered how small, personalized changes can make a big impact. Most of all, she learned the power of listening: “Taking the time to hear someone’s story can be the highlight of their day,” she says.

Julia talked with us about the hands-on skills she gained, her personal growth as a future OT and why embracing your individuality is one of the profession’s greatest strengths.

What drew you to occupational therapy?
The broad scope of occupational therapy really drew me in. I love how fluid and adaptable the profession is, allowing for creativity and individualized approaches with every client. I’ve also seen the impact of OT first-hand, many people in my life have shared how much their occupational therapists helped them and how meaningful those changes were. Hearing those stories inspired me even more. I’m especially drawn to the idea of making realistic, goal-oriented changes that truly enhance people’s everyday lives. That’s exactly the kind of work I want to do.

Where did you just complete your placement, and what was your role?
My most recent placement was at St. Michael’s Long Term Care Centre in Edmonton, which was also my first OT placement. My role as a student occupational therapist in this setting primarily focused on positioning. I worked closely with residents to assess and optimize their wheelchair positioning to ensure their comfort, safety and functional needs were met. In addition, I was involved in facilitating cognitive and sensory groups, and completing standardized assessments to monitor residents’ cognitive functioning, general strength and range of motion.

Tell us about your experience there.
It was a great first placement! I was part of a four-to-one student model, which initially made the experience feel less intimidating. Having other students around provided opportunities to share ideas and collaborate, while also giving me the space to develop more independence from my preceptor. This balance really helped me build confidence in my OT skills. Being in a long-term care setting also allowed me to work with the same residents every day, which helped me form strong, meaningful relationships — aking it one of my favourite parts of the placement.

What did you learn, and what impacted you the most?
During this placement, I gained the most knowledge about positioning and understanding the diverse positioning needs of residents, as well as what qualifies as a constraint in a no-constraint facility. I completed numerous seating assessments, which greatly enhanced my observational skills and strengthened my professional language when describing residents’ anatomical positioning within their seating systems. By the end of the placement, I had developed a strong technical understanding of wheelchairs — I could take one apart, reassemble it and identify the various modifications needed based on the specific positioning issues I observed.

How will you apply what you learned to your professional and student life?
With the older adults course coming up, I’m excited to apply the knowledge and skills I gained during this placement to my coursework. I also learned a great deal about communicating effectively with residents’ families and collaborating within an interdisciplinary team, which are skills that I know will be valuable in future classes, OSCEs and other learning activities. I already know that I’m passionate about working with older adults, and I can definitely see myself returning to this setting in the future to continue building on what I’ve learned.

Where did you experience the most personal growth through this experience?
The biggest area of personal growth I experienced during this placement was in my clinical reasoning. I learned how to thoughtfully balance residents’ safety with their quality of life when considering different interventions. My ability to reason through these decisions improved significantly over time, and gaining confidence in my judgment has been one of the most impactful parts of my learning experience.

How has this experience impacted you as an occupational therapist? What will you take with you into the profession?
I really loved getting to know the residents and hearing their stories — each person had such a unique background, and they were always eager to share it with me. One of the most fundamental lessons I learned was the importance of truly listening. Taking the time to hear someone’s story can be the highlight of their day, you can see them light up when they feel heard. Listening not only helps build meaningful relationships, but it also provides valuable insight into the person’s life that can inform future OT interventions and treatment planning. I think this is a lesson that can be applied to any occupational therapy setting.

What do you see in your future as an occupational therapist?
I feel like I see myself working with older adults somewhere. But I also feel I am very early in my OT student journey and still have so much to learn and experience. I could work or go anywhere. I just want to help people!

What advice would you like to share with future students in this program?
Occupational therapy is such a fluid and adaptable profession — there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to being an OT. In fact, if you feel different from others entering the field, that’s a strength! What makes OTs so special is how they draw on their own experiences, perspectives and values to shape their approach to practice. Uniqueness is not only welcomed in OT, t’s what makes the profession so meaningful. Embrace it!