What does an Occupational Therpist do?
Susan Yee of Sound Performance: Occupational Therapy has been a registered occupational therapist for 26 years in the areas of physical medicine and mental health. Susan provides holistic treatment with an emphasis on emotional and physical well-being. Currently, she works in a community addiction and mental health agency with a focus on chronic pain and enabling people to fully participate in their community. She provides multi-layered problem solving to the most complex cases.
Susan studied repetitive strain injury in pianists for her master’s thesis. She realized that musicians’ and vocalists’ health are poorly addressed compared to athletes. She has therefore focused her practice on helping artists prevent and overcome performance and practice-related injuries.
Susan has been studying the piano since she was 7 years old. Creating music is part of her daily wellness plan. She is part of a music duo and publicly performs on a regular basis. Susan is a life-long learner and enjoys many creative pursuits such as baking, singing, dancing, playing the piano, and dreaming. She also practices the Feldenkrais Method®.
What is the Feldenkrais Method®?
The Feldenkrais Method® was created by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984): physicist, engineer, researcher, Judo master, and author.
The Feldenkrais Method® utilizes your natural ability to learn and therefore help you be more aware of your habits. Through this practice individuals can learn the relationship between directed attention, movement, emotion, and learning. With awareness, you can feel and move better.
Susan Yee works with individuals and groups in and around Kingston, Ontario. As an occupational therapist, she is a trained health-care professional who uses a systematic approach based on evidence and professional reasoning to facilitate engagement in everyday living through occupation. Whether for work, study, or pleasure, each occupation individuals practice regularly (e.g. using the computer, playing a musical instrument, and gardening), defines who they are and by enabling meaningful activities, Susan fosters health and well-being.
Learning new ways to move can be part of the treatment of chronic pain, and neurological, orthopedic, and stress-related,conditions. Easier movement means greater comfort performing everyday activities at work or home, and greater performance in artistic and athletic skills. As you expand your awareness of how you think, sense, feel, and move, the possibilities for personal improvement and human development are limitless.
