Episode 5: We Are Giving Our Own Profession Away

Today’s episode dives deep into one of the biggest professional conversations happening right now — the ongoing tension between occupational therapy and physical therapy — and what it reveals about how we’ve been talking about ourselves for decades. We start From the Feed, where Chris Nahrwold’s viral post in the Practical Occupational Therapy Facebook group challenges the old phrases like “PT helps you walk, OT helps you do the things once you get there.” He asks the hard question: Are PTs limiting us, or are we limiting ourselves? Then in My Hard Take, Michelle breaks down some of the most repugnant, self-limiting catchphrases OTs keep repeating — from “We do the fun stuff” to “We’re like PT, but for your hands.” She explains how that kind of language quietly undermines the science, rigor, and value of the profession. Next, we take a look back to 1981, when AOTA President Mae D. Hightower Vandamm delivered her fiery presidential address “Flight Control.” Decades before social media debates, Vandamm called out the same pattern — warning that OTs were “too soft in defending our turf” and that “we freely give away our skills.” Her words still ring true today. Finally, Michelle closes with “What Now?” — four practical, actionable ways OTs can start changing the narrative right now: Don’t agree when others minimize OT. Keep growing — especially as a communicator. Guard scope with science and evidence. Stop giving away your expertise. Key Takeaway Occupational therapy doesn’t need rescuing — it needs reclaiming. When we speak with clarity, communicate with science, and stop handing away our identity, no one gets to define us but us. Resources Mentioned Practical Occupational Therapy Facebook Group Mae D. Hightower Vandamm, “Flight Control,” AJOT (1981) John Maxwell, The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication