In her final episode as CAOT host, Justine Jecker is joined by Paula Rowland, an OT turned organizational scholar and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, and Richard Kellowan, a clinician–educator with two decades of experience across Canada, Ireland, and the UK, for a reflective and forward-looking discussion on the evolving landscape of the profession.
The trio explores how occupational therapy has transformed over the past two decades, how personal perspectives shift from training to mid-career practice, and how OTs can navigate increasing system complexity while elevating their role. Together, they imagine bold, thoughtful directions for strengthening and stewarding the profession for the next generation.
Plongez au cœur de l’identité professionnelle en ergothérapie avec cet épisode animé par Soëla Bandaly, qui met en lumière le parcours multidimensionnel de Danielle Boivin, ergothérapeute forte de plus de 20 ans d’expérience.
Cet échange explore comment les ergothérapeutes peuvent affirmer leur rôle, se positionner dans des milieux parfois rigides et oser sortir du cadre traditionnel. Danielle partage son parcours professionnel riche en découvertes, ses motivations à imaginer et innover, ainsi que ses réflexions sur la santé mentale, la passion durable et le leadership au quotidien. Un épisode profond, inspirant et pleinement ancré dans la réalité de la profession.
Women’s health-focused occupational therapists Amanda Hall and Katherine Lemay join host Justine Jecker for a conversation that shines light on the roles, realities, and health experiences of women, both as clients and as the majority of OTs and OTAs.
Despite over a century of women-led practice, dedicated spaces to explore women’s health remain limited. This episode considers women’s occupations, persistent global inequities, and the implications of male-centered research.
Delve into this important and historically underrepresented topic to understand how women’s health is understood and addressed, and how occupational therapy can better support women’s wellbeing.
Explore how occupational therapy can play an important role in supporting individuals experiencing pelvic pain, incontinence, trauma, and perinatal challenges with occupational therapists, educators, and leaders Lara Desrosiers and Karina Jackson.
Pelvic health is a deeply personal and often overlooked aspect of daily life that influences emotional, physical, and mental well-being—one that occupational therapists are well positioned to address. Lara and Karina join host Justine Jecker to share their clinical experience and advocacy journey and shed light on the growing recognition of pelvic health within the profession. They emphasize the importance of collaboration, accessibility, and the integration of mind-body approaches across diverse practice settings in Canada.CAOT/ACE
Découvrez le programme Auto-ajuste, une initiative conjointe de l’Association canadienne des ergothérapeutes et de la CAA qui vise à aider les conductrices et conducteurs à adapter leur véhicule à leurs besoins afin d'assurer une conduite plus sécuritaire et confortable.
L'animatrice Soëla Bandaly s'entretient avec Brenda Grant, ergothérapeute et collaboratrice du programme pour discuter d'outils pratiques, des formations offertes et des façons d’organiser un événement Auto-ajuste dans sa communauté. Cet épisode, diffusé dans le cadre du Mois de l’ergothérapie, souligne l’apport essentiel des ergothérapeutes à la sécurité routière et au bien-être au quotidien.
Explorez l’accessibilité comme pilier d’une société véritablement inclusive! Bien au-delà du respect des normes, elle vise à permettre à chacun de se déplacer, d’habiter, de participer et de profiter d'un environnement physique, social et culturel de façon sécuritaire, autonome et digne.
Dans le cadre du Mois de l’ergothérapie, et en lien avec la Conférence canadienne sur la réadaptation à la conduite automobile et le transport (18–19 novembre 2025 à Ottawa), l’animatrice Soëla Bandaly accueille Stéphanie Gamache. Ensemble, elles discutent des enjeux d’accessibilité du domicile et de l’environnement, de l’importance de favoriser l'accès sans obstacle aux activités de plein air, ainsi que du rôle que chaque ergothérapeute peut jouer dans la création de milieux plus inclusifs.
Driving is one of the most complex occupations that humans engage in, requiring a combination of physical, cognitive, neurological, and mental skillsets, which makes it a field that occupational therapists are uniquely suited to provide support in.
In this third episode of our five-part bilingual OT Month accessibility series, Tamalea Stone and Maura DuLong, OTs with decades of clinical experience in the field, explore the state of driver rehabilitation practice in Canada, join host Justine Jecker to discuss opportunities to advance clinical, academic, and research work in this area, and reflect on why driver rehabilitation is a cornerstone of occupational therapy practice.
This November, join OTs and other driver rehabilitation specialists from across the country at the Canadian Driving Rehabilitation and Transportation Conference in Ottawa, alongside the launch of the Canadian Driving Rehabilitation Practice Network.
The will host participants from across Canada representing the full spectrum of mobility industry stakeholders, including occupational therapists, driving instructors, mobility equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers of adaptive driving equipment, researchers, regulators, clients, family, community, educators, decision makers, and funders.
Would this work? CTA could be: Register now! CAOT / ACE
From environmental assessments to inclusive policy development, occupational therapists have a unique role to play in making air travel more accessible.
Our guests this episode join us from Université Laval: Ernesto Morales is an OT and professor with a background in architecture and design whose research focuses on inclusive accessibility and design solutions; and David Gotti is a PhD candidate and occupational therapy student who has researched accessibility and inclusion in international air travel extensively.
Together, with host Justine Jecker, they explore strategies such as educating airline staff, advising on environmental modifications, and advocating for accessible aircraft design to reduce barriers in air travel. Listen in for insights on the evolving role of occupational therapy in creating accessible, supportive travel experiences in this second episode of our five-part bilingual OT Month accessibility series.
The Canadian Driving Rehabilitation and Transportation Conference in Ottawa will host participants from across Canada representing the full spectrum of mobility industry stakeholders, including occupational therapists, driving instructors, mobility equipment dealers, manufacturers and suppliers of adaptive driving equipment, researchers, regulators, clients, family, community, educators, decision makers, and funders.
From education and practice gaps to interprofessional collaboration, learn how occupational therapy can expand its role in shaping inclusive spaces, services, and tools that enhance accessibility in the first episode of our five-part, bilingual OT Month series on accessibility!
OTs Teresa Platt and Jaime Jones join us to discuss accessibility in the Canadian occupational therapy context. Together, they unpack what accessibility truly means – the meeting point between people’s capacities and the design and demands of built environments – and explore why OTs are uniquely positioned to identify and address barriers.
Join us for this thoughtful conversation on advancing accessibility skills and expertise within occupational therapy practice and beyond.
Since their first presentation in 2021, occupational therapists and scholars Marie-Lyne Grenier and Janna MacLachlan have engaged thousands of health professionals in rethinking the ways documentation can uphold or challenge systems of power. In our latest episode, they join host Justine Jecker to reflect on how anti-oppressive documentation is reshaping occupational therapy practice.
Learn what anti-oppressive documentation means, explore lessons learned from students and practitioners, and consider the profession’s next steps, including the implications for continuing education, and core occupational therapy curricula. This conversation invites us to imagine documentation as a tool for equity and meaningful change.
You can also learn more about anti-oppressive documentation with Janna and Marie-Lyne through their upcoming CAOT workshop on November 28th, 2025.
Resources:
Boivin, L., & MacLachlan, J. (2019, July) Reflecting on Indigenous access to informed consent. Occupational Therapy Now, 21, 11-12
Tsang, A., MacLachlan, J., Cameron, D., Cockburn, L., Fourt, A., Langlois, S., Sangrar, R., Stier, J., & Trentham, B. (2023, May). Accountability within: Conversations on oppression and resistance experienced by occupational therapists. Occupational Therapy Now, 25(3), 20–22.
Starr, D., & MacLachlan, J. (2021, September) Plenary recap: Acknowledging and addressing white supremacy in occupational therapy—A dialogue on taking action for change. Occupational Therapy Now, 23 (5), 20-22 (Video of the plenary also available here)
La sexualité — un sujet aussi essentiel que délicat. Trop souvent absente des discussions cliniques, elle demeure pourtant une composante importante du bien-être occupationnel.
Dans cet épisode, notre animatrice Soëla Bandaly s’entretient avec Louis-Pierre Auger, ergothérapeute, pour explorer le rôle de l’ergothérapie dans l’accompagnement de la sexualité et de l’intimité, notamment en contexte de limitations fonctionnelles, de maladie ou de transitions de vie. Ensemble, ils explorent les obstacles à son intégration en pratique et proposent des pistes concrètes pour l’aborder de manière éthique, inclusive et respectueuse. Un échange riche qui invite à voir la sexualité comme une occupation légitime et fondamentale de la santé.
Rooted in person-centred, values-driven care, occupational therapy supports individuals facing life-changing circumstances to live fully—at every stage of their journey. In this episode, occupational therapist Julie Wilding and physician Dr. Samantha Winemaker join host Justine Jecker to explore the role of OT within a palliative approach to care.
Together, they discuss how OT’s holistic lens aligns with palliative principles to enhance quality of life, uphold dignity, and support ongoing engagement in meaningful activities. Discover how working collaboratively, welcoming the unknown, and leading with presence can reshape your relationship with, and understanding of, palliative care.
We often describe occupational therapy as both an “art” and a “science”—but how often do we truly integrate arts-based methods into our practice?
In this episode, host Justine Jecker is joined by occupational therapists Nichol Marsh and Justin Monton to explore what it means to practice arts-integrated occupational therapy. Drawing from their experiences as both artists and clinicians, they discuss how creative expression—through visuals, sound, movement, touch, and more—can serve as a powerful tool for healing, connection, and meaningful engagement.
The episode opens with a land acknowledgment for Manitoba, recognizing the impact of wildfires on Indigenous communities and our shared responsibility to care for the land.
Découvrez les stages réalisés en milieux émergents et aux rôles novateurs en ergothérapie. Ces expériences, souvent en dehors des cadres traditionnels, permettent d’ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives pour les personnes étudiantes et de faire valoir la profession dans des contextes peu explorés. Avec nos personnes invitées, Benjamin Pandev-Girard, ergothérapeute, et Ève Thibeault, étudiante en ergothérapie, nous abordons les apprentissages, les défis, et surtout le potentiel transformateur de ces stages pour la pratique et l’avenir de l’ergothérapie. Une invitation à imaginer, créer, et investir là où les besoins sont bien réels… mais encore peu comblés.
With over 80% of people in Canada using substances, it’s time to reframe the conversation and recognize substance use on a spectrum that centers health, not illness, as the foundation for care and equity in our healthcare system.
Join health systems educator Shawn Fisk and OT leader Gord Unsworth, with host Justine Jecker, to explore how adopting a substance use health lens can help dismantle systemic stigma. Together, they challenge the dominant “addictions-only” approach that delays care until crisis and advocate for a more inclusive, health-centered model.
Tune in to learn and reflect on ways you can incorporate or acknowledge substance use health in your practice.
Explorez un enjeu critique, méconnu et trop souvent ignoré : la violence conjugale et les traumatismes craniocérébraux chez les femmes survivantes.
L’animatrice Soëla Bandaly s’entretient avec l'ergothérapeute et chercheuse Carolina Bottari pour examiner les répercussions profondes de ces blessures invisibles sur la santé, la sécurité et les occupations quotidiennes, tout en incitant à réfléchir au rôle de l’ergothérapie dans leur accompagnement. Participez à cette conversation incontournable pour approfondir votre compréhension, enrichir votre pratique et soutenir une approche plus humaine et éclairée.
Ressources:
Découvrer les Documents de pratique en ergothérapie de l'ACE.
Social occupational therapy is a concept that refers to politically and ethically framed practices that target individuals, groups, or systems to enable justice and social rights for people experiencing disadvantageous social conditions (Barros, Ghirardi, and Lopes, 2005).
In this episode our guests, Canadian OT Keri Chambers and Brazilian OT Ana Malfitano, with host Justine Jecker, explore this unique field of practice and how any occupational therapy practitioner can address the social context of one’s environment. Tune in to hear about the role occupational therapy practitioners can play in driving systemic change to ensure the profession can effectively address socially contextual issues that may have historically been seen as outside of the profession.
Join Dr. Brenda Vrkljan, Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy (CJOT) and professor at McMaster University, and host Justine Jecker to explore why, amongst ongoing debates about accessibility, responsiveness, and the evolving definition of "evidence," peer-reviewed journals remain important today.
Brenda reflects on her journey to becoming CJOT’s Editor-in-Chief, the challenges of engaging newer generations of occupational therapy practitioners with scientific journals, and her thoughts on the future of academic publishing in occupational therapy.
La pandémie de COVID-19 a profondément transformé le quotidien des individus, des communautés et des professionnels de la santé, entraînant des défis sans précédent et nécessitant une adaptation rapide de la pratique et de la recherche en ergothérapie.
Dans cet épisode du Balado Conversations qui comptent en ergo, l’animatrice invitée, Josée Séguin, accueille deux expertes en la matière : la professeure et ergothérapeute Émilie Lagueux et l’ergothérapeute Dobrochna Litwin. Ensemble, elles explorent les répercussions de la COVID longue sur l’ergothérapie, les défis rencontrés par cette clientèle et les ressources mises en place pour les accompagner. Une discussion essentielle pour mieux comprendre le rôle des ergothérapeutes dans ce contexte en constante évolution.Ressources:
OTA and Juno-nominated R&B artist Angie Akhinagba – known musically as Zenesoul – explores the intersection of occupational therapy and creative expression with host Justine Jecker. By day, Angie supports patients in the rehabilitation department at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, but in every spare moment, she’s crafting soulful music, often from the front seat of her car.
Dive into conversation with Angie to hear how she seamlessly blends her passions for therapy and music, highlighting creativity as an essential occupation. You’ll discover how personal passions can enrich professional practice!