Ep 159: Reasoning Beyond the Black and White: Embracing Uncertainty in Occupational Therapy Education and Practice

Kate Stewart is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University. She is an occupational therapist licensed with the Massachusetts Board of Allied Health Professions and is registered with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario. Kate has experience working with adults and older adults with diverse occupational performance and engagement issues across various settings, including acute care, inpatient rehab, community care, and mental health. Kate’s clinical work has primarily focused on providing occupational therapy services at the individual level (i.e., via home care) and at the group/collective level (i.e., via community mental health advocacy and social policy work). Kate’s scholarship emphasizes her interest in deepening our understanding of the occupational human to ultimately support individuals' capacity for everyday living. In service of this aim, she is interested in exploring the ways in which occupational therapists come to think like occupational therapists; that is, how occupational therapists reason through complex issues to best address the needs of clients. Recently, Kate has undertaken to examine the intersection of uncertainty and professional reasoning in occupational therapy practice and education.