PODCAST · science
Dr. thOTs
by Drs. Ryan Lavalley & Khalilah Johnson
A smart, driven, and fabulous podcast where sometimes it’s about occupation and sometimes it’s just sassy.
Episodes
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Under the Paint
The Dr. thOTs duo sit down with Vincent Oquendo, NYC-based celebrity make-up artist, to bridge the worlds of beauty and cosmetics with occupation and therapeutic use of self. The match is made in make-up heaven! From rapport building to make-up and mental health, these three go everywhere blush,...
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Shakin' Wigs with MDI
The Dr. thOTs duo is joined by Cheranne Hunter-Bennett, Chairperson of the Multicultural, Diversity, and Inclusion Network Leadership Council in Occupational Therapy. The thOTs hash out the details of MDI, AOTA, COTAD, DEI Committee, and all things DEIJAB orgs in OT. From affinity and advocacy to...
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Last Time I Checked : Black on Both Sides
What do you get when you put two passionate rapping educators on the Dr. thOTs podcast? An episode jam packed with stories, history, pedagogical strategies, and more. Khalilah and Ryan welcome Drs. Jian Jones and Donovan Livingston to the podcast to talk all things hip hop pedagogy. Bringing…
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Tantalizing Titles & Provocative Promotions
The thOTs are Associates! The Dr. thOTs duo celebrates achieving the next stage of their careers by offering a rousing, enthralling, and downright nail-biting discussion of tenure and promotion processes. Maybe not your highest priority topic, but if you're interested in academia, this is a must...
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Dr. Daddy thOT's Philosophy
Is philosophy just professional bullshitting? Well in this episode, the Dr. thOTs duo welcome their mentor, colleague, and occupational elder, Dr. Antoine Bailliard, to the microphone to discuss the state of the philosophy of OS and OT. From occupation to DB3, these theory nerds break down lenses...
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Season 6 Y'all: A Partner's Guide to a PhD
Do you struggle with balancing work and life? Does your partner read at all hours of the night? Have you not seen your boyfriend in 3 days because you are in a writing hole? Did you and your spouse decide to put your family through 5-7 years of an academic and theoretical gauntlet? Well do we…
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Season 5 Finale: Real Housewives of OT & OS
Y'all aren't ready. You. are. not. ready. The tomfoolery of this season finale, y'all. Channeling their inner Housewives, the thOTs welcome the sassiest guests they could find in the OT&OS world. Joined by Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh, Dr. Jessica Kramer, and Dr. Karen McCarthy, these housewives - and...
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Super Nerds Unite: AJOT Editor in Chief
Can peer-review be sexy? Well to answer that question, the Dr. thOTs duo touch base with the thOT in Chief, Dr. Stacey Reynolds, Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT). They discuss the fabulous life as an Editor in Chief, the state of the science, peer-review...
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Publishing the Dozens
Khalilah and Ryan dive into a convo with Dr. Frederick V. Engram Jr. to get real about publishing. From navigating academia to reclaiming voice and storytelling, this episode is all about truth-telling, resistance, and writing for liberation—not validation. Come for the critique, stay for the...
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So What!? Science
This week on Dr. thOTs, the duo get into design and branding with Stephanie Kaczynski, a PhD candidate serving up stories and communication . After exploring her "diss" focused on community organizing, police violence, and George Floyd Square, Stephanie breaks down how storytelling, strategy, and...
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Oh Hey! OTA!
This week, the Dr. thOTs duo grab some time with the very busy Christine Gunningle, program director of Durham Tech's OTA program and educator extraordinaire. She pops off with personal stories and pedagogical pointers, positioning OTA programs as clear launch pads for amazing practitioners. The...
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All Data Ain't Good Data
The thOTs are not here for your messy spreadsheets or half-baked interview guides. They’re diving into data evaluation and communication. Your favorite duo unpacks what it really means to produce knowledge that matters. Accuracy? Required. Completeness? Non-negotiable. Relevance? Don’t show up...
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No Throw Away Kids
Ryan and Khalilah welcome Dr. Jen Newton onto the podcast this week to discuss intellectual and development disabilities, death row, and school systems. The three dive into a difficult conversation about the realities of our justice system, the ways ableism and anti-blackness are leveraged to...
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Straight to the Gay Bar
Happy Pride thOTs! This week, the Dr. Duo is queering the convo exploring the who, what, and why when it comes to gay bars, tea rooms, lesbian hangouts, queer spaces, and more. From bachlorettes to Maggie Clapp, from 1700s to 2019, Ryan and Khalilah cover it all. They’ve got hot takes and cold...
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thOTs, Bots, and Ethical Knots
Hold onto your gait belts, y’all—this episode is serving up tech tea with a side of clinical realness. Khalilah and Ryan are joined by the brilliant Sarah Lyon of OT Potential to unpack where occupational therapy meets artificial intelligence. We’re talking AI scribes, clinical decision support,...
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Look Outside the Bush
Whew, chile. This episode gets into the thick of it—the Dr. thOTs duo are back at it, peeling back the layers of identity, advocacy, and the messiness of inclusion. From classroom to community, they’re asking hard questions: Who gets to be included? Who should be excluded? Are we all just inside…
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Decolonizing Aunties Out Front
This week, the Dr. thOTs duo welcome a guest from 17 time zones away. Dr. Isla Emery-Whittington joins Ryan and Khalilah in a warm conversation about decolonizing practices. With a true auntie vibe, Dr. Emery-Whittington names and frames the importance of building communication, building…
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Bless This Mess
In this homegrown heart-to-heart, Khalilah and Ryan get all up in their feelings (and their plants) to talk about what makes a space feel like a place. We’re talking aesthetics, sensory vibes, cultural grounding, and the divine chaos that is cohabitation. From Khalilah’s sacred order to Ryan’s...
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Embracing Blatinidad
This episode is a LONG time coming! Ryan and Khalilah wanted to make sure this one got its due. Spurred by a calling in, the duo invite Dr. Emily Grullón and Dr. Alondra Ammon to discuss complex racial identities. History, age, geopolitics, and learning are the hot topics of this episode…
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Season 5 Intro: Life Be Lifin' Y'all
Beaten, bruised, but they are back! The Dr. thOTs duo is up to good trouble yet again, launching their 5th season of the podcast with spicy nicknames, real talk to the front, and some self care resolutions! Khalilah and Ryan give you the run down on what they've been up to the last few months and...
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Special Episode: Let's Get Political!
That very important time of 2024 is approaching y'all! November 5th is election day and the Dr. thOTs want to make sure you are ready to vote! On this special election episode, the thOTs duo interview Dr. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, Occupational Therapist, Associate Professor, and State…
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Season 4 Review: Gay Best Friends & Good Judies
What a season! The 4th epoch of the Dr. thOTs podcast has come to a close. Khalilah and Ryan recap the topics and conversations of the last 14 episodes, thanking their guests, listeners, and team along the way. They discuss the deep conversations of the summer but also the importance of…
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Imagining the Monstera Movement
The Dr. thOTs duo are joined by Trey Washington (@whatsonemorepothos) who occupies "the intersection of fried fish / porch sitting / Fantasia’s barefoot antics / communalism / anti-carceral, anti-capitalist politics and doing the chicken-head to every song like it’s still 2001"...
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The Scope Be Creepin'
We all know these two thOTs can't chart a straight path across an open field, but at least they try. Khalilah and Ryan talk professional boundaries and wandering scopes. What makes occupational therapy? They've got opinions on research, capstone, and policy impact on practice roles and…
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The Mini Diva Mini Episode
The Dr. thOTs duo is excited to offer this special mini episode to introduce you to a mini-diva! Chanel Jackson, niece of non other than Dr. Khalilah Johnson joins the Drs. on the podcast. In just 30 minutes, this 9 year old fashionista lets us in on her future plans, opinons on other...
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Bull in a Sex Shop
Kahlilah and Ryan are joined by the one and only Raheleh Ghasseminia, an up and coming doctoral student but long-time experienced occupational therapy practitioner. Raheleh leads these thOTs into the wonderful world of intimacy, sex, and occupation. The hosts discuss how she arrived in the…
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Get the Meeting Out the Box
A Dr. thOTs favorite joins yet again to make us laugh but this time brings the tea on embodied leadership. George Barret steps out of his good judy role into his working girl role talking with Ryan and Khalilah about embodied leadership, creative meeting strategies, community building, and…
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Rolling with the ADA
Khalilah and Ryan are joined by none other than everybody's favorite ADA nerd, Dr. Katie Sorensen. We roll through this episode about accessibility with an undefeated champion of musical chairs and ADA certified specialist. The thOTs talk going wheels up with disabilities, managing flying,...
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Hair on Our Chinny Chin Chins
Ryan and Khalilah get into a hairy situation, cutting it up about body hair, grooming, and all things structural stigma. They talk Crown Act buzz and bush commercials, shame and discrimination, gender and personal boundaries - a true salon of ideas. This episode is definitely not a wash - at…
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Publication, Power, & the PhD
We got students in the house! Khalilah and Ryan are joined by Jaime Leitre Jr. and Rebecca Parkin for a lively discussion about publication, studenthood, and the structures of power in the process. Becky has recently published a critique of whiteness in the science in JOS and Jaime on dissident...
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Minding the Thigh Gap
Khalilah and Ryan warmly welcome Dr. LaRhonda Manigault-Bryant - to the podcast but also to Carolina! After a delightfully contentious conversation about shades of blue, the three docs get into it about Black women in media, in church, and in big bodies. The three discuss the narratives of Black...
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Student Movements: A Necessary Conversation
Ryan and Khalilah, representing no organizations or institutions they are affiliated with, recorded this episode as a special conversation about student movements given the current situation within the US and global context. In the episode, they discuss there own experiences as faculty, student...
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DEI is the Minimum
Your girl Dr. Khalilah Johnson and colleagues wrote a whole paper about the State of the Science when it comes to DEIJAB in occupational therapy in the United States. The thOTs talk the limits of DEI and how it sits with decoloniality, and decolonization. Khalilah discusses why she thinks Black...
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Leading from Our Roots
The Dr. thOTs duo welcome Whitney Harris to the podcast this week to talk everything leadership, inclusion, and identity. Whitney discusses how she got involved with COTAD National Leadership and what drives her forward in the work, particularly from her experience as a mixed race practitioner.…
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Joy with Friends
The Dr. thOTs duo is back for a jam packed Season 4! Joining the duo for this season opener is Seth Mitchell, PhD student in occupational science and Dr. thOTs onboarder, helping hand, and assistant extraordinaire. The thOTs welcome Seth to his podcast debut and spill the tea on working with…
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thOTs in 3
We did three seasons y'all! The Dr. thOTs duo wraps up this season of the podcast in this finale review! If you prefer to pick and choose your podcast episodes, this is a great episode to get some sneak peeks at previous Season 3 discussions and guests and see which episodes might tickle *wink*...
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Risk, Rights, and Research
Everybody's favorite Ms. Frizzle look alike joins the Dr. thOTs duo this week! Khalilah and Ryan welcome colleague Dr. Meghan Blaskowitz to the podcast! After a rousing return to 1990s PBS, Megan talks with the thOTs about post-secondary inclusive education and her work to be an ally for young...
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No Cap: A transgenerational analysis
Ok fam. This episode is a gas. Get ready for the Dr. thOTs duo to give you the skinny on generational differences and lingo. Khalilah and Ryan talk everything from bussin' to wet noodles in the classroom and in practice. From professional dynamics to work/life boundaries, the thOTs spill the tea…
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Not Everything is for You
Come on interdisciplinary! The Dr. thOTs duo are excited to invite everybody's favorite "long time listener, first time caller" to the podcast. Dr. Suzanne Huot is an internationally known Canadian occupational scientist and geographer whose research focuses on immigration, space generation, and...
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A Karen Walks into a Bar
This is a gut 👏 buster 👏 of an episode. Your cheeks are gonna be sore from laughing so hard. Ryan and Khalilah invite everybody's favorite Karen to the podcast! The incomparable Dr. Karen McCarthy gives the Dr. thOTs duo one of the most playful episodes they've had yet. The thOTs are tickled…
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The Joy of the Science
Doom scrolling got you down? SCOTUS got you suffering? Well, the Dr. thOTs duo is in the building with an episodic remedy. This episode is an ode to optimism and filling our cups when the negativity is rolling around. Filled with tangents and laughs, Khalilah and Ryan do a brief recap of how they...
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Finding Full Occupational Moments
The Dr. thOTs duo welcome the "great connector", Dr. Sue Coppola to the episode this week and partake in a beauty-filled, aesthetically pleasing, conversation with her as the three discuss humanities, art, and occupational therapy practice and education. If you ever wanted to know exactly what a...
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OTPs! Get Used to the Coin!
The Dr. thOTs duo welcome Sarah Lyon and Tomeico Faison to the podcast this week to talk business about business. These two practitioners have taken entrepreneurship to new heights, leveraging their OT approach in everything from real estate to evidence based practice education. Also sidenote…
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Bomb Boss Leadership
Let's just say this episode takes sass and mentorship and wraps into one big ball of joy. Ryan and Khalilah welcome Dr. Betsy Francis-Connolly to the podcast this week to talk about her leadership style and stories. Dr. Francis-Connolly shares her experiences in leadership positions and guiding...
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B3 Coffee: Smashing the Hierarchy
Khalilah and Ryan are joined by the founders of B3 Coffee this week on Dr. thOTs. Former UNC OT and current SLP students, these three will knock your socks off. Jacklyn Boheler, Greg Boheler, and Hannah Steen come prepared to our recording with experiences, nuggets of wisdom, and reality checks…
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#RealTalkToTheFront: AOTA Inspire 2023
This one is a long one but, y'all, the Dr. thOTs duo had a lot to unpack. After saying hi to new followers, Khalilah and Ryan kiki about AOTA Inspire 2023. They first cover the good and exciting things that happened at conference, recognizing the good work being done, networking and coalition...
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#MeTooOT - Sexual Harrassment in OT
Content Warning: This episode of Dr. thOTs discusses sexual harassment and assault, particularly within the OT profession. | Ryan and Khalilah are excited to welcome Dr. Rachel Proffitt to the podcast to discuss her recent article with colleagues regarding the #MeTooOT movement and revealing the...
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Come on Axiom of Brilliance!
Have the thOTs got an episode for you! Ryan and Khalilah welcome a phenomenal educator, researcher, and fashionista to the podcast, none other than a former senior White House staff member and one of Obama's Black 44, Dr. Lauren Mims! Dr. Mims walks us through her transitions from doctoral…
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Welcome to Season 3!
Drs. Khalilah Johnson and Ryan Lavalley are starting up a new season of Dr. thOTs! Here comes season 3! Bringing you all the thoughts and thots they can fit into 14 episodes! In this first brief episode, the hosts give some updates on their own lives, work and personal. Let's just say they've got...
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Keep thOTin' - Season 2 Finale
Khalilah and Ryan put each of their 4/10 energies together to make a 10/10 finale episode of Season 2 of the Dr. thOTs podcast. Weaving and rolling through connections to past guests and the ideas they discussed throughout the season, the Drs. discuss their growing edges and what they learned…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dr. thOTs have?
Dr. thOTs currently has 79 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dr. thOTs about?
A smart, driven, and fabulous podcast where sometimes it’s about occupation and sometimes it’s just sassy.
How often does Dr. thOTs release new episodes?
Dr. thOTs has 79 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dr. thOTs?
You can listen to Dr. thOTs on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dr. thOTs?
Dr. thOTs is created and hosted by Drs. Ryan Lavalley & Khalilah Johnson.
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