As we’ve interviewed expert clinicians on the podcast, clear trends have emerged. These clinicians have two things in common:

1. They have a pretty set arc to their treatment sessions.
2. They tend to work from “menus” of intervention options.

I’m pretty sure they do this- because this is what they’ve discovered works. But, I’ve never really seen this approach studied or discussed in research…until now.

I was honestly flabbergasted to hear one of the most prominent rehab researchers in the world, talking about these two things, in his paper Many Paths to Recovery: The Case for Treatment Pluralism. From what I understand, Dr. Cook gives these concepts some formal names: he calls those intervention menus ‘treatment pluralism‘—and he calls the components of the arc of a session ‘therapeutic ritual‘… driven by what researchers call contextual factors

In today’s episode, I can’t wait to dig deeper into this paper—and how our guest Dr. Chad Cook currently understands the factors that make therapy effective.

This is an episode that could fundamentally change how you think about each patient encounter.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/continuing-education/course/msk-treatment-pathways

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When you look at the intersection of vision and reading in schools, the gaps are impossible to ignore.

Consider the data:

• Two-thirds of American fourth graders cannot read at grade level.
• One in four school-age children has a vision problem.
• School vision screenings miss up to 75% of children with vision problems.

To make matters worse, standard school vision screenings frequently miss the functional vision deficits—such as convergence, accommodation, and visual perception issues—that directly impact a student's ability to sustain near-work in the classroom.

As occupational therapists, understanding how vision impacts functional tasks like reading, writing, and navigating the classroom is central to our holistic approach. We have the foundational textbooks, the clinical frameworks, and the training to address these challenges.

So why isn't the full skillset of OTs being utilized to support functional vision in schools?

In this course, we sit down with Jaime Spencer, an OT who has been at the forefront of successfully integrating vision into school-based practice. Together, we explore the systemic barriers she has encountered and the practical solutions she has proven to work—from assessment and direct intervention to teacher education.

This course is designed for any school-based professional who knows the current system isn't working well enough, and is ready to explore how OTs can deliver deeper, more impactful support for struggling students.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/continuing-education/course/ot-and-vision-in-schools

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https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Check our our live webinar schedule here:
https://otpotential.com/live-ot-ceu-webinars

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Only in this past year did it come on my radar that some therapy clinics are offering prenatal therapy. While I can personally relate to the desire to have a therapist guide you through such a complex stage of health, I thought that because it isn't offered widely, the evidence base would probably be weak.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The evidence for prenatal prevention therapy is robust for improving:

Pelvic health. Pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy reduces urinary incontinence by 28% and cuts the risk of severe perineal tears in half (Zhang et al., 2024).

Pregnancy outcomes. Prenatal exercise programs lower the risk of gestational diabetes by 25%, hypertensive disorders by 33%, and cesarean delivery by 14% (Xiang et al., 2026).

Mental health. Mind-body interventions like yoga, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduce prenatal anxiety, depression, and stress — while also improving pain management and self-efficacy (Miao et al., 2026).

Maternal role and quality of life. OT-specific prenatal interventions improve maternal quality of life, emotional regulation, and coping — with benefits that persist into the postpartum period (Karakus & Akyurek, 2026).

Despite this evidence, prenatal therapy remains vastly underutilized. The gap between what the research supports and what is actually available to pregnant individuals represents one of the biggest opportunities in our profession right now.

In this course, we'll welcome Marissa Ruhl from Thrive OT, who is paving the way in offering these services and will share what she has learned about helping to build a thriving practice around this massive need.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/continuing-education/course/prenatal-therapy

See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

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The rapid rise of AI chat presenting as therapists has spurred a reaction to differentiate what AI can do versus the work of a licensed therapist.

This is causing many people to look more closely at the question:

What Is Therapy?

In today’s discussion, we’ll both look back at how therapy has been understood historically and look forward to cutting-edge research like “interpersonal neural synchrony,” which is being studied across therapy professions and perhaps paving the way for a unified definition of therapy and its biological mechanisms. Understanding therapy in a neurobiological way will also help us understand why therapy is so often measured by triangulating multiple outcome measures.

We are joined in the course by Megan Cornish, LICSW, and we hope it will inspire you to consider the remarkable power of therapeutic relationships (that we are just at the beginning of understanding.)

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/continuing-education/course/what-is-therapy-how-do-we-measure-it

See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Check our our live webinar schedule here:
https://otpotential.com/live-ot-ceu-webinars

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It’s hard to overstate how important it is for OTs and PTs to understand the new value-based care models.

But, let’s be honest—they are an overwhelming and confusing alphabet soup (TEAM, LEAD, GUIDE, ACO REACH), and that’s just the acronyms.

For OTs and PTs, understanding these models will be the difference between being embedded in the healthcare team of the future—where we deliver highly valued care—and falling into obscurity while our patients receive sub-par care.
Luckily, we have a master at demystifying the complex, Dana Strauss, back on the podcast. You’ll learn:

-How to analyze new models
-How to understand your potential role in them
-How to move your career and your organization forward

I know therapists are so busy on the ground, but we can’t afford to miss this one.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/continuing-education/course/therapy-and-value-based-care-models

See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Check our our live webinar schedule here:
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We all know that documentation is a heavy burden for therapists. But home health therapists arguably face one of the heaviest loads, with mandated OASIS reporting layered on top of standard clinical documentation — a dual requirement unique to this setting.

They also face challenges that clinic-based therapists rarely encounter: coordinating care across disciplines — physicians, nurses, and other therapists — often without shared documentation systems, as well as navigating privacy considerations and internet instability when documenting in patients’ homes.

But, as we’ve already discussed around outpatient EHRs, there are changes on the horizon. In this discussion, we’ll zoom in on what’s becoming possible in this complex environment, from clinical decision support to practical automation. We’ll be joined by Rohit Shetty of AutoMynd — Rohit is excellent at explaining exactly what’s possible, while staying grounded in reality.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/home-health-therapy-documentation

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It feels like in every practice area, the importance of the vagus nerve is being talked about.

But nowhere is it being researched as much as vagal nerve stimulation post-stroke. And the initial results are promising — as long as it is paired with rehabilitation. The stimulation sets the body up for new motor learning, but then the rehab actually creates the change.

In this beginner's course, I'm excited to talk to Sarah Blair, OTR/L from Vivistim about what she has learned about this relatively new intervention and what generalist OTs need to know about this option.

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/the-vagus-nerve-and-stroke

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In talking to therapy start-ups this year, I've heard a common stumbling block: Credentialing.

And, honestly, I was shocked when I dug into the space. It feels like the seemingly boring task of getting credentialed with insurance has turned into what honestly feels like a world of sharks. It seems like there are 3 trends at play:

This is truly a bureaucratic headache: You do need to buckle up for some super confusing portals to get credentialed.

Credentialing services are all too happy to take your money: They take your personal information because of this barrier-but because the process itself is murky, they often over-promise and under-deliver, without clarity into what is happening.

Big companies like Grow Therapy want to present this task as too difficult for an average therapist, so you join their platform (where they do the credentialing for you, but own your contract).

In today's episode, we want you to feel empowered to understand credentialing and billing with insurance. We'll help you understand this complex system and how you can navigate it.

Honestly, every therapist who works in insurance reimbursement should understand this process (because if you don't do it yourself, that means someone is probably doing it on your behalf). Our goal is for you to leave with a checklist of what to do-and the confidence to do it!

See full course details here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses/therapy-credentialing-and-billing-101

See all OT CEU courses here:
https://otpotential.com/ceu-podcast-courses

Check our our live webinar schedule here:
https://otpotential.com/live-ot-ceu-webinars

Support the show by using the OTPOTENTIAL Medbridge Code:
https://otpotential.com/blog/promo-code-for-medbridge

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https://otpotential.com/free-ot-ceus

Support the show