cOnnecT with Devon Cochrane

Interview with CAOT-BC Advisory Committes Member Devon Cochrane.

Why did you choose OT as a career?

I finished university with hopes of getting into healthcare in some capacity. The idea that we could work directly with occupation to achieve health was new and attractive to me – and the more I learned about OT, the more I was hooked.  Then as I started connecting with occupational therapists to get a sense of the profession, they unanimously exuded happiness and fulfillment in their career choice.  Every OT seemed to love their job – and that was a good sign!

What is your favourite thing about CAOT-BC?

The chance to connect and learn from other therapists in BC.  It’s so valuable to share our successes and frustrations with each other because it’s easy to feel isolated in practice at times.  Recognizing that there is a broad community of exceptional people in the profession in our province is inspiring.

Where have you worked over your career? Where do you work now?

My career started at CBI where I spent two years doing a little bit of everything in clinic and community based OT and case management. My experiences there were fantastic and I had the opportunity to work with people from ages 4 to 94 and do a huge variety of interventions.  But, I also felt overwhelmed by the diversity of the practice and never quite felt competent in any one thing. So, in late 2016 I decided to focus on one area and partnered with Tall Tree Integrated Health to create a concussion rehabilitation program where I have worked full time as the sole OT for the past 2 years.

What do you find most challenging about working as an OT?

I’m only now starting to understand the “art” of OT after four years in practice. Therapy is a beautiful mess that I want to better embrace – rather than resist. I catch myself searching for guidelines, templates and protocols that will tell me what to do.  But these don’t exist in a meaningful way because that’s not how OT works. It’s much more about the process and the journey, and much less about applying a “cookie cutter” approach to helping. 

 

What do you like about OT?

We treat people as humans. We recognize that people need to “do” to be happy and healthy and they must be involved and engaged in the process of getting better. We don’t apply treatments to people, we work along side them. We don’t treat a person as a collection of symptoms that need to be addressed, but as a person that has a need for meaning in their life. I love that OT feels “real”, like we’re getting to the heart of the matter instead of just putting a band-aid on it.

What do you do when you aren't working and volunteering?

I’m married and we have a 2 year old daughter Nora who I spend most of my time with outside of work.  We are expecting a second baby in September, so our team will be expanding! If I have time for leisure and recreation (apart from family) it’s usually spent being active or working on side projects - like www.elevateOT.com which two other UBC grads (Ben Krieger and Mark Vasak) and myself run.

#OT365