cOnnecT with Dianna Robertson

Tell us about your background in occupational therapy

I obtained an Occupational Therapy degree in 1992 and soon after started working as a community based therapist in the Okanagan. Over the years, I began to do more work for ICBC and lawyers.  Together with my partner, we developed a driver rehabilitation program in the Okanagan, as there was a need for this emerging service.  Looking back, I can see that my OT career took me in two very different, but equally interesting paths. 

I started doing more medical legal work, and ended up being qualified as an expert and testifying in BC Supreme Court and BC Human Rights Tribunal cases. I found the legal system fascinating and was impressed by how lawyers could advocate for their clients and effect change through setting legal precedents.  Unlike many of my colleagues, I enjoyed going to court. On the other hand, I was challenged and intrigued by Driver Rehabilitation.   I became involved with the Association for Driver Rehab Specialists (ADED) and eventually become member of the Certification Committee and eventually took on the role of ADED president.  In 2009, I obtained a Masters Research Degree in Occupational Therapy through Dalhousie University, with my thesis research in Driver Rehabilitation.   

As I am addicted to education, I went back to school and obtained Law Degree from the University of British Columbia in 2013.

What are you doing now?

I work as a Lawyer at Murphy Battista LLP, representing injured people and advocating on their behalf, towards the goal of helping them get their lives back after an injury.  In this role, I often hire OTs to provide treatment services and / or medical legal reports.  I am excited about the opportunity to work with OTs in this capacity, and take every opportunity that I can to educate lawyers about the important role of OTs in personal injury litigation. 

I also continue to work as an Occupational Therapist in Driver Rehabilitation with Access Driver Rehab Specialists, where I limit my practice to non-litigated files.  Access Driver Rehab Specialists provides a full spectrum of Driver Rehabilitation services, including the only high tech van program in the province of BC.  I find this area of practice to be fast paced and dynamic, as the equipment and technology changes all the time. It is also immensely rewarding to be able to facilitate an individual’s ability to access their community.   I also teach the UBC Driver Rehab module to OT Students at UBC.

I am currently a board member of Spinal Cord Injury BC and I’m the chair of the CAOT-BC Driver Rehab Special Interest Group. 

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I love doing creative sewing without a pattern; this is something I learned from my grandmother, who used to refurbish / restyle old clothes for her 15 children, and later in life for her grandchildren.  I recently made numerous costumes for my dog, Garp, when he was starring as “Bruiser” in a theatre production of “Legally Blonde”.

What do you do in your spare time? 

I have a surprising amount of spare time, which I spend with my family, training my new puppy (Molly), running and cross country skiing. 

I feel that I have achieved my goal of having an active and balanced life, doing the things that I enjoy, while seeking out new challenges.  Maybe I will go back to school at some point if I am no longer feeling challenged.

As George Bernard Shaw says, “life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself”.  

#OT365