overview
A professional therapist helps people with disabilities learn skills or restore skills to be more independent in their lives. Traditionally, occupational therapy (OT) is associated with small muscles, such as in the arm, while physical therapy mainly concerns large muscle groups and mobility. According to US and World News, 50% of professional therapists report that their jobs are not stressful, which makes BT the tenth country with the least hard work.
To be an effective professional therapist, you must have excellent interpersonal skills and imagining effective adaptations to help the patient become independent with a certain skill or skill set. Often the patient makes very slow progress and may become very upset or inappropriate in the practice of therapy at home between prescribing the therapy. Patience and the ability to motivate and encourage customers are important characteristics of a good OT.
education
In order to work as a professional psychotherapist, you must have at least a master's degree from an accredited OT program, which includes at least 24 hours of field work with clients. After completing the master's thesis, therapists who wish to pursue a profession must pass a national certification test. After passing the test is officially “Registered Professional Therapist” and can place the design after their names with the letters OTR.
Psychology, anthropology, humanities, anatomy and biology make excellent bachelor's degrees for a person intending to pursue a master's degree. In the master program, course work focuses on the application of the theory of occupational therapy, behavioral sciences, life sciences and physical sciences.
They currently comprise 150 masters and bachelor’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees and four doctoral programs in the United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Vocational Training (ACOTE).
US News and World Report ranked first in professional therapy programs in the United States. The top five programs are Boston College (Sargent), Washington University in St. Louis. Louis, University of Southern California, University of Illinois at Chicago, Tuft Boston, and University of Kansas Medical Center.
Expected job growth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of occupational therapy is expected to grow much faster than in most areas, especially in the subfield working with the elderly. He became one of the top 50 careers of 2010 in the US News and World Report.
In 2008, only 105,000 people worked as professional therapists. According to forecasts, in the period from 2008 to 2018, this will increase by 26%. Expected number of professional therapists working in the USA. In 2018, 131,300 people.
Salary
Most occupational therapists work in hospitals, but can also be found in nursing homes, schools, private practice, psychiatric institutions and in home health care.
In 2008, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average salary for vocational education is US $ 67,780. The top 10% earned more than $ 98,310, and the bottom 10% earned less than $ 42,820.
Therapists working in home health services were the highest paid, averaging about $ 74,510 a year. Those who worked in nursing homes averaged $ 72,790 per year, and licensed professional therapy specialists working in schools earned about $ 60,020 per year.
