Expression

​Engaging in some deep solitude as my body goes about the business of physical healing, I feel so much creativity coming through the form of written expression. It's fascinating how energy shifts in the body (soma) can reveal different forms of output. The energy has to go somewhere, it seems.

In this shift, something I've quietly known forever has been rising to the surface. My main motivation in life has always been expressing my soul through creativity as an artist, whether that was through my dance career, teaching movement, creating a somatic OT practice, or sometimes simply through ADLs (activities of daily living). We can really express our true nature through everything we do.

Why does this matter on an OT practice blog?

​Well, I think it's so interesting how people can engage in the same valued activity (occupation) for different inherent reasons. Many people in the healing professions are natural helpers, gaining a sense of identity and purpose through directly and compassionately supporting other people's needs. Others might be primarily focused on the intellectual pursuit and scientific curiosity of their health profession. Someone else may gain satisfaction in working with precision in teaching and directing clients to better health, creating a sense of harmony and order in their corner of influence. All these approaches and many others are equal and legitimate. They each offer different characteristics and benefits for the growth and healing of both the client and the practitioner...all in the service of making the world a little better. This diversity of motivation and expression is a wonderful thing.

As a practitioner, I’ve tried on all the above orientations and more when they help me meet a client’s needs. In occupational therapy, we call this “therapeutic use of self” or using the many different aspects of ourselves for the benefit of clients. While acting outside of our most authentic way of being is a necessary tool for short amounts of time, our natural orientation will always be the path of ease. Habitually doing otherwise, for whatever reason, is more effortful and can dilute our energy and offerings. This seems in line with the OT concept of “energy conservation”: evaluating how you are spending energy and recalibrating so you can engage more fully and easily with your valued occupation(s). As shared earlier, the easeful orientation for me is that of being an artist. 

How does this artistic orientation manifest in somatic OT sessions, and how does it benefit clients?

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the creative satisfaction I gain in synthesizing information from a broad range of sources into an intuitively rich and bespoke offering for the benefit of each individual. I'm also aware that in being oriented as an artist, my sense of self isn't dependent on a particular outcome for clients, even though I care deeply about them and am committed to our work together. In freeing the client from trying to meet my expectations, I hope they feel the implicit permission and freedom to truly experience their own growth journey. And, perhaps most importantly, the arts of co-regulation and attending internally to my own interoception (internal body awareness) and emotions helps me to create clear boundaries and a safe container for client's therapeutic benefit. This environment enables them to learn to let go into these same processes, creating a safe home in their own bodies. From there, we co-create sessions together based on their particular life experiences, occupational goals, and somatic wisdom. When things jive, it feels to my soul  like a beautiful, shared dance improvisation.

Through this emergent process, over time, clients gain the self-agency to define what the art of living truly means to them and how to orient to it authentically. This looks different for each individual and leads to a more easeful engagement with life through their own authentic path of least resistance. Ultimately, this leads to tangible gains in the practical and sometimes mundane aspects of life that are the building blocks of meaning and engagement with their precious existence. In my perspective, this result is the true philosophical core of occupational therapy: helping people to live a life of meaningful engagement with the things that matter most to them.

If this resonates with you, please reach out to me to get on the waitlist for 2026: 
https://www.jamienrose.com/connect.html

And, if this makes you curious about what sessions look like practically speaking (ie specific modalities and processes used, conditions treated, etc) and how they might be of benefit to you, please fill out the form at the above link, and we can chat in early 2026! 

(Please note, this website will be updated in the new year to display our most current offerings, including somatic mental health OT via telehealth.)