Evolution of Occupational Therapy Practice: Life History of Teresa Dahlstrom

Objective: The purpose of the life history of Teresa Dahlstrom is to gain an insight about her life experiences and leadership throughout her years of work in the profession of occupational therapy. Method. An in depth, semi structured, 60 minute interview was conducted at the University of North Dakota of School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The interview was transcribed and coded for the emergent of themes. Results: The predominant themes representing the major elements of her success as a leader were maintaining the integrity of occupational therapy (OT), progressing through major changes in OT, and developing personal relationships with clients and outside of work. The findings indicate that she has made a large impact for the profession through serving the needs of her clients and being a strong advocate for the profession. Conclusion. As occupational therapy is continually changing, Teresa has been dedicated to staying true to the core values of occupational therapy by maintaining the integrity of the profession through upholding meaningful relationships with clients, staying current with trends and research, holding leadership roles, and establishing work life balance by developing social supports outside of work