Micaela Galley: Imago Rehab Occupational Therapist

Speaker: Micaela Galley, MOT, OTR/L

Micaela Galley: Hi, my name is Micaela Galley and I'm an occupational therapist (OT) and the Program Development Lead at Imago Rehab. I'm from Foxboro Massachusetts and I went to school at Quinnipiac University for my bachelor's and master's degrees. I've been in OT for a little over two years and some things I like to do are going for hikes, going for walks and I love coffee. So, adding those things together makes for a pretty good day for me.

Micaela Galley: I've always known, I wanted to work as an Neurologic OT, specifically with individuals in the chronic stroke population. At Quinnipiac they do a really good job of educating us on working with this population and they have a really robust neurology-based education program there, so I was able to develop a passion for this area at school. And then, during my last level two field work, I was able to work in outpatient neuro and I just loved it. I also helped my supervisor start a stroke based nonprofit called Stroke OT to help bridge the gap in health care for this population.

Micaela Galley: When working with clients, I think the most important thing is for them to be as motivated as possible by whatever they're doing. Part of that comes from knowing what's going on with their body and with their recovery. So I do my best to explain exactly what I'm seeing, and the science and the anatomy behind the movement or task. Knowledge is power. so the more informed someone is, the more involved they can be, and I think that's really important information for the client. The other part of that is just finding things that motivate them, whether that's just a specific task or a style of treatment, like being competitive and trying to beat their past performance.

Micaela Galley: I love working for Imago Rehab. I think Imago's approach to therapy hits all the main points of stroke recovery. It takes highlights from the stroke-based [rehab] theories and approaches that are available, and applies them in the most practical sense. It's so important for [rehab] tasks to be salient, and for people to be using their own items, and be in their own environment. It's also really important to give the power back to the individual and teach them the skills [they need] to manage their own recovery, to do it in their own way, and to provide that care in the most accessible way. So I think Imago Rehab does a really good job of filling in the gaps of the available stroke care, and they do a really great job of providing care to the stroke population.

Micaela Galley: To help my clients achieve a lasting change or improvement, I always try to tie whatever we're doing back to something functional. So if we're working on their ability to reach their affected arm, I'll be sure to take time to talk about how they can use that to do something functional like opening the refrigerator, reaching into a cabinet, combing their hair, or even swinging a golf club. Then those tasks are incorporated into their session and they're better able to implement that into their daily routine and make a lasting change. Also reminding my clients that stroke recovery is really hard and it takes a lot of work and that they're definitely not alone in the process. Another part of making a lasting change is just staying motivated because it is a full time job. So I'm always sure to remind my clients to celebrate the small goals that they achieve because it's all part of the process.