In the current climate, it’s more important than ever to be in control of your headspace. Mindfulness is a tool that I’ve used both personally and professionally for many years and I still can’t express how underrated it is as a modality. What better person to bring on and talk about it with me than Michelle Amussen from Incorporate Mindfulness! I first connected with Michelle back in 2012 when Michelle had what was seemingly the very first OT Podcast. Although OTgoTO is no longer around I’ve managed to 1) convince her to come and talk to me on Occupied and 2) join our new podcast project, The OT Roundtable!

Michelle graduated in 2009 with her BS in Health Promotion and Education and later in 2013 with her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Utah. As a graduate student, she researched the benefits of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in helping individuals with depression and co-morbid substance abuse.

As an occupational therapist at a local children’s hospital, Michelle helps children with mental/physical disabilities, mood disorders, and injuries get back to leading meaningful lives. Michelle is passionate about the therapeutic benefits of yoga and mindfulness both emotionally and physically.

Michelle has received specialized training in teaching mindfulness to children using Dr Amy Saltzman’s, A Still Quiet Place, Curriculum; and Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescent to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention and Performance.  She is a 200 RYT yoga instructor with additional training and certifications in trauma-sensitive yoga classes and yoga for at-risk youth through the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Center. She is currently in training with Brown University to become certified in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR).

In her free time, Michelle enjoys hiking the Uintas with her fiancé and two favourite mutts (Sawyer and Finn) and travelling abroad any chance she gets.

Keep Occupied

Brock
@brockcookOT
[email protected]