Military Veterans Seek to Heal Battle Wounds Through Occupational Therapy

By samuelmerritt.edu

Becoming an occupational therapist appealed to Alondra Ammon and Joshua Stoudt because both Samuel Merritt University (SMU) students value a holistic approach to recovery from illness and injury.

Ammon and Stoudt each served in the military and explored other professions before discovering that occupational therapy (OT) offered them the opportunity to connect with patients on an emotional as well as a physical level.

“This is the field I was meant to be in all my life,” said Ammon, pictured at right . “I’m helping people be able to function to the best of their ability so they can live to their fullest potential.”

Both students say they would like to someday use their OT skills to help veterans recover from amputations, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Occupational therapy was introduced in the 18th century as a way to treat mental illness by using music, physical exercise and work to improve a patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living. After World War I, occupational therapists were called on treat the physical injuries that soldiers sustained in battle.

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