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December 23, 2019

Bunnies and Ducks and Llamas, Oh My! with Mona Sams

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Episode Summary

Ever incorporated llamas into your occupational therapy sessions before?

Our guest today, Mona Sams, OTR/L, has llamas, as well as a host of other animals that she incorporates into her OT practice. In the interview, Mona shares how she first got interested integrating animals in her OT sessions and why llamas are so effective in therapy. She highlights how she not only has her clients work with the llamas directing them through obstacle courses, but that she also has them do crafts with their hair fibers, thus addressing so many different skills across the board.

Be prepared, Mona recounts a few stories about her clients and animals that are sure to melt your heart.

Show Notes

Sarah and Mona discuss:

How she incorporates llamas into her OT sessions
What other animals she has at her practice
Why llamas are effective in therapy
LlamaFest: http://ctcroanoke.org/news/
How animals facilitate verbal and non-verbal communication
Introducing clients to animals when they are afraid of them
The importance of skilled therapy when using animals
Link to her research article: http://ot4lyfe.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/llamaOT.pdf
How she got interested in using llamas in therapy
Using llama hair for crafts
How she structures her sessions
Other considerations for using animals in therapy
The interconnectedness of all animals