Be What They Need
How the Roots of Children’s Therapy Connections were Watered
Sarah Geiger has devoted her occupational therapy career to the care and treatment of children with different abilities and challenges. Her goal was to help them reach their optimal potential in the most effective and efficient way. Throughout Sarah’s 30+ years of practicing, she has worked with wonderful OT’s, PT’s and Speech Therapists as well as ABA Therapists that acquainted her with the inner workings of each therapeutic field and its interlocking necessity for successful development. These collaborative relationships, along with many hours of continued education and research, set her on the road to design an enhanced treatment model that therapeutically encompassed the whole child.
Thus, the evolution of Children’s Therapy Connections’ holistic therapeutic approach was born.
Holistic: Characterized by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole.
Today, “holistic” is a term that is heard quite frequently whereas 10 years ago, not so much! Sarah began incorporating holistic living in her own life after receiving a massage therapy degree in 1998. Taking a special interest in infant and prenatal massage, she began teaching massage as an adjunct educator at Northern Prairie Massage School. She then
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integrated craniosacral and other holistic interventions into her massage practice. Understanding the influential impact of one’s environment on their overall health and wellness, she began consulting with physicians, dieticians and other related practitioners about a holistic treatment model in an effort to foster a true “whole child” approach.
In 2013, after much preparation, motivation and faith, Sarah opened the doors to Children’s Therapy Connections in Orland Park, Illinois. The incorporation of the term, “Connections” into the visualized design was an integral part of the mission. Each employee would understand and appreciate that when a therapist makes connections with all aspects of a child’s life, that child’s individual skills and areas of need could be targeted more effectively. These aspects of physical, mental, social, emotional, and environmental skills are intertwined and develop collectively; hence supporting the mission of, “Children’s Therapy Connections.”
Now, with over 30 employees on staff and a larger clinical space, located at 15255 S. Harlem Ave. in Orland Park, Sarah continues to focus on the importance of staff and parent education to meet the needs of the CTC clientele. Within these walls, therapists learn from each other during staff meetings, during co-treatment sessions and through continuous education. The therapists work together on cases to ensure implementation of the “whole child” objective.
It is this sense of teamwork that has created a strong bond between co-workers and parents over the years. When moving into the larger clinical space, Sarah appreciated the comradery and dedication of her staff. She recalled, “Everyone came together. We moved everything on a Friday and we reopened at the new clinic the next morning.”
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