Hello Renrenspeakers! Happy first Saturday of OT month! The series is in full effect! Before we dive deep into this interview, I want to give yall a few abbreviations! OTD stands for Doctor of Occupational Therapy, and OT stands for occupational therapy. I will use these terms from here on out, so you can add these acronyms to your pocketbook.

The first person that I have on the blog spearheading the Occupational Therapy Speaks mini blog series – CAPSTONE Edition is my bright colleague, Kenzi! Kenzi is a rockstar, has a plethora of knowledge, and is always on top of her game. I am so honored to showcase her story today!

Irene: What is your name/pronouns?

Kenzi: Kenzi Kuemper, (She/Her)

Irene: Give us a quick synopsis of who YOU ARE! 

Kenzi: My name is Kenzi Kuemper and I am a 24-year-old doctor of occupational therapy student at A.T. Still University, specializing my studies in women’s and pelvic health. I absolutely love working with pelvic health patients because it is something I have struggled with throughout my own life but also something I have watched family members struggle with, especially during and after pregnancies. As a young high school athlete, I struggled myself with stress incontinence (occurs with laughing, sneezing, jumping, running type of activities). As a young teenager, this was embarrassing to have happen. It was not something I wanted to talk about, let alone seek help for (I now know that 34% of young female athletes report struggles with incontinence). Later in my early college years, I began developing chronic pelvic pain and UTIs/ UTI- like symptoms (these symptoms, especially in conjunction are indicative of pelvic floor dysfunction). I came to find out just a few years later when looking into pelvic floor therapy that I had a chronically overactive pelvic floor causing these issues for me. 

Pelvic floor (PF) dysfunction can be embarrassing, depressing, and anxiety-provoking. I share my story with MOST of my patients in hopes to let them know that they are not alone because this topic is so taboo – no one talks about these things. It is so important for me to let them know they aren’t alone in these struggles and that many PF issues are VERY treatable.

Irene: Why OT? Tell us a little bit about how you found OT and what got you into this field.

Kenzi: During my undergraduate studies, I did not know whether I wanted to be an OT or a PT. After further investigation, I recognized OT’s role in mental health and fell in love with the idea behind the profession. During my undergraduate education, I minored in psychology and disabilities studies and thereby had a great appreciation for mental health knowing that it was something I would want to help with in my future career.

Irene: Choose three words that come to mind when you think of occupational therapy. Define each word in relation to OT. Why did you choose these three words? 

Kenzi: Engagement, Mind-Body-Spirit, Wellbeing

I believe occupational therapy is unique in that we are looking at ALL aspects of what makes up a person including their environment, motivations, cognitive abilities, movement patterns, and even routines. Therefore, collectively occupational therapists enable engagement, not merely mobility, and this encompasses the very activities that foster health and wellbeing.

Irene: What is the most beautiful thing about OT to you? 

Kenzi: The most beautiful thing about occupational therapy to me is the connections and relationships we are able to build with our patients. In the world of pelvic health, I have worked with so many people who had just been putting up with their symptoms for years because society has led them to believe that what they are going through is “normal.” I am a huge advocate for the statement “just because it is common does not make it normal.” AND – most pelvic floor conditions are treatable, and if not, made more manageable with pelvic floor evaluation and intervention. 

Irene: Let’s delve into your capstone a little more. What is your capstone about, and what initially inspired you to pursue your capstone topic? 

Kenzi: My capstone project consisted of a 3-part class for postpartum women that was yoga based but also educational in nature. During class one, we discussed time management, habits, and routines and taking on the new role of a mother, identifying helpful and harmful habits and routines to create and cultivate their “ideal day” versus their “typical day.” During class two, we discussed breathing techniques as they relate to the pelvic floor along with common misconceptions surrounding pelvic floor dysfunction. In addition, class two covered functions and dysfunctions of the pelvic floor, when to seek help, how to seek help, and recommendations for pelvic floor therapists in the area. Lastly, class three discussed nervous system regulation and the benefits of knowing how to identify and move in and out of sympathetic and parasympathetic states. 

I was inspired to work with postpartum women for my capstone project because of the research supporting how drastically underserved this population is in the United States. One of the most astounding facts I have come across is that the U.S has the highest rate of maternal mortality compared to any other developed country because of how poor postpartum care is here. In addition, mental health conditions go underdiagnosed and undertreated in this country every year because there is typically only a measly 6-week check up postpartum in comparison to other countries who offer automatic 12 weeks of pelvic floor therapy and paid time off from work to care for their newborn children.

Irene: What has been one win during your capstone and one aspect that has been difficult for you during this capstone process? 

Kenzi: Overall, my capstone project has been a great learning experience and opportunity for me to meet, connect with, and learn from postpartum women and their experiences. I have had the unique opportunity of hearing their stories and struggles, but also their joys and wins in motherhood which has been invaluable. 

One difficult aspect of my capstone experience has been very low attendance in all of my classes. I had 10 open seats in each class and though 5-6 people had signed up, I was lucky to see 1-2 of them. However, I think this is a reflection of the realities of mom life and that while they may sign up for something with the intention of participating, it doesn’t always work out in their favor. 

Irene: For future students pursuing their capstone journey, what advice would you give them? 

Kenzi: My advice to future students is (1) never take anything personally throughout this experience, and (2) remember that this is where you are starting – not everything needs to be perfect!

Irene: What have you learned about yourself through your capstone experience?

Kenzi: I have learned a lot about myself during my capstone experience. However, I would say my biggest lesson thus far is that I am more versatile in my skills than I know.

Early on in this experience, I had my main site contact step away from the project as she did not have time to be a part of it anymore. I was leaning on her a lot for the outcomes of this project as she was a trained trauma informed yoga instructor. However, I was able to pivot, even teaching a class on my own (not as a trained yoga instructor), until I was able to find others to take her place.

Irene:  What are your plans for the future of OT?

Kenzi: Once I am finished with school and boards, I am planning to work for a company in Spokane, Washington called Lake City Physical Therapy. They are an all women’s health clinic that treats male and (mostly) female pelvic floor dysfunction as well as post op mastectomy care for lymphedema. I completed my second level II fieldwork with this company and absolutely loved my time there. 

Irene: Can folks connect with you to learn more about you/support you? If so, please drop your social media info and other creative pursuits down below!

Kenzi: Absolutely!

Instagram: @prettypelvis 

Tiktok: @itsjustkenz

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Kenzi, your passion for pelvic health awareness and access exudes throughout this entire interview. Thank you so much for your vulnerability, as it is not easy to share the more intimate parts about ourselves. I think your personal anecdotes makes you entering this niche of OT even more special, as you will find that you relate to your clients on a very personal level. I love your holistic perspective of OT, and I especially love that you emphasized that it is not merely all about mobility because we do SO many things and are experts in seeing how these different domains of the personhood contribute to overall engagement. Your capstone is SO important because the numbers regarding high maternal mortality are so stark. When you conflate that with different intersections of identities, that number continues to skyrocket! Increased knowledge regarding pelvic health is critical and can save many lives as well as increase the quality of lives for postpartum mothers. You are really a go-getter because being able to pivot and take on the role as a yoga instructor yourself when you did not intend to do that is difficult! It appears that you pulled it off very well. And lastly, congrats on the job opportunity that you have lined up! You go, girl!

I hope that Kenzi’s blog interview taught you about one area of OT that we are so qualified to be in and inspired you to spread the word about this critical need for people with pelvic floors (so everyone)! Check out her socials as well – she always drops great gems in an aesthetically pleasing format! Stay tuned for the NEXT beautiful OTD student that I will be highlighting next SATURDAY for Part 2 of my Occupational Therapy Speaks mini blog series – CAPSTONE Edition!

Peace and love,

Irene