Therapist Feature: Jessica Pierson, OT
This month’s featured therapist is Jessica Pierson, occupational therapist!
Jessica has worked in this industry or a similar position for about seven years and received her education first from California State University, Fullerton for her bachelor’s degree in Human Services. She later received her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Touro University in Nevada. Before working with Tilton’s Therapy, Jessica worked in a variety of settings, from a pediatric outpatient clinic for four years to an ABA therapy company in California for three years before moving to Las Vegas.
A friend attending occupational therapy school in California recommended that Jessica look into occupational therapy and though it might be a good fit for her as well. Coupled with her mother’s experience working in a psychiatric facility alongside occupational therapists, Jessica was familiar with the professional and was inspired to pursue the field of study.
When asked about what theory or aspect of the profession Jessica enjoys most, she stated that she likes working with Neuro Developmental Techniques (NDT), Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Feeding, and sensory integration.
Jessica also thinks working in a more natural setting is an important aspect about occupational therapy. Interested in supporting speech language pathologists who are working on feeding, Jessica has taken the course for SOS feeding and would like to learn more about visual motor integration.
Throughout her career, Jessica has given back to the profession by allowing those who are interested in the field or who are applying for occupational therapy school to shadow her. She is also a supervisor for a certified occupational therapist assistant (COTA) and soon will begin mentoring another occupational therapist who just joined the Tilton’s team.
Originally from Orange County, CA, Jessica has lived in Las Vegas for nine years. She moved here to attend graduate school and loves living close to lots of beautiful hiking spots. Jessica is passionate about watching documentaries which help her learn more about the world and the people in it in addition to her passions for cooking and eating.
Occupational balance is important, and in her spare time, Jessica likes to walk her dogs, hike when weather permits, knit scarves, garden, and cook. She also admittedly takes far too many Buzzfeed quizzes! She enjoys that mobile therapy allows her to create her own schedule and her favorite part about mobile therapy is seeing a lot of progress with self-care skills when working on tasks in the natural environment. Jessica also enjoys the work of educating parents and families during the process.
