Lina-Maria Garcia, OTD, OTR/L

About Me

I was working as a mental health clinician at a psychiatric hospital in Philadelphia when I discovered my love for occupational therapy. I earned my bachelor's degree in psychology in 2008 from La Salle University. Though mental health and counseling were special passions of mine, I often considered careers in other areas: nursing, medicine, teaching, and the creative arts. As fate would have it, I found occupational therapy. It was the perfect profession for me as it offered a possible combination of each passion and career interest of mine.

​

I went on to earn my master's degree in occupational therapy in 2012 from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.  

Four years later, I was eager to explore OT in academia. I returned to school for my doctoral degree in 2016. Between working full-time and trying to balance many other life responsibilities- it was not an easy feat! But..."smooth seas don't make for skillful sailors". I earned my doctoral degree in OT in 2018. 

                                                                                                    ~

Experience

I have 10 years of experience as an OT. I worked 2 years as a travel OT and was fortunate enough to have great experiences completing various 13- 26-week contracts in various cities nationwide (More details here)!  I enjoyed traveling, meeting new people, and building a wide professional network. Though I worked with a very diverse patient population, it was pretty cool to witness how alike people were- everyone has their own goals, fears, aspirations, routines, etc. Contract Travel OT was such a fruitful experience for me and if anyone has any questions on it, please feel free to reach out!

​

My primary professional experience has been in home health and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). I am currently working in a SNF/Long-term care setting with patients ages 25-106 who have underlying psychiatric diagnoses (bipolar, schizophrenia, addiction, etc). I have fieldwork experience in acute care and outpatient settings, as well as with children 3-5 years old in an inclusive preschool setting. (Check out my project on that here )!

​

For the past 3 years, I have been contracted for summer adjunct faculty and level 1 fieldwork supervisor for Temple University's graduate OT program. I teach in the Community and Social Participation in OT, and Health and Wellness courses. I am also a fieldwork level 2 Supervisor, where I work closely with Special Olympics of Pennsylvania and Temple graduate students developing program initiatives, consulting, and designing for their community health promotion goals. 

Locally, I have had the opportunity to guest lecture yearly at the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. I spoke on two areas I strongly support: OT's role in mental health and substance abuse treatment in SNF settings, and Cultural humility and diversity awareness through OT practice.

                                                                                                    ~

My personal strengths include flexibility, ability to work well in an interdisciplinary capacity, eagerness to learn, personal drive, patience, and compassion.

                                                                                                    ~

If you are into personality tests:

According to the scores from the Strength Finder assessment, I have strengths in connection, empathy, positivity, and developer. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, I am ‘ENFJ’. If you want to know more about those, feel free to reach out.

                                                                                                    ~

Talk to me:

I am bilingual: fluent in English and in Spanish, and have a lot of experience using the Language Line in the past to provide the best care to patients who speak different languages during treatment.

                                                                                                    ~

​

Throughout my life, I’ve approached every challenge with enthusiasm, creativity, and desire to achieve success. This passion and drive have paved the way to countless opportunities, unique experiences and exceptional relationships both personally and professionally. I am always eager to put my professional knowledge to good use while developing my skills as an OT, and having some fun along the way!