Allie Karagozian, MS, OTR/L: OT in Fertility Health
In this post, we will learn from Allie Karagozian, MS, OTR/L. Allie is an occupational therapist who specializes in Fertility Health. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Michael, and their two sons. Allie earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and her Master’s degree in occupational therapy from Grand Valley State University in West Michigan. She has worked for the past seven years as an occupational therapist in Chicago. She began her career at a community hospital on the South Side of the city working in a behavioral health unit and an inpatient rehabilitation unit. For the past six years, she has worked in a large academic medical center in the inpatient rehabilitation and acute care settings. Her passion within her field has been in promoting health literacy. Allie is the founder of Holding Both, a business created to support women experiencing secondary infertility through 1:1 support, group sessions, and community building. Allie has experienced infertility during motherhood herself. She sees great opportunity to be of support by helping women identify the unique barriers that they may face during this process. Allie knows that there is complexity in holding both the joys of parenting and the pain of infertility at the same time. She plans to launch her podcast in June of this year.
Q & A with Allie:
Please tell us a little about yourself and some of your favorite occupations:
I am an occupational therapist who works in acute care, and I am an OT entrepreneur. I'm married to my husband Michael, and together we have two young boys. We live in Chicago. Some of my favorite occupations outside of my family and home life include: reading, writing, swimming, and maintaining strong friendships near and far. I love to write letters to my friends that live in different areas.
What motivated you to contribute to this podcast series?
I entered the non-traditional occupational therapist space this year when I started my own business. I have been intrigued by what the other guests that have been interviewed on this podcast have shared, and I wanted to become a part of the conversation.
Please describe the UncommonOT work that you do and the setting in which you work, the population you serve, and the needs that you address.
I founded my business to support mothers experiencing secondary infertility. I see my clients online both in 1:1 sessions and small groups. I help them to determine the different occupational performance barriers involved in the secondary infertility experience. This is a unique and needed area because one is holding both the joys and challenges of motherhood and the stresses of infertility at the same time.
What inspired you or drew you to this type of OT work?
My professional passions and lived experienced.
How did you get there? Can you describe your path?
I have worked in mental health OT, inpatient rehab, and acute care. When I had my second child after experiencing infertility and undergoing IVF, I knew that I wanted to help women in similar circumstances navigate the complexities that secondary infertility brings. I use my professional training and continuing education (mental health, women's health, and health literacy) to help my clients address their barriers.
Please describe a typical day or OT session in your uncommon setting. What OT skills do you utilize?
Sessions are conducted via telehealth- I use the skills I've gained through professional experience and continuing education to help my clients address their barriers (specifically mental health training, women's health training, and health literacy education)
Can you talk about some recent highs (successes) and lows (challenges) of your current role?
Recent highs- I am very passionate and excited about what I am doing. One of the greatest challenges is navigating the behind-the-scenes work that comes along with creating a business (tech, marketing, etc).
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
Reading peer-reviewed articles, following physicians in the field, and taking continuing education courses specific to my target client population.
Can you share a little bit about salary and compensation in this setting? How do OT or the services you provide get funded?
Out-of-pocket pay per session.
Any career advice for our followers and listeners on how to get started on this path?
Find something you are extremely passionate about and stay consistent. Make sure that you make an effort to network and take chances on communicating with those who you find inspiring.
What’s a common myth or misconception about your job/role you’d like to call out or demystify?
I chose to support the population experiencing secondary infertility because a common misconception is that it is not "as difficult" as primary infertility. I think that it's a different type of difficulty, and individuals experiencing this deserve to be supported and validated.
How do we find you, follow you, be in touch with you and promote your unique work?
To directly reach me: allie@holdingbothllc.com
my Instagram page @holdingboth (www.instagram.com/holdingboth)
My website www.holdingbothllc.com
My podcast will actually be launching in September, Stay Tuned!
As always, I welcome any feedback & ideas from all of you or if you are interested in being a guest on future episodes, please do not hesitate to contact Patricia Motus at transitionsot@gmail.com or DM via Instagram @transitionsot
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