For Jenny Blok, occupational therapy is about much more than helping someone complete a task. It’s about helping people reconnect with the things that give their lives meaning.
Jenny is an Occupational Therapist working as a Clinical Therapist with Community Mental Health and Addictions at IWK Health. Her work is grounded in collaboration and learning, drawing on the expertise of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses and fellow occupational therapists—as well as the young people and families she serves.
Her understanding of OT was shaped by a deeply personal experience during her undergraduate studies. While supporting someone close to her through recovery, Jenny heard them describe what mattered most: being able to return to cooking in their kitchen with their husband.
“That was the moment I understood what I wanted my career to be about,” she says.
Today, Jenny brings that perspective to her work in mental health, recognizing that mental health challenges can affect every part of a young person’s life—from school, relationships and sleep to routines, self-care, family life and their developing sense of identity.
Although her current role is Clinical Therapist, her OT lens remains central to her practice. She asks not only what a young person is experiencing, but what those experiences mean for their everyday life: What are they having difficulty doing? What matters to them? What is happening around them? And how can the team help?
For Jenny, OT is ultimately about helping people get back to—or discover—the things that bring them to life.