Finding my own direction meant stepping away from a 16-year career. Scary, but necessary to save my mental health and marriage and it led me to my dream job in occupational therapy.
Charisse Courteau · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Charisse
I graduated with my occupational therapy degree in 1999, and I've been in the field for over 25 years now. I started out working in schools for about 16 years, then moved to a sensory integration clinic working with children. After that, I worked in transitional care units for aging adults. Then ergonomics found me - I got a call asking if I wanted to work part-time for an on-site company, and I took the chance. I love it. I've been in my current position for 8 years now, specializing in ergonomics and injury prevention in the industrial setting. I care for people who are injured on the job, either occupational cases or non-occupational cases, and I also do ergonomic observation and job coaching. I took a certified ergonomic assessment specialist course, and at the end of the training they talked about opening up your own business, so that got me thinking. I opened up my own business in 2020, which is another achievement I'm very proud of, but because of COVID it didn't last - I resorted to work from home and I didn't have the capability to access people at home because I was more boots on the ground. I also taught occupational therapy assistants at St. Catherine University on weekends, which was a wonderful experience and I felt really on top of my game. I loved it, but I decided to not do it anymore because I wanted my weekends back.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Charisse
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think my drive and the fact that I come from a really strong family work ethic. My family, my mom - we're just boots on the ground every day. We just have a good work ethic. Being true to your profession is really important to me. That foundation from my family has really shaped how I approach my work and has been a key factor in my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is to open doors as they come and don't be afraid to say no. Be willing to say yes and look for managers that are leaders rather than just managers - I think that's really an important one. Just stay positive and be willing to fight the good fight. These pieces of advice have really guided me throughout my career and helped me navigate different opportunities and challenges.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think it's important to be willing to learn and never let your continuous learning and curiosity stop you. There's no silly question, and you should get clarification when you don't understand something. It's okay to make mistakes because that's how we learn. This is advice I gave to the occupational therapy assistants I taught at St. Kate's, and I really believe in it. And most importantly, enjoy the ride! The journey is just as important as the destination.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges I've faced is when you don't have support through administration or leadership, and not being heard and not being believed. Sometimes you're alone on an island in your setting as an occupational therapist - you're the only one at that establishment or site, the only one in your field. A lot of times you don't have on-site support other than administration and leadership, which can be really challenging. On the opportunities side, with an occupational therapy degree you can work in almost any setting and it's very diverse. The industrial setting that I work in is a growing niche, and you can work in schools, hospitals, rehab, pediatrics, long-term care, retirement communities - it's pretty endless what you can do with an occupational therapy degree.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Having strong ethics and doing the right thing are really important to me. I value being honest and providing as much expertise and care as I can to my patients, clients, and injured people. Being truthful to people is essential. I also believe in providing feedback out on the floor - giving positive feedback along with constructive feedback, and then layering it with more positive. Values such as honesty and integrity are at the core of everything I do, both professionally and personally.
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