About Nicole St. John MS, OTR/L

My interest in becoming an occupational therapist was not a straight line. It came by way of my cousin, Anne Marie, an OT. A little bit on that later.

I was searching for a way to combine my love of biology and anthropology (my two majors as an undergraduate at Colby College) with a career in service to others. Straight out of college I tried researching in a lab in Boston, working on a project figuring out how viruses enter cells. While the work was inspiring and important, the hours seated at the work bench didn’t suit my personality. I preferred movement and connection.

Fast forward to my cousin, Anne Marie. She had been working as an OT in both early intervention in the home and at a school. She suggested I shadow her for a few days, thinking I might like it. I remember her saying to me “I know it might look like we are just playing, but I will be guiding the session to work on areas the child needs to work on. Just look on and see what you think.”

Well, as you can tell I loved what I saw. Not only was Anne Marie helping her children reach their full potential, she and the kids were having fun. There was connection, movement and purpose - all the areas I was looking for in a career.

After completing a Master of Science at Columbia University I honed my skills at Roosevelt Hospital (now Mt. Sinai West) in inpatient rehabilitation with a focus in neurology and orthopedics. While I enjoyed working with adults in the hospital setting I realized my true calling was working with young children. I worked as an OT at PS 158 , a K-middle school on the eastside. After a few years working PS 158 I decided it was time to branch out on my own and joined a private practice where I am today.