Who we are

My name is Emily Forthofer and I am a licensed and certified Occupational Therapist in the State of NH and MA. I graduated from Midwestern University, Downers Grove in 2022 with my Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy, specializing in mental-health based practices. Personally, I have two brothers with Autism and Muscular Dystrophy as well as a mom who is a CEO of a non-for-profit pediatric outpatient clinic. Growing up around and experiencing therapeutic services, instilled the passion that I have for occupational therapy, today. Professionally, I have a broad range of experience across settings including; hippotherapy, aquatic therapy, extracurricular programming, residential-educational programs, outpatient pediatrics, school-based therapy, and home/community based services. In graduate school, I received the TOT (Tiered Occupational Therapy) Scholarship grant that allowed me to pursue an additional 12-month long curricula that focused on mental-health based services in school systems (e.g., MTSS, wrap-around care). Today, I am pursuing my dream of empowering children, teens, adults, and families to reach their full potential through holistic, family-centered therapeutic services!

What is Occupational Therapy?

What is OT?

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) defines OT services as “Everyday life activities (occupations) to promote health, well-being, and your ability to participate in the important activities in your life. This includes any meaningful activity that a person wants to accomplish, including taking care of yourself and your family, working, volunteering, going to school, among many others.”

OT focuses on what is most important in a person’s daily life and assist individuals with improving their physical, mental, and emotional well-being to engage in preferred activities, routines, and roles!

What areas does OT address?

OT scope is SO vast! - OT’s can address any area that impacts occupational engagement. This can include, but is not limited to;

  • Education

  • Play

  • Work

  • Leisure

  • Social Participation

  • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

    • Bathing, toileting, dressing, feeding

  • Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

    • Driving, shopping, meal preparation, safety

  • Health Management

    • Symptom management, physical activity, nutrition

What do OT sessions look like?

At Empowered Minds, OT sessions are driven by the client and family! OT sessions are typically 30-60 minutes long and can be in a variety of settings (e.g., home, store, farm).

Sessions incorporate the clients interests and preferred occupations. Interventions typically include engaging the client in specific tasks/activities to target skill deficits. This can include anything from handwriting, to cooking, to getting ready in the morning, or even playing with others!

Example: Joe is a student with Autism who struggles with attention, fine motor skills, and social interactions. During OT sessions at Empowered Minds, Joe’s therapist incorporates fine motor games with his highly preferred interests (cars!) to work on skill development and acquisition.

How is Empowered Minds different?

Empowered Minds prides ourself on being a holistic, family-centered service provider. We focus on the clients physical, mental, and emotional well-being while also helping them achieve their goals! At Empowered Minds, we value …

  • Listening to individuals with empathy

  • Understanding individual struggles and experiences

  • Educating the community and individuals on disabilities and neuro-affirming practices

  • Strengthening the social and medical support network

  • Advocating for an individuals specific and unique needs

  • Individualism!

Who do we help?

Empowered Minds provides comprehensive Occupational Therapy services to individuals experiencing occupational impairments. Populations we serve and specialize in, include:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Emotional Disabilities (e.g., RAD, PTSD, ODD, OCD, DMDD)

  • Intellectual/ Developmental Disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia)

  • Genetic Conditions (e.g., Down syndrome, Fragile X)

What we do.

Empowered Minds provides comprehensive Occupational Therapy services for individuals with intellectual, developmental, and emotional disabilities. We utilize the following approaches in our practice …

  • Hippotherapy (PATH)

  • Play-based therapy (DIR)

  • Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS)

  • Trauma-Informed Care (TCPI)

  • Sensory Integration

  • Neuro-affirming care

  • Motor learning

  • Interdisciplinary collaboration

Contact us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!