HI! I'M SAM OLSEN, OTD

Looking for new ways to help families using occupational therapy

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Outside the Box Thinker

I’ve known that I wanted to serve children and families with my skills as an occupational therapist. But, it was during the switch to telehealth in the midst of the COVID pandemic that I got the idea of how to do more to make a difference and the idea behind Persist Therapy was born. 

The quest to invent and improve is not a new thing. From a very young age, I have had an entrepreneurial spirit. I explored different ways to do things – from selling crafts at the end of the driveway – to mixing up the traditional idea of a lemonade stand by offering snow cones.   Throughout childhood, I was always creating, designing and modifying my toys – and that passion has never gone away.

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And finding the right profession to use this mix of talents took some time. I never quite knew what I wanted to do until I found Occupational Therapy. However, from the first day,  I knew I was meant to be an OT. 

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After completing my doctorate at Creighton University, I returned to my roots outside of Cleveland, MN. I started by working with adults in a neurology population and switched gears in 2017 to start working with kids. I love watching kids learn, discover and explore as I work with them; they teach me new things daily. 

While the pandemic has been an area of struggle for so many, it was a period of enlightenment and re-envisioning for me. Through a forced shift to telehealth, I solidified the idea that therapy is more effective when completed in the natural environments of kids and their families : in the home,  daycare, or  school. And the model of providing therapy in the home fit right in with my passion for sibling and family therapy services– addressing struggles in the home through  activities, relationship and sensory based approaches. 

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When not working, I enjoy spending time with my family on the lake – our little slice of heaven. I enjoy being outdoors at the lake, cabin or farm, traveling to new places and socializing with friends. I am also a volunteer firefighter for the local fire department. I am honored to be part of the Inaugural Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy, working on the Compliance Committee to hold other occupational therapists to the highest standards. 

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Professional Highlights

• 2019 & 2020 STAR Symposium.  The STAR Institute is the Gold Standard for sensory and social emotional practice. The 2019 symposium focused on making and building connections between body, brain and sensory to help our children best function. The 2020 symposium focused on digging deeper to get at the root of the cause of children’s behaviors. 

• Training on Primitive Reflex Integration through Integrative Learning Systems (iLs) 

• Training in Trauma Informed and Building Healthy Brains from the Pocket OT 

• Feeding constant need for information and education via research articles and parenting books—talk to me for recommendations!