Allen is an Occupational Therapist and is registered with the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC).
Prior to pursuing Occupational Therapy, Allen has worked as a Kinesiologist and Rehabilitation Assistant to develop individualized exercise programs for individuals with soft tissue and brain injuries. Within Allen’s Occupational Therapy degree, he has gained experience providing OT modalities in various settings, including inpatient musculoskeletal/geriatrics rehabilitation (fractures, trauma, total joint replacement), neuro acute care (stroke, neurosurgery), and outpatient chronic pain clinic. Allen has also developed great interest in the OT’s role in using assistive technology as a treatment option to enhance individuals’ function. As a result, Allen has engaged in research to study how a robotic glove can be used to improve function in everyday activities for individuals with a neurological hand impairment.
Allen has graduated with an Undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia and has completed his Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto.
From a young age, Allen has been fascinated by the complexity of the human body and how it enables us to perform a diverse number of activities and tasks. Allen’s passion for sports and previous experiences with injuries has allowed him to further empathize with the frustrations that one may have when they encounter an injury or impairment. Allen thrives to understand how these challenges can greatly impact one’s ability to perform their meaningful activities and is ultimately motivated to use a client-centered approach to provide the appropriate tools, strategies, and education to help individuals return to their activities. Allen finds it extremely rewarding to see his clients progress and regain function as it inspires him to continue facilitating his clients with reaching their goals.
Allen has first discovered Occupational Therapy in his second year of his undergraduate degree. After learning more about OT, he was quickly captivated by the frameworks and values of the profession, including the use of strength-based approach and emphasis on client function and goals in their clinical practice. Furthermore, he is drawn to the holistic lens that OTs use when helping their clients as he has learned that all aspects of health and well-being are overlapping as challenges in one aspect often impact another.