ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: Polly Switzer

Polly Sweitzer: Innovating OT in Mental Health

For Polly Sweitzer, occupational therapy has become a powerful tool in mental health intervention, and she’s pushing the boundaries of what OT can accomplish in this space. Currently, she works four days a week at Barn Life Recovery, an integrative mental health program, while also managing a caseload of 10 private clients. But her ambitions don’t stop there—she is actively working on launching an online clinic focused on OT in mental health.

Her vision? A virtual platform where she will offer a six-week course for anxiety and create an opportunity for other clinicians to provide virtual mental health OT services.

“I’m incredibly excited about this project—it’s a way to expand access to OT-based mental health interventions and help more people who need support,” she shared.

Polly specializes in treating mood disorders, including anxiety, depression, and trauma, blending a diverse set of OT methodologies into her practice. Her interventions range from TENS units for vagus nerve activation and manual therapy for regulation to cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic therapy for embodied trauma, and the KAWA model for goal setting and occupational engagement. She also draws on her background in physical disabilities, recognizing the strong mind-body connection in mental health treatment.

For those who want to learn more about her work, keep an eye out for Polly’s upcoming feature in the Robbins College magazine, where she shares more about her journey and impact in the field of OT and mental health.