Integrative OT

About

The Integrative OT program model provides nature-based services for children in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Our occupational therapy services are aimed at facilitating holistic health and wellness through nature-based interventions. Integrative OT is also certified to provide lymphedema, functional nutrition, and trauma-related services and co-hosts Heeling Cancer hikes for adults undergoing cancer treatment or who are cancer survivors of any kind.

Categories Program Adults Children & Youth Community & Advocacy Therapeutic

Program Details

Integrative OT provides occupational therapy services aimed at facilitating holistic health and wellness through nature-based interventions. Integrative OT is also certified to provide lymphedema, functional nutrition, and trauma-related services.

Nature-based therapy for children is provided in both individual and group sessions. Private practice, nature-based OT encompasses outdoor play aimed at the individual's goals. Integrative OT's nature-based camps provide group therapy aimed at social skills, fine motor skills, feeding, and executive functioning.

As part of its larger commitment to people and planetary health, Integrative OT recently advocated for the installation of a paved walking path from a nearby neighborhood to an elementary school in Chelsea, AL, a suburb of Birmingham. The walking path was collaboratively approved by city and county officials. This path now enables children to safely walk to school, which is beneficial for their health and reduces the carbon footprint of many cars driving to school for drop off and pick up. With this successful outcome, Integrative OT plans to continue to help "green up" local communities.

Integrative OT also co-hosts Heeling Cancer hikes with a local massage therapist. This no-cost community-based service is for adults currently undergoing cancer treatment or who are cancer survivors of any kind. The program was created by Integrative OT and Mending Tree Massage in the hopes of connecting cancer survivors with the healing benefits of community, encouraging outside activity, and building a bridge between provider and participant. We begin each of our walking sessions with an embodiment practice, reconnecting ourselves with our innately beautiful, strong bodies. We provide hikes for all abilities and levels of physical activity. In the middle of our sessions, we provide a forest bathing meditation where we tap into the multi-sensory physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental benefits of being in nature. Participants from each hike provide encouraging feedback that the reconnection to self, community, and nature has increased feelings of interconnectedness, peace, and happiness while decreasing feelings of isolation, loneliness, and fatigue. Heeling Cancer is relatively new, and we hope to see more participants and collaborate with other health providers in the future.

Contact Magan Higgins Gramling integrativeot2@gmail.com (205) 552-9867 Integrative OT

Populations Served
Integrative OT provides care for people of all ages and diagnoses.

Services Offered

Individual, nature-based occupational therapy services
Individual, somatic-based trauma therapy
Group-based, nature camps for children

Cost to Participate
$100 per hour for individual sessions; the cost for nature-based group camps are determined based on the number of participants

Staff Composition
Magan Higgins Gramling, OTD, OTR/L, CTP, CFNIP, CLT, CMF

A child in a blue shirt and a child in a red shirt are playing the game Twister outdoors, on a surface of dried grass and leaves.

A group of children and one adult are smiling and dancing outdoors.

A young child, surrounded by dry leaves, is holding a lizard-like object, while another child holds a list of various outdoor objects.

Participating in a nature-based OT group is fun for all.

A child is sitting by a dog wearing a blue bandana. The child is reading a book to the dog as it lays near them.

Two people are seated with their backs to the camera on a low stone wall with a pond and water feature spraying water behind them. Another person is seated cross-legged on the ground in front of them in a clearing surrounded by trees.

In a tree and fern-lined area, three women are seated on rocks that surround a small pond with a water feature spraying water.

Two people are hiking in the woods along a wide trail covered in light brown leaves. The person on the left is using hiking poles. The trees have foliage of various shades of green, yellow, orange, and red.

Four people, one holding a small baby, are smiling at the camera while in a wooded area with dappled sunlight shining through the trees.

Five women of various ages and races are standing and smiling at the camera. In the background is a lake surrounded by tall, leafy trees.

Recent Case Studies

A large group of participants express their excitement at the start of a backpacking trip. Trees and distant mountains fill the horizon behind them.

Program

Wild Hearts Idaho

Wild Hearts Idaho is a non-profit that builds community, confidence, and leadership skills for middle and high school girls through free outdoor adventures.

A close-up shot of Dan riding his trike with a confident grin.

Program

Spokes Fighting Strokes

Spokes Fighting Strokes (Spokes) introduces recovery through exercise and fun by providing recumbent trikes to stroke survivors, amputees, able-bodied humans, and those with or who have had traumatic brain injury (TBI), neck and back injury, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), and cerebral palsy (CP).

An aerial image of the playground showing play equipment, gathering spaces, and a painted ground mural looping around the playground.

Place

Louis H. Farrell Elementary School

This project was designed to advance literacy and learning goals while promoting playful learning in public schoolyards. Key features include a Gateway Plaza, a Literacy Art Loop, an Outdoor Classroom & Performance Space, separate play areas for older and younger children, and a Native Pollinator Meadow & Nature Discovery Trail.