When I first wrote this story for JHR I was in my final year of my doctoral program for physical therapy and as of June 2020 I am now a proud graduate from Stony Brook University’s Physical Therapy Program. I received my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood / Childhood Education from SUNY Geneseo in 2017. It has always been my passion to work with children and strive to provide those with disabilities a place in which to be themselves; I plan to pursue this passion as I embark on the next part of my journey as a physical therapist. The humanities, including art and music have always been a way to discover new perspectives of myself, others, and the world around me. This experience has embodied what I believe the humanities to be- stepping back to look and listen to another perspective in order to understand- bringing clarity to what humanity truly is and how we use it to relate to each other.
In her essay, “Beyond Words,” Amanda Kaufman, PT, DPT illustrates how providing a space for her patient to tell her full story, during one of her darkest moments, and listening carefully, established the trust that allowed their healing work together to begin.