Lyn Kim’s Unique Approach to Occupational Therapy
Written by Meg Seitz · Photography by Julia Fay
Lyn Kim always had a unique approach to occupational therapy.
“I guess I was always kind of a non-traditional OT,” she shares. “From grad school on, I was always open to the idea that OTs are – and can be – everywhere.”
A quick lesson: the abbreviation OT stands for Occupational Therapist; if we’re talking textbook definition, occupational therapy is a “form of therapy for those recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life.”
There is no doubt about it – occupational therapy is a unique line of work that offers a wide array of services; many of these rehabilitation services involve an individualized evaluation and a customized intervention plan so someone can perform daily activities.
As wide an array of services as occupational therapy offers, each approach is a personal experience. Kim understood that early on both in training and practice.
With a Bachelors degree in Health Sciences (cum laude) from University of Florida, Kim went onto pursue a Masters of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University of St. Louis School of Medicine. Following grad school, she launched her career as a Program Coordinator for the City of St. Louis, MO, supporting older adults taking on more daily, physical activities within their communities; many times, she helped them to move out of nursing facilities and transition back into more independent, living situations. Then, in 2013, when she moved to Charlotte, she took on a role as Program Specialist for Centralina Council of Governments.
“I guess I was always kind of a non-traditional OT,” she shares. “From grad school on, I was always open to the idea that OTs are – and can be – everywhere.”
Following the birth of her son, Kim was seeking a fresh approach. She knew two things to be true: she wanted to find a good balance between a career and being there for her family; and she enjoyed using her clinical knowledge and working one-on-one with people in a way that was unique to Occupational Therapy profession.
She found a unique opportunity – quite literally – when she started worked for UNYQ.
Pronounced ‘unique’, UNYQ was established in 2014 with a one-two punch to inspire the health sciences industry – they lived and breathed an innovative spirit and a drive to empower patients and users across an international network of clinics. With products sold all over the world, UNYQ maintains offices in San Francisco, Seville, Spain, and Charlotte.
What’s truly special about UNYQ is not only their passion, but also their talent and ability to redesign prosthetics and orthotics using digital manufacturing, precise technology, data and research. Their patient-centric philosophy means users have several options – select from the company’s collections or work directly with UNYQ’s design team to customize a unique, signature style at an affordable price. Their first product was a line of stylish prosthetic covers for lower limb amputees named UNYQ Armor™. They also offer UNYQ Align™, modern, stylish, and breathable scoliosis treatment options based on bracing research and patient feedback.
The technology and design – both in form and function – are always customized and personalized for each individual. “Not one person or their body has the same components or needs,” Kim notes. “Which means we need to create solutions that are unique to them.”
“We’re all about making a product that helps people feel whole again,” she shares. “We hear from a lot of clients, ‘I haven’t seen the full shape of my leg in a long time – until now.'”
The team has the ability to design and make different cuts in the material depending on the need and the activity level or range of motion or mobility the user will need. Scans of a user’s body are taken with technology accessible via a specific scanner and now an iPad; the company utilizes unique app technology to take scans and photographs of a user for an easier, more consistent process 3D imaging and production process.
Each solution is created to honor adaptive, universal design that’s both easy to access and use on a daily basis. “A lot of retailers are speaking to the idea of universal design – fashion and style for all; and we’re a part of that, too.”
The role has been special for Kim and her non-traditional, go-getter approach to occupational therapy – she’s been able to find a work-family balance, stay current on OT practices, develop clinically-based trainings, partner with a team to design new products, and find key partners and clinicians.
If there’s anything truly unique about it though it is what UNYQ products make possible for users.
“We’re all about making a product that helps people feel whole again,” she shares. “We hear from a lot of clients, ‘I haven’t seen the full shape of my leg in a long time – until now.'”
Meet the Author: Meg Seitz is the Founder and Managing Creative Partner of toth shop, an agency with one goal: Elevate your brand’s content through powerful writing, creativity, and strategy. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor with Queens University and Founding Partner of the children’s book series, “Bea is for Business”.
She’s an English major with an MBA, so she can talk Homer’s “The Odyssey” just as well as she can talk sunk costs – though she’d much prefer the former.
Meet the photographer: Julia Murray, owner of Julia Fay Photography, feels most at home behind a camera with a story to tell on the other side. Her business began during her sophomore year of college, while majoring in radio and tv broadcasting. Now residing in Charlotte NC, she primarily shoots weddings and other local small businesses like her own. Her favorite part about her job is the connection it brings between art and people.
