MY STORY

Heidi Blackie, MOT/L, CHT, CSCS

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Most Occupational Therapists enter the picture after something has gone wrong. After 28 years, I still do that work, but I made a deliberate choice to also work on the other side of that equation. What started as prevention became optimization and a genuine hunger to understand what we are actually capable of, mentally and physically, when we stop accepting the limits we've been handed.

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That curiosity shapes everything. Years of ergonomic work across hospitals, offices, and organizations of every kind taught me that no two bodies, roles, or settings are alike, and no template worked for all of them. What did work, every time: slowing down, looking carefully, and asking better questions. That same instinct is what drew me to partner with the King County fall prevention program, working with aging adults directly in their homes rather than from a clinic, because there is no substitute for seeing someone's actual environment.

 

Having been a patient myself changed the way I live and work. That experience deepened my commitment to nervous system science and neuroplasticity I had already been exploring for years, and it is the reason I weave mindset and the whole person into every service I offer.

 

A decade as a competitive cyclist gave me something no degree could: what performance under pressure actually feels like from the inside, and a belief in what consistency can produce over time, quietly, without fanfare.

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As a consummate learner, I enrolled in a professional dog training program to keep up with my dog. It turns out a very smart dog is considerably more work than an average one. What surprised me was how much I brought back to my work: breaking complex problems into small, manageable steps; adapting the environment, the approach, or the expectation to meet someone where they actually are; and celebrating small wins, because that's what keeps people in the game long enough for real change to happen. She was a better teacher than she'll ever know.

 

Certifications

• Master of Occupational Therapy, 1998

• Certified Hand Therapist, 2005

• Certified Stott Pilates, mat and reformer, 2007

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, 2020

• KPA Certified Training Partner, 2019

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Publication An Investigation of Injury Prevention among University Piano Students. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Volume 14, Number 3, Page 141 (September 1999)