Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy can help people with disabilities return to their life roles as parent, spouse, employee, homemaker or friend. Through upper body strengthening and coordination, fine and gross motor control development, training in the use of self-help aids and work/home evaluations, occupational therapists promote safety and help people relearn and master the skills needed for self-care, work and play.

What conditions benefit from occupational therapy?

• Hand, wrist and arm dysfunctions
• Sports injuries
• Industrial injuries
• Stroke
• Neurological disorders (e.g., Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease)
• Postsurgical conditions

Occupational therapy services provided:

• Individualized evaluation
• Therapeutic exercises
• Hand and upper extremity therapy
• Custom splint fabrication
• Training in life skills (e.g., dressing, bathing, homemaking)
• Strengthening specific muscle groups to improve fine/gross motor coordination
• Visual or perceptual motor training
• Training in the use of adaptive equipment
• Fall prevention
• Pain/stress management
• Joint protection
• Training in energy conservation and work simplification techniques
• Training with orthotic and prosthetic devices
• Pre-employment screenings
• Cumulative trauma management
• Wheelchair evaluations
• Ergonomic assessments

To contact the Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, please call 202-715-5655.

How to Beat Wrist Pain

Rebecca Krysiak, an occupational therapist at GW Hospital, shares tips on how to keep your wrists and hands pain-free.

Neck and Shoulder Tune-Ups

Carly Montag, an occupational therapist at GW Hospital, shares tips on how to help you feel good after sitting at your desk all day.

Occupational Therapists

Marcella Bassora, OTR/L, CLT-LANA
Education: Kean University, 2001
Certifications: Lymphedema, Lymphology Association of Northern America (LANA), Physiological Oncology Rehabilitation Institute (PORI)
Clinical Interests: Breast cancer rehabilitation, head and neck cancer rehabilitation, TMJ, upper extremity disorders, lymphedema, wound care, neuro re-education, and pain management

Marcella has over 23 years of experience in her field specializing in oncology rehabilitation, lymphedema and wound care therapy. She received her Certified Lymphedema Therapist training through the Norton School of Lymphatic Studies before embarking on the creation of the GW Lymphedema Program, of which she is still an active therapist. Marcella subsequently identified additional needs within the community she serves and became certified with the Physiological Oncology Rehabilitation Institute as a Certified Oncology Rehabilitation Specialist.  She takes a very holistic approach to treatment and is passionate about patient-driven care and improving quality of life.

Alison Holler, OTR/L, CLT, CPAM
Education: Towson University, 2020
Certifications: Certified Lymphedema Therapist, Complete Decongestive Therapy, Certified in Physical Agent Modalities 
Clinical Interests: Breast cancer rehabilitation, lymphedema therapy, lifestyle management for chronic conditions, orthopedics of the UE, post surgical care

Alison is a lymphedema/orthopedic occupational therapist at George Washington University in their outpatient rehab department. She grew up in Montgomery County in Rockville, MD and recently returned to the DMV to pursue her career at George Washington University. She spent much of her time in high school volunteering and enjoyed meeting and working with others in the community. This passion, paired with her love of science and anatomy gave her the insight to pursue a degree in occupational therapy. As a young child and young adult, Alison spent many years volunteering for the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life and has since developed a passion for treating individuals in the cancer community. She enjoys assisting others to find empowerment and a sense of well-being as they transition through the physical and mental challenges that arise with a new or chronic diagnosis. She currently enjoys dancing, reading, spending time outdoors, and practicing her two additional languages (French and Spanish).  She looks forward to meeting you and assisting with any health related challenges that you may currently be facing.

Stephanie Katz, OTR/L, CHT
Education: New York University, 2019
Certifications: Certified Hand Therapist
Clinical Interests: Orthopedic hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder conditions

Stephanie is a Senior Occupational Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). She obtained a dual bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From there, she went on to pursue her master's degree in occupational therapy at New York University. She accepted a full-time position during her last clinical rotation at The George Washington University Hospital, and has been working in the Outpatient Rehab Center ever since. She is now pursuing a doctoral degree in health science at GW as well as working as an adjunct instructor for the new GW entry level OT doctorate program. In addition, she serves on the board for the Capital Hand Therapy Association (CHTA), which connects hand therapists in the DMV.

Kevin Kisiedu, MS, OTR/L
Education: Trinity Washington University, 2021
Clinical Interests: Surgical and non-surgical upper extremity orthopedic conditions, neurological rehabilitation, dysgraphia

Kevin received his master’s in Occupational Therapy in 2021 and has worked in both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation settings ever since. He treats patients with surgical and non-surgical upper extremity orthopedic conditions, neurological conditions and dysgraphia. He is currently pursuing becoming a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT).

Rebecca Krysiak, MS, OTR/L, CBIS
Education: Thomas Jefferson University, 2017
Certifications: LSVT BIG, Certified Brain Injury Therapist
Clinical Interests: Neurological rehabilitation, vision rehabilitation, concussion, post COVID, surgical and non-surgical upper extremity orthopedic conditions

Becca is a Senior Occupational Therapist concentrating on neurologic conditions and hand therapy. Since 2017 she has resided in DC, working in various outpatient and inpatient settings with ages 3 to 99. She has worked diligently in continuing her studies in visual deficits related to neurologic conditions and treatment, fabrication of orthotics and serial casting for orthopedic and neurologic management of the upper extremity, cognitive impairments in the neurologic population, Parkinson’s treatment with LSVT BIG and Dance for PD, and adaptive yoga courses. She has been an integral part of the concussion clinic, assisting in preseason screening for the DC Furies and DC Revolution women’s rugby teams. In the last two years she has focused much of her work on post COVID rehabilitation, presenting for various organizations such as APTA and The Health Council.

Diana Linn, OTR/L
Education: University of the Sciences, 2017
Clinical Interests: Neurological rehabilitation, acute and chronic orthopedic upper extremity conditions and vision impairments

Diana is an Occupational Therapist who splits her time working in the acute care setting and Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at The George Washington University Hospital. She enjoys working with the neurological population. She attended the University of Scranton for her undergraduate degree in Community Health Education, Nutrition and Coaching. She then received her master’s degree at the University of the Sciences in 2017 for occupational therapy.

Carly Montag, OTR/L, CLT
Education: New York University, 2015
Certifications: Certified Lymphedema Therapist
Clinical Interests: Breast cancer rehabilitation, cancer survivorship rehabilitation, complete decongestive therapy for lymphedema management

Carly is an oncology and lymphedema Occupational Therapist. After completing both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at New York University, Carly went on to work in inpatient rehab, acute care, and outpatient rehab where she developed her skills working with patients who had experienced traumatic brain injuries, strokes, orthopedic injuries and surgeries, heart surgeries, cancer and lymphedema. She presented a short course for the 2018 American Occupational Therapy Association conference called "Embracing an Occupation-Based Model for Treatment of Patients Post Cardiac Surgery in the Acute-Care Setting." She is certified in Arnadottir OT-ADL Neurobehavioral Evaluation (A-ONE) and is a certified lymphedema therapist.

Faviola Santamaria, MS, OTR/L
Education: Towson University, 2020
Certifications: LSVT BIG
Clinical Interests: Neurological rehabilitation, acute and chronic orthopedic upper extremity conditions, amputee rehabilitation

Faviola is an Occupational Therapist at The George Washington University Hospital. She is in bilingual in Spanish and English. She completed her undergraduate studies at University of Maryland and then completed her graduate studies at Towson University. Faviola has a great passion for treating individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.