Sue Persia, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CASI, E-RYT® 500, YACEP®

Affiliated Programs

• Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Education

• OTD
  Thomas Jefferson University (PA)
• MS, Occupational Therapy
  Thomas Jefferson University(PA)
• BA, Psychology
  Temple University (PA)

About Me

I am an occupational therapy educator and clinician whose work centers on well being, preventive practice, and occupational therapy education. I earned my BA in psychology from Temple University, my master’s degree in occupational therapy and my post professional doctorate from Thomas Jefferson University. As a first-generation college graduate, I value Widener University’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility and strive to reflect these values in my teaching, scholarship, and service.

My clinical background includes pediatrics, women’s health, mental health, aquatic therapy, Ayers sensory integration, pelvic health, and perinatal care. I also have training in yoga and mindfulness, which I approach through an occupational therapy lens as tools for lifestyle management, stress regulation, and health promotion.

As an educator, I am committed to creating structured, supportive learning environments that promote professional identity formation, clinical reasoning, and sustainable practice habits. My teaching and scholarship emphasize preventive occupational therapy, reflective pedagogy, and community engaged learning, with particular attention to student well being, role balance, and the occupational disruption that can accompany periods of transition.

Outside of work, I enjoy time with my family, watching my son play ice hockey, studying yoga, traveling, good food, strong coffee, and a well-chosen streaming series.

Research Interests

My scholarly work focuses on preventive and lifestyle based occupational therapy approaches, including student and practitioner well being, stress management, and occupational disruption during life transitions. Current projects include educational interventions that support resilience and professional sustainability, such as stress management retreats for students, as well as scholarship examining adjustment disorder, role strain, and the implications for early and preventive occupational therapy practice.

Media Expertise

• Preventive occupational therapy
• Well being and lifestyle management
• Health promotion in higher education
• Student stress and resilience
• Occupational disruption and life transitions
• Pediatrics
• Women’s health

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Publications 

• Persia, S. M., & Lockhart-Keene, L. (2025). Integrating a stress management retreat as a pedagogical strategy in occupational therapy education. Occupational Therapy in Health Care, 1-11, Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/07380577.2025.2569532 
• Chabot, M. C., Frye, S. K., Lynn, N., Meyer, K., Lockhart-Keene, L., Navarro-Walker, L., Persia, S., Watcher-Schutz, W., Wegner, K., Gorenberg, M., & Goodman, C. (2024). Occupational therapy practitioners' expectations of entry-level doctorate versus master's graduates. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2024.080312 
• Michel, K., Meyer, K., & Persia, S. (2024). Exploring the impact of school-based interprofessional parent education. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2024.2394064 
• Persia, S. M., & Carroll, A. P. (2024). Feasibility of Mindfulness at Work: A continuing education program for occupational therapy practitioners experiencing burnout. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 8(1). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2024.080113 
• Persia, S., & Carroll, A. (2023). Virtual mindfulness program for OT practitioners experiencing job burnout: A pilot study. AOTA Press, 77(Supplement 2). 10.5014/ajot.2023.77s2-po278 
• Lingelbach, S. & Persia, S. (2022). The burnout conversation: Part one. NJOTA Newsletter.
• Lingelbach, S. & Persia, S. (2022). The burnout conversation: Part two. NJOTA Newsletter.

Peer-Reviewed Presentations 

• Lilly Conference, Traverse City, MI (2025): Workshop: AI Integration in Interprofessional Allied Health Education 
• POTA State Conference (2025) 
• Poster: Artificial intelligence: a Tool for Fostering Interprofessional Collaboration 
• Poster: Navigating Life Transitions: Successful Adaptation and the Role of Occupational Therapy 
• Poster: OT Education and Reproductive Health for Women post SCI  
• AOTA National Conference (2025) 
• Poster: It's Not What You Think: Enhancing Students' Understanding of Occupation, Activity Analysis, & Implicit Bias Through Art Analysis 
• Poster: Unlocking Student Well-being: Impact of a Stress Management Immersion 
• POTA State Conference (2024)  
• Poster: Unlocking Student Well-being: Impact of a Stress Management Immersion 
• Poster: Addressing Bias & OT Concepts Using Art Analysis 
• Poster: Parent Education: Impact on Understanding School-Based Therapies 
• Poster: Expectations of ELOTD and MSOT Graduates by OTPs 
• Lilly Conference, Asheville, NC (2024): Workshop: Unlocking Student Well-being: Impact of a Stress Management Immersion 
• Lilly Conference Austin, TX (2024): Workshop: Enhancing Students' Understanding of Bias & Occupation Through Art Analysis 
• AOTA Education Summit (2023): Poster: Mitigating Resistance to a Flipped Classroom in Occupational Therapy Education 
• AOTA National Conference (2023):  
• Workshop: Nerve Gliding and Its Role In Improving Occupational Performance and  
• Poster: Virtual Mindfulness Program for Occupational Therapy Practitioners Experiencing Burnout: A Pilot Study 
• AOTA Mental Health Specialty Conference: Poster (December 2022): Virtual Mindfulness Program for Occupational Therapy Practitioners Experiencing Burnout: A Pilot Study 
• Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA): Poster (September 2022): Virtual Mindfulness Program for Occupational Therapy Practitioners Experiencing Burnout: A Pilot Study 

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

• NBCOT
• AOTA
• POTA
• NCOTA
• FLOTA
• Yoga Alliance