Barbara Hemphill-Pearson is a associate professor emeritus from Western Michigan University. She provides insight into occupational therapy education and practice from the vantage point of her diversified and lengthy background in the field. Her area of expertise is mental health and spirituality.

      Retired after teaching, first at Cleveland State University and then at Western Michigan University, Professor Hemphill-Pearson also has served as a senior staff therapist, director of activities therapy and director occupational therapy.

      Professor Hemphill-Pearson is widely known as a national and international conference presenter, consultant and writer. She also has served as editor of and contributor to three occupational therapy textbooks: The Evaluative Process in Psychiatric Occupational Therapy, which has been translated into Japanese; Mental Health Assessment in Occupational Therapy; and a new Assessments in Occupational Therapy Mental Health: An Integrative Approach (2^nd ed.)Her current project is in progress from AOTA Press entitled Spirituality for the Common Good: A Theology of Occupation. She is a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and fellow of the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association for her contributions. In addition, she has been an item writer for the national board for occupational therapy certification and has served on two national committees and the editorial boards of two professional journals. With managed health care increasingly impacting the occupational therapy field, Hemphill-Pearson has geared up to help occupational therapy departments with curriculum development, including standards of practice education, that will prepare them to meet 21st century challenges.

      She has a doctoral of ministry degree from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit.. Professor Hemphill-Pearson is also a graduate of the Michigan Region in a license ministry program of the Disciples of Christ Church.

      For more details of Professor Hemphill-Pearson's background refer to her curriculum vitae.

Education

      M.S. Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University

      B.S. Occupational Therapy., University of Iowa

      DMin. Doctor of Ministry Degree; Ecumenical Theological Seminary

Professional Credentials

     OT State of Michigan registration - current

      OT Occupational therapy certification – current

OT Member of the Michigan Occupational Therapy Assoc.

Appointed to the Ethics Board for Occupational Therapist of Michigan

Community Activities

      Facilitator, Center Attitudinal Healing

      Member, Professional and Executive Association of Kalamazoo (PEAK) - current

      Board of Trustee member, Portage Library, 2000-2003