My name is Jess Werbie and I am a licensed and registered Occupational Therapist practicing in the State of Illinois. I pursued my passion in occupational therapy because I truly believe this profession to be unique, challenging, and rewarding in that it is filled with countless opportunities to be creative and imaginative in treating individuals, while having fun doing it!
I have worked with The Therapy Tree, LLC and the Early Intervention Program since Fall 2018, after I fell in love with pediatrics, during my second level fieldwork placement. I received my Bachelor of Science at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the Spring of 2016, and completed my Master’s in the Science of Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in Fall of 2018.
I have experience working in an outpatient orthopedic setting, along with working clinic-based and home-based settings. I have worked with individuals with a wide range of developmental and cognitive challenges and physical disabilities such as: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD/ADD, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, low tone, Spina Bifida, Cancer, stroke, Orthopedic (Hand-Based) injuries, severe hand injuries, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, developmental coordination disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, childhood PTSD, Failure to Thrive, Seizure Disorders, Strabismus, children with rare chromosomal disorders (CTNNB1 Syndrome), gross and fine motor delays, visual-motor / perceptual integration concerns, executive functioning and learning challenges, sensory processing issues, social skill challenges and hand-writing concerns.
I enjoy working in pediatrics with children of all ages to help them achieve the greatest possible level of independence and success during play and everyday life activities. Special areas of interest: visual-perceptual processing skills, sensory processing concerns, gross motor skills (balance, coordination, strength, hand-eye coordination, endurance), fine motor skills (dexterity, motor control), self-help skills (ADLs/IADLs), handwriting, and self-regulation.
In collaboration with families and other professionals, involved in the child’s life, I strive to identify and meet the needs of children experiencing delays or challenges in development to improve their standard of living, by supporting each child through the integration of multi-sensory play-based therapy and by providing individualized strategies to build on the child’s strengths.
I actively enjoy broadening my knowledge and have special interests through continuing education courses such as; astronaut training, sensory integration processing skills, behavioral strategies, visual-perceptual processing, motor planning, childhood PTSD affecting development. I am a trained professional in Therapeutic Listening. I am registered through Intermountain Therapy Animals with Dogs of Endearment as a therapy dog visiting team and participant in animal-assisted interactions.
In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors along with living a very active and healthy lifestyle! I enjoy biking, running, snowboarding, hiking, travelling, spending time with my niece, dog, family and friends, and cheering on the Green Bay Packers, GO Pack GO! I participate in various community related adaptive athletic organizations that support people with diverse abilities to train, socialize and compete in endurance athletics such as triathlons, marathons, duathlons, water and snow skiing, [My Team Triumph and H20 Adaptive Water/Snow Ski Program, Dreams for Kids]. I am actively involved in the community where I enjoy coaching t-ball, instructing swim lessons, volunteering in my niece’s school, and going on visits with my registered therapy dog to support individuals with their spiritual and emotional needs with an animal assisted interaction.