Meet GISELA JORGE | Owner & Occupational Therapist at Inside Out Kids

We had the good fortune of connecting with GISELA JORGE and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi GISELA, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
The impact we have on our community isn’t necessarily massive, however, the impact we have had on that one child whose motor skills and balance improved so much he learned how to ride a bike, or the child who is now able to socialize/engage with their peers in the playground, or the parent who sees the confidence in their child rise to new heights every day that means the absolute world to us. What we do may not be impactful to the community as a whole, but to that one family, they may disagree. We are so grateful to be a part of their stories and be able to affect their lives positively. A colleague of mine, Mrs. Kaegan at Starfish Learning Center, explained it perfectly using a story by Loren Eiseley. The story is about a boy who is tirelessly throwing starfish back into the ocean after a low tide. A man approaches the boy and says “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and dozens of starfish? You can’t make a difference.” After listening politely the boy bends down, throws another starfish back into the ocean, and replies “I made a difference for that one.” That just sums it up!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Becoming an occupational therapist is a little challenging, apart from going to school and getting my masters in occupational therapy, I think the hardest part about becoming an actual therapist for me as a pediatric therapist is earning your client’s trust. I say this because a lot of the time I feel we expect kids to just listen to adults, and follow our directions, and most will but not because they want to but because they feel they have to. During therapy, I am asking a lot of my kiddos. I am asking them to do things that challenging for them and to be able to do this they need to want to try their best to reach their best potential. They need to trust that I will not push them past their breaking point, and trust that I am on their team even if things go south. Building this sort of relationship is something that I had to learn how to do, it is no easy feat. I have worked under many DIR Floortime therapists for years and that has really helped shape me into the occupational therapist I am today. I have also learned to add nature-based elements into my therapy session whenever I can by going outside for a session or doing a session at a park or playground instead.

Therapy looks a little different at Inside Out, because we go against what therapy traditionally looks like. We are child-led, we are play-based, we are nature-based, and we are DIR-influenced. I’ve kind of created my own therapeutic style by looking at evidenced based practices and learning from other occupational therapists, speech therapists, applied behavior analysts, psychologists, and teachers.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people deserve shoutouts and credit starting with my partner Jessica, for without her this wouldn’t have been possible. Yamiris and the PPOP chat who inspired me to take the leap and quit my full-time job to open Inside Out. My mom, dad, friends, and family who have been in my corner of the ring this entire time. My boyfriend, Danny, who is constantly brainstorming with me, brushing the anxieties away, and giving me the courage to go after my dreams. Sarah from the Miami Children’s Museum who is always keeping us in mind for Sensory Saturdays and events. Alyssa from the Institute of Contemporary art for always being so nice and allowing us to be as creative as we want for Family Day. State of Kid for opening your doors to our playgroups. And lastly, my grandma, who isn’t here today to see Inside Out, but I’m sure is looking down, opening doors, and creating opportunities for me just as she did when she was alive.

Website: www.insideoutkids.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/insideoutkidstherapy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Insideoutkidstherapy