'Healing of Magic' introduces Blinn Physical Therapist Assistant Program students and local healthcare providers to unique rehabilitation approach
Event highlights the role magic and the arts can play in a patient's recovery
November 19, 2019
The Blinn College District Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program recently hosted “Healing of Magic: Use in Physical and Psychosocial Rehabilitation” with special guest Kevin Spencer. Held at the RELLIS Campus, the workshop introduced 22 PTA students and approximately 40 area healthcare practitioners and educators to Spencer’s practice of incorporating simple magic techniques into therapy exercises.
“This event was a fun way for our physical therapist assistant students and other healthcare providers to earn continuing education credit while learning how simple magic tricks can aid a patient’s healing process,” said Dr. Christy Gantt, PTA Program Director. “As well-rounded caregivers, we recognize that there are both physical and psychological roadblocks on the road to recovery and Kevin Spencer’s approach is another tool we can utilize to achieve successful patient outcomes.”
Healing of Magic serves to connect health professionals with the role the arts can play in promoting and protecting human health. With the gradual incorporation of the arts by the medical establishment, Spencer’s techniques have gained recognition as a beneficial complement to traditional regimes. His program focuses on the therapeutic use of simple magic tricks in physical and psychosocial rehabilitation. Workshop participants received hands-on training in Spencer’s systematic approach to implementing and training therapists in this arts-integrated technique.
“I’m always excited when we are exposed to new concepts and techniques that can help us assist our patients and aid their recovery process,” said Blinn student Erin Hickman. “This event was engaging and Kevin Spencer’s techniques definitely opened my mind to the importance of incorporating fun elements into our rehabilitation regimes. Sometimes just making a patient smile can turn a difficult journey into a more positive experience.”
Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) help people of all ages with medical issues or health-related conditions that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. Blinn’s two-year PTA Program recently relocated to the RELLIS Academic Complex Building I at the RELLIS Campus, where students receive instruction in Blinn’s physical therapy lab, part of a 16,000-square-foot health sciences simulation center. Since 2013, Blinn PTA Program graduates have posted a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination, a requirement to successfully practice in the United States.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, PTAs can expect to earn an average salary of $69,890 in the State of Texas after passing the national licensure exam. PTAs work in a variety of environments including hospitals, outpatient clinics or offices, impatient rehabilitation facilities, schools, hospices, sports training facilities, and military settings.
The Blinn PTA Program has information sessions scheduled on Tuesday, Nov. 19, and Wednesday, Dec. 4. To register for an upcoming session or to learn more about the program, visit www.blinn.edu/physical-therapist-assistant.
