About
My name is Lauren Mindrum
My name is Lauren Mindrum and I am a current Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) student at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. I received my bachelors of science (B.S.) in human development and family science at Ohio State University. I enjoy spending outside, reading, crafting, and spending time with my loved ones. I am passionate about working with people to find what fulfills them. I was lead to occupational therapy through the desire to help people as well as utilize my creativity in a way that connects to science. In my experience, occupational therapy is a beautiful blend of science and creativity, allowing me to cater to both my interests in my career.
Strengths Assessments
I took a few different self-assessments to see my strengths and my personality type and the one that stood out to me was the Gallup Strengths Assessment 2.0. Through doing these assessments I have learned a lot about myself and what strengths will be valuable in my professional and educational career.
Gallup Strengths Assessment 2.0
This strengths assessment looks at your top 5 strengths and focuses on how you can develop and focus on your strengths in professional environments. Each person's result is unique and you get a description that is individualized to your strengths. These are my top 5 strengths from my assessment. Below, I have linked the document with my full results.
1. Harmony ​
Harmony is a strength that focuses on seeking areas of agreement and looking for a way to create peace within groups oof people. This strength allows me to help conduct a productive, positive, inclusive environment and prevent conflict. I definitely see this in myself, as I value community and working together to achieve a common goal.
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2. Individualization
Individualization is a strength that focuses on acknowledging the unique qualities of each person and figuring out how people can work together. This strength allows me to call attention to individual talents of my peers and emphasize common goals. I value this trait in myself because it allows me to see the value of different perspectives and life experiences.
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3. Developer
Developer is a strength that focuses on recognizing strengths in others and working to cultivate that potential in others, such as looking for small signs of improvement. This strength can help me empower individuals and build relationships by providing insights in a personalized way. I value this trait in myself because I feel it allows me to have a better awareness on people's emotions and feelings, as well as celebrating small victories.
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4. Input
Input is a strength that places value on wanting to know more and collecting all the information on a topic, including through observation of the world around me. This strength allows me to take the information I am gaining from my environment and increases my curiosity in a variety of topics. I value this trait in myself because I feel it helps me learn more information and have a drive to know more.
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5. Empathy
Empathy is a strength that is centered around sensing the feelings of other people and imagining myself in others' situations. This strength helps me to be emotionally attuned to different people's experiences and to listen to people when they need they may need to think aloud. I value this strength in myself because I feel that it helps me connect to a variety of people and provide comfort in stressful situations.
Reflection:
My strengths, learning styles, and personality traits will all play a role in the completion of the OTD program at Xavier University and beyond. Throughout my educational and professional career, it is important that I have an understanding of my learning styles and that I learn best through visual and tactile experiences. My personality traits and my strengths will help me communicate with my future inter-professional team, as well as connect with future clients. Acknowledging my strengths will allow me to have a better undertstanding of who I will be as an occupational therapist and to learn how I can use my strengths to better myself personally.
Mission Statement
My mission is to promote occupational therapy practices within non-traditional settings and emphasize the importance of occupational therapy services in various aspects of life. My vision includes becoming an enthusiastic occupational therapist with a focus in mental health. I want to be able to empower people to take back their independence and focus on holistic healing, no matter the occupational therapy setting. Contact me if interested in learning more.
