3.20.2015

“You can’t make someone want an education,” says Margaret Campbell, the prejudiced English department head of Woodrow Wilson High School in The Freedom Writers. Ms. Campbell speaks from years of handling reckless integration program students, and throughout those years, somewhere in her heart she sees the students of Room 203 as lost causes. By refusing to commit herself as a teacher to these students, she perpetuates a system of hopelessness and hatred in an already vulnerable population.

Ms. Campbell is the type of teacher who is clouded by discrimination and bases a student’s worth by the number of As in his or her report card. She is rooted in tradition and wary of change. She is a nitpicky teacher.

In the field of physical therapy, we cannot be nitpicky with our patients. As members of a distinguished profession, we must recognize and uphold the differences of each individual under our care. Several patients may have cognitive, physical, or psychological difficulties and are more difficult to manage than others; nonetheless, we must endeavor to give all patients fair and beneficial treatment.  Still, others may be uncooperative in therapy simply because they lack the motivation. Thus, we must alter our approach to accommodate their primary needs and let them realize their own desire for change.

Change, be it in behavior or physical function, doesn’t happen overnight. In reality, it takes more than one session to foster a therapeutic relationship or get our clients to accomplish a particular task. In such cases, they may become frustrated with the lack of progress and be even less motivated. Therefore, the challenge lies in the physical therapist’s ability to empathize with their situation and identify strategies that best facilitate their learning.

Empowering clients is the first step. We’ll be surprised to know the rest will follow.