Dr. Bridget Wells, OTD, OTR/L, QMHP

Mental Health Occupational Therapist

Approach

Bridget (she/her) identifies as female, black/mixed/BIPOC, and neurodivergent. With lived experience of this intersectionality and intergenerational and family-of-origin trauma, Bridget feels she can connect with clients with similar experiences. She finds representation, affirmation, and validation of minoritized identities and experiences vital to the practice of trauma-informed care. Bridget employs an empathic, curious, and holistic approach. She strives to consider all potential factors when it comes to client intervention, including social, environmental, personal, and systemic. Her approach can be seen as a collaborative puzzle, wherein she and her client work on finding the missing pieces together and employ coping and healing strategies for pieces yet to be found. In Bridget's off time, she enjoys music, nature, yoga, dance, and connecting with her local community. 

  • BIPOC-representing and -affirming

  • Neurodiversity-representing and -affirming

  • LGBTQIA2S+ affirming

  • Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) centered

  • Experience with neurodevelopment and neurocognition

Provides services:

  • Virtually

  • In person

Values

Bridget holds strong values of social and occupational justice that she aspires to exemplify in her daily life and practice. This includes client advocacy and access to just, equitable, and inclusive care, particularly for historically and presently minoritized populations. Alongside this is her value of applying a critical lens to historically oppressive systems and deconstructing colonialist structures and mindsets.

Experience

Bridget has experience in hospital-based OT, where she applied a holistic approach to serving various client populations and conditions in a setting that often overlooks mental health among several other aspects of care. She completed her graduate school fieldwork in acute care in Vancouver, WA; and outpatient neurological rehabilitation in Cape Town, South Africa, where she served clients with various neurological conditions, including traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, and post-stroke.

Education

Bridget has the following degree:

  • Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Pacific University)

Bridget maintains the following licenses and certifications:

  • Licensed Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) (Oregon)

  • Certified in Mental Health First Aid for adults

Bridget completed graduate work in the following areas:

  • Chair for Pacific University’s inaugural Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) chapter

  • Doctoral capstone project on improving the experiences of marginalized graduate students

  • Presentation of capstone project at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE)

  • Presentations for Occupational Therapy Association of Oregon (OTAO)'s cultural competency continuing education credits