A Little About Me
My name is Danielle Clinkscales. I am an occupational therapist with years of experience in health care, caregiving, and as a therapist. I developed an aspiration for the healthcare field starting in high school through the sights of personal caregiving. Through the early years of college, I have received experiences through work:
- As a personal caregiver for stroke and Alzheimer’s individuals
- As a direct support professional for a child with a rare neurological disorder
- As a rehab technician alongside occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists in a long-term acute care hospital
- As a wellness coach, fitness instructor, and a personal instructor for a child with a unique disability
I slightly changed my career path my Junior year with goals to attend IU’s School of Health and Rehabilitation with a Masters of Occupational Therapy. A year later, I was accepted. During my graduate years, I received several unique clinical experiences including first steps, inpatient rehabilitation, inpatient psychiatric, schools, a nursing facility, and a re-entry correctional facility. I knew that when I ended my initial education, I would find myself in geriatrics in a nursing facility. A year later, I became a certified lymphedema therapist to reach a broader population.
In 2020, I found myself alongside my mother and sister caring for my father with a terminal illness (ALS-- Lou Gehrig's Disease). This was much bigger than myself and all the skills I learned about caregiving. Through the unforeseen hardships, I developed a greater sense of empathy, compassion, understanding, patience, and knowledge for those who are providing the care and those who are being cared for. I developed a mission. An obligation to use my skills and education to further assist those who still need attentive, one-on-one therapy beyond what they have received via home health and/or a facility. My goal through WholeHeart Therapy LLC is to continue to address personalized goals and needs for individuals to either improve and/or maintain their abilities to optimize their quality of life as well as those who help care for them. This is my mission.
