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TherapyEd’s Personal Tutoring
TherapyEd’s Personal Tutoring provides the opportunity for individualized learning for students who want a more one-on-one experience. Instructors help assess strengths and weaknesses and work to design customized study plans to address areas of need. From content review to test-taking strategies and stress management, tutoring helps students succeed on the exam by providing expertise, encouragement, and experience.
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OT Tutors
Amy E. Bryant M.Ed., OTR/L

Amy Bryant is an Instructor for TherapyEd and has been an occupational therapist for 32 years. She has served as the OTA program director at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines, FL and at Middle Georgia State University in Cochran, GA. She received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of New England in 1990, and her Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Georgia in 2007. She has completed one year of the Ed.D program at the University of St Augustine. She has spent the majority of her career in OTA education serving as a faculty member, academic fieldwork coordinator, and as a program director. She is passionate about assisting students in their preparation for the certification exam, both in regards to content and for issues related to test taking skills and test anxiety. Currently she remains active in OT/OTA education through consulting and guest lectures, and uses all her OT skills while teaching ESL classes to adults.
Donna M. Costa DHS, OTR/L, FAOTA

Dr. Costa is an Instructor for TherapyEd and formerly an Associate Professor and Program Director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Donna was also formerly the Chair of the Occupational Therapy Program at Stony Brook University in New York and also served on the faculty of the University of Utah. She earned a doctorate from the University of Indianapolis in Occupational Therapy, as well as a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from the New School of Social Research in NY, and dual baccalaureate degrees in Occupational Therapy and Psychology from the University of Buffalo. Dr. Costa is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and has served on the AOTA’s Board of Directors. She is the author of three books on fieldwork education published by AOTA Press, as well as numerous articles which have appeared in OT Practice. Donna serves on the editorial review boards of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Health Care.
Thomas Fisher PhD, OTR/L, CCM, FAOTA

Dr. Fisher is an Instructor for TherapyEd and Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University. He received his PhD in Education Psychology and his EdS in Educational & Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky, his MS in Education from Purdue University, and his BS in Occupational Therapy at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and was honored with the AOTA Award of Merit in 2016 to recognize him for his notable contributions to the profession. He was also named “One of the 100 most influential people in OT.” Dr. Fisher’s research agenda has two lines of inquiry: (1) professional issues in occupational therapy and rehabilitation and (2) assessments and interventions for neuro-musculoskeletal injuries, including strains/sprains and traumatic brain injuries, especially as they relate to return to work and independent living.
Toni Thompson DrOT, OTR/L, C/NDT

Dr. Thompson received her undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois and earned her DrOT from Nova Southeastern University. She also earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Webster University in St. Louis. Dr. Thompson was formerly a Team Leader of Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology at the Shriners Hospital for Children of Tampa, FL and her work experience includes service with the Peace Corps in Ecuador and Venezuela. She has significant experience in SI and NDT-Pediatrics, and has written numerous articles for a variety of Occupational Therapy and Orthopedic publications. Her areas of concentration include health care programs for Hispanic populations and the role of occupational therapy in human trafficking. She has been an instructor for TherapyEd for over 25 years and has provided individual tutoring to students as well. In 1995 she received the Award of Excellence from the Florida Occupational Therapy Association.
Testimonials
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“I wanted to let you know that I worked with the lovely Toni Thompson on the last leg of my NBCOT journey to address some key topics I was still struggling with. Toni was so helpful. She was able to cut through the overwhelming amount of information I was struggling to process and provided several tips that made it much easier to understand. I am so grateful for Toni and for her expertise in helping me get to the next stage.”– Jodiann Bernard, OTR, COTA
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“Every year we revisit what test prep we want to include for our incoming students, and we keep coming back to TherapyEd. I have used it for over seven years, and students continue to rave about how helpful it is. They feel more confident, more prepared, and less anxious going into boards. TherapyEd is truly a staple in our program.”– Nicole R. Scheiman, DrOT, MHS, OTR/L: Program Director, Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, University of Charleston
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“I can’t thank Amy enough for the support and guidance I received while studying for the NBCOT exam. She took the time to really understand where I was struggling and explained concepts in a way that finally made sense to me. The encouragement and personalized strategies helped build my confidence and reduced my test anxiety. Because of this tutoring, I felt truly prepared walking into the exam, and it made a huge difference in my success. I would highly recommend this tutoring to any OT student getting ready for the NBCOT!!! ”– Sami, M.S, OTR/L
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“I would like to tell you thank you for your advice during our session. That one session made a big difference, I used the cursor and highlight technique you recommended. It was my third attempt but I went from a 418 to 464! Also sitting for 100 questions straight to improve my testing endurance was a game changer ! Thank you so much. ”– ERICA WILLIAMS, OTR!!!!!!!!!!!
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“Hi TherapyEd,
I wanted to share the amazing news of me passing my exam with a 470! It doesn’t even feel real!! I couldn’t have done this without your tutoring sessions and appreciate you meeting with me these past few months. Your OT insight has helped me see the questions and content from a different perspective🤗
I can’t wait to start this next chapter of my career!! Thank you so much again :)”– Kristin Papanicolas -
“Hello Toni!
I am thrilled to share some exciting news with you! I passed the NBCOT exam! My score improved significantly, going from 442 before our sessions to 483 after applying the strategies you provided.
I truly believe that your guidance played a crucial role in this success. In addition to the helpful strategies, I listened to the soundtrack of Wicked on the way (which really helped me stay determined!) and wore my lucky clothes to the testing center. I also brought along a lucky item, and before entering the testing room, I took a deep breath and quietly mouthed “OTR/L” for confidence.
I’m incredibly grateful for your support and feedback throughout this process. Thank you again for all your help. Wishing you the most wonderful and joyful holiday season!
Warm Regards,”– Jan E. OTR/L -
“I would like to tell you thank you for your advice during our session. That one session made a big difference, I used the cursor and highlight technique you recommended. It was my third attempt but I went from a 418 to 464! Also sitting for 100 questions straight to improve my testing endurance was a game changer ! Thank you so much.
”– ERICA WILLIAMS, OTR!!!!!!!!!!! -
“My name is Rebecca Mitchell, and I had Paula Carey as a TherapyEd tutor from June 26, 2023 to October 2nd, 2023. At that point in time, I had failed the exam twice and felt like I exhausted all options from: receiving Pass the OT tutoring to studying AOTA, NBCOT StudyPack, TherapyEd, 450 Formula Videos, and OT Miri Videos. My tutor through Pass the OT would show up late, and end the sessions on time often making me feel like I was just a paycheck. Then I met Paula. She showed up on time, improved my critical reasoning, listened when I needed it, helped me develop a time management plan, catered each session to strengthen my problem areas, helped me develop confidence, pushed me to work on my mental health, and believed in me even when I didn’t. She never made me feel like my questions were stupid, and would always answer them even if it was close to the end of our session. She was tutoring so many people, but always made me feel like I was a priority. Before meeting Paula, I was studying 8-10 hours a day, overthinking questions, reading too much into details, spiraling when I couldn’t find answers, and constantly stuck on questions that haunted me from past exams. My third attempt I increased 20 points, but didn’t pass by 9 points. I was absolutely devastated because I was so adamant in my mind that I past. After this, I had hit one of the lowest points of my life, and began questioning if I still wanted to become an OT. I broke down to Paula during a tutoring session. I explained to her how I was grieving a family member, navigating planning a wedding and helping close friends plan their weddings, and going through big life changes. I told her my reservations about becoming an OT, lack of motivation, and how the fear of failure was consuming my life. Paula didn’t charge me for that session, but listened to me and showed me grace. That session became a pivotal point in changing my mindset, and the trajectory for the weeks to come. She helped me realize it wasn’t the content, but essentially my mental health. Every test I took I missed it by a couple points, but never walked away thinking I didn’t know enough content. When people would quiz me I knew it, and when I did questions I had the right critical thinking. I would pass every time I took practice tests, because I didn’t have anxiety or the fear of failure while taking them. My anxiety would get so bad the weeks leading up to the exam that I wouldn’t sleep for days. By my 4th attempt the only thing I had done differently was work on my mental health. I attended therapy once a week, strengthened my relationship with God, met with Paula once a week, but only studied/reviewed the content for 2 weeks for a couple hours a day leading up to the exam. I didn’t study the two days prior to the exam for the first time ever, and engaged in occupations I enjoyed and relaxed. The 4th time I passed with flying colors. This showed me that even if you have all of the right study tools and know all of the content if you aren’t in the right headspace you won’t pass. I’ve grown more over this year than I have my whole life, and Paula was a crucial component in that. She made a huge impact on my life both professionally and personally, and I will be forever grateful that we met. If you need a tutor, please don’t hesitate choosing Paula Carey!!!”– Rebecca Mitchell
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“I want to reach out to you because I think this is worth mentioning and it is important for you to know. I have taken the NBCOT exam 6 times. This was honestly very detrimental to my mental health and my hopes. I am originally from Costa Rica and I am a 43 year old male and not the sharpest tool. However, it has been my desire to help people who need it the best way that I can for a long time. I have worked for many years in humanitarian aid in places like Iraq, Syria and Palestine. It was in the refugee camps that I realized that something had to be done to help those who have lost their purpose and meaning more than simply keeping them alive. I was introduced to occupational therapy by a woman from Massachusetts and decided to come to the US and study this career. I failed miserably, time after time and my disappointment with myself brought me down terribly in my self esteem and depression. I was kicked out of my home when I was 14 and I have lived homelessness for about 10 years throughout my lifetime. Failing at this meant I would have to hit the ground one more time. Even the person who recruited me into OT gave up on me and told me how inept I was. I have always worked hard but sometimes you need someone. I saved all I could on the side and managed to pay for weekly tutor sessions with your program under the care of Paula Carey (who I nicked named on her back “Paula Carry” because she is so carrying. During some of our sessions I did my best to hide how I was feeling and how low I was. I was facing homelessness again and as an immigrant I had no one to even talk to. Paula went out of her way to encourage me every single time. She not only taught me how to persevere during the exam but treated me like a person with dignity and a future. Because of a vision problem I have my reading in English is very slow and this was a giant problem for me taking the exam. As a foreigner it is difficult to know how navigate the system and she took the time to instruct me in order for me to get accommodations after seeing an ophthalmologist. I took the test and passed with a surprisingly good grade. I know that I knew the material and I had studied well, but sometimes you need someone to believe in you a little. She did that for me and I am grateful for her. I am in Warsaw right now, it is 6:50 pm here and I will be crossing the border to the front lines in the Ukraine as an Occupational Therapist at midnight. I will be assisting in orphanages and hospitals hoping to share a little light like it was done for me during a very depressively low time for me. I have to say I am proud of the OT mentality of compassion and what we do. I want to thank you too for knowing how to build a great team and for having her there.
Thank you deeply,
”– MIchelle J. Wong -
“I am writing regarding Paula, my tutor, to pass on to you how great I think she is. I think she is an incredible motivator, she holds people accountable, and most importantly instills confidence in her students.
I am still on quite a high from learning I passed. I sort of can’t believe it still, I was going through all the ones after the test I was certain I didn’t get and assumed that cost me the test. BUT, it didn’t!
I’d like to thank you for being the biggest reason I passed this test. I know you’ll say it was Me who was the biggest reason but I think it was Paula’s approach, attitude, motivation, and willingness to help that propelled me over the hump. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me pass and really think you are very good at what you do. I hope we stay in touch or our paths cross again. Thank you, Paula!
”– R.J. Tuchscherer, OTR
