Meet Janet Brooks

By: Maisie O'Brien

Janet Brooks, EdD ’06, values the genuine connections she has formed as an occupational therapist and lecturer. As an OT, she has worked with thousands of people who have experienced a challenging illness, injury, or other major life event. “It’s an honor to see clients in their most vulnerable moments and guide them along a new path,” she says. “I love learning about their hopes, joys, and fears.”

Brooks also sees this dynamic in the classroom. “When students return to graduate school they’re making a major life change,” she says. “They’re giving us their time and it’s our job to understand what brought them here, what they aspire to do, and how we can help them along the way. When people are open to change and sharing their time with you, it’s a great privilege.”

Brooks has taught in the OT Department for 32 years. She began her academic career at Tufts earning a BA in Occupational Therapy, and went on to earn a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an EdD from UMass Lowell focused on teaching in a higher education context.

After graduating from Tufts, Brooks joined a private practice serving clients with physical disabilities. She worked in acute rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation settings, and home care, specializing in orthopedic injuries and neurological disorders. She also held short stints in acute psychiatry and eating disorder treatment.

At Tufts, Brooks teaches courses in physical disabilities, kinesiology, and health conditions. She also teaches all of the courses in the Certification in Hand and Upper Extremity Rehabilitation. “Twenty years ago, we created this certificate program for people interested in treating the hand, which is critical for self care, engagement, and so many things that are important to people,” she says. “Entry-level students as well as working OTs are taking these courses.”

Inspired by her love of athletics—she was a finalist in the 1984 Olympics Trials for rowing—and her background in treating physical disabilities, Brooks is heavily involved in adaptive sports. She specializes in teaching people with disabilities how to ski. In the summer, she supervises Tufts students in an adaptive sports program where participants engage in adaptive golf, pickleball, biking, paddling, and kayaking.

“Participating in adaptive sports can provide clients with moments of freedom and joy,” she says. “It’s also great for skill building because so much of adaptive sports is helping someone learn to move. If I can teach somebody with limits how to move within the context of recreation, then I can teach them how to get out of bed, get in and out of the shower, and dress themselves in the morning. The skills can be transferable.”

Every year, Brooks leads a group of Tufts students on a week-long international exchange called Mobility Week in Switzerland. OT students and faculty from across the world convene to explore how OT is practiced differently across cultures. “It’s a very collegial, interactive experience,” Brooks says. “Faculty and students attend meetings and think tanks and have lunch together. Students form lifelong international connections. It’s always a fun and exciting trip.”

In teaching as well as in occupational therapy, Brooks is motivated to work alongside others while they are testing the limits of what they can accomplish. “Whether it's in recreation or self-care or growing as an OT practitioner, I love to watch someone make progress,” she says. “It’s the best feeling when someone realizes they can do more than they thought they could.”

Brooks sees student exploration and growth as a core part of a Tufts education. “From the time I was here as an undergraduate to my years as a lecturer, I’ve found the faculty to be very committed to each and every student,” she says. “We have a big open door policy. We’re always bringing students into topics that we’re passionate about and trying to expand their interests and skills.”

When she isn’t teaching, Brooks can be found in the pottery studio making bowls and cups. She is an avid fan of the Olympics and Paralympics, and participates in a variety of sports, including skiing, pickleball, paddle tennis, hiking, and cycling.