Starting an OT Practice in 2026

The landscape of private practice changed forever this year. With Amazon officially adding physical therapy to its marketplace, accessing rehabilitation services is now as easy as ordering a pair of shoes. This shift signifies a massive rise in public awareness of therapy services—but it also brings a new set of challenges for the independent practitioner.

How do you compete with a global giant? How do you meet the “one-click” expectations of modern clients?

In our 2026 “Starting an OT Practice” course, we dive into the complexities of launching and sustaining a practice in this high-tech, high-convenience era. We’ll discuss why easy onboarding is no longer optional, how to leverage the latest AI tools to provide world-class care while run a lean and professional business, and how to position your clinical expertise as a high-value alternative to corporate healthcare.

We are joined by Christopher Gaskins PhD, OTR/L, CSRS, who recently made the leap from “side-hustle” to full-time practice owner. Chris shares his raw, first-hand experience of navigating the ups and downs of launching in this current market, offering a roadmap for OTs who are ready to bet on themselves.

1. You will be able to recognize how solo entrepreneurs can implement integrated systems and technology to facilitate the delivery of high-value, occupation-based evaluations and assessments.

2. You will identify how solo entrepreneurs can utilize streamlined workflows to support the consistent delivery of evidence-based, world-class occupational therapy interventions.

• Intro

• Discussion

  1. Tell me your entrepreneurship story.

  2. I’ve compiled an entrepreneurship checklist—can I read it to you and get your feedback on anything I’m missing?

  3. On that checklist, what are the most common places where people get stuck?

  4. What systems have you set up that feel key to getting people in the door?

  5. What systems have you set up that feel critical to delivering high-value care?

  6. What factors do you think keep people coming back to you?

  7. What have been your biggest challenges in starting a practice?

  8. What have been the largest rewards of starting a private practice?

• Live Q&A

• Closing

• A Scoping Review on Artificial Intelligence in Occupational Therapy

• Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives for Promoting Fieldwork Experiences in Private Practice

• Preparing for the Future: A Practice-Based Approach for Entrepreneurship Education in Health Professions

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

OT Potential pays guest speakers an honorarium for their participation, either directly or to an institution of the speaker's choosing at their request. We invite guests whose expertise often comes from practices, programs, or building products in their field. Where a speaker has a financial interest in the subject of a course, we disclose it below so you can weigh it for yourself.

OT Potential's interest in this topic: We have no financial stake in this topic.

Speaker interests: Christopher Gaskins is the founder and CEO of Neurosuite, a concierge neurorehabilitation practice that also sells paid consultation services including neurorehabilitation program design and product design.