Pearl* felt so helpless and depressed during her first session with senior occupational therapist (OT) Giselle “Gigi” Harris that she broke down in tears. In her early 60s, Pearl was recovering from a stroke that had affected her entire left side. “Her left arm was so weak she couldn’t even lift it, and her hand was locked in a fist and wouldn’t open,” recalls Gigi. As a result, Pearl was unable to do the most basic daily tasks. Gigi immediately began working her on a set of specific goals, including being able to dress herself and move on her own from her wheelchair to the toilet and tub, using a transfer bench, an approach that included working with Pearl on muscle reeducation exercises to increase her active and passive range of motion in her upper body.