Dr. Hana Khan, OTD, OTR/L, CCTP
Founder of Nervana Techniques
Approach
Dr. Khan combines a passion for inclusivity and nervous system regulation with a specialization in trauma-informed care. With a unique background in theme park design serving as the catalyst for her journey, she is driven by the belief in empowering others to become active participants in their own narratives.
Her role in developing a Primary Care program within the Internal Medicine department at Kaiser has provided invaluable insights, exposing her to a myriad of diagnoses and allowing her to apply her skills in nervous system regulation across a broad spectrum. Beyond clinical practice, Dr. Khan is an author with publications ranging from children's books to the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
In every facet of her work, Dr. Khan seeks to create a therapeutic environment that nurtures resilience and encourages individuals to rewrite their stories. Her unique blend of clinical expertise, creative inspiration from theme park design, and dedication to inclusivity reflects a compassionate and forward-thinking approach to the field of occupational therapy.
Academic Highlights
Dr. Khan completed her Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees at the University of Southern California (USC). Her dedication to academia earned her numerous accolades, including distinctions as a Discovery Scholar, recognizing her innovative contributions to her field. Demonstrating her abundant intellectual curiosity, she has been honored as a Renaissance Scholar for her dedication to pursuing and connecting a diverse array of academic interests with Honors. Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Khan's leadership and extensive engagement as an instructor and outside the classroom have been celebrated with The Order of Troy award, reflecting her commitment to making a meaningful community impact.
Dr. Khan has also conducted independent research on Creativity and Wellbeing among the Emerging Adulthood population.
With a passion for knowledge and a drive for making a difference, Dr. Khan continues to inspire and uplift those around her, leaving an indelible mark on the academic landscape.
Certifications:
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, CA State Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, Cultural Competence for Behavioral Health Professionals, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment, Mental Status Examination Training, QPR for Suicide Prevention, CITI Human Subjects, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Advanced Training (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, Safe & Sound Protocol, AOTA Fieldwork Educator
Growing up with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I felt a constant sense of discomfort, fear, dread, and worry. I have very vivid memories from the time I was 3 years old and as a child it is difficult to articulate such heavy emotions and even if children do, they may not be taken seriously or met with a comforting response. My first trip to a theme park marked the first time that I felt fully relaxed. My love for theme parks was rooted in the realization that I could be happy without feeling the icky anxious residue I had grown accustomed to.
Being transported to and immersed in a completely different world and experiencing even a momentary escape from life was so powerful and therapeutic. I began my journey at USC as a BFA Design major at the School of Dramatic Arts interested in themed entertainment design, which includes theme parks, escape rooms, museums, and malls – anything that has a theme. A lot of people tell me that my interests are completely random, but I found the intersection of my passions to lie in the concept of flow. Going to a theme park checks all the boxes – and fosters the mind-body connection. The reason themed entertainment stands out to me, is because it is a form of entertainment that is completely rooted in doing. Watching a movie, for example, can be therapeutic, but there stands a screen between you and the story that you’re being immersed in. But when you engage in an escape room or venture through the lands of a theme park, you are the active participant of your own narrative.
I began to explore Occupational Science for its study of engagement.
How engaging in activities brings meaning and purpose to our lives, how to design environments that allow us to engage in fulfilling ways, and how we can better facilitate our engagement in those tasks that bring meaning to our lives.
How we can use occupations as a medium through which to achieve our goals and how occupational engagement presents as a goal in itself.
The more I fell in love with Occupational Science for its holistic perspective in focusing on wellbeing in addition to health, I came to realize that I didn’t just want to design theme parks. I want to help people overcome challenges and barriers that prevent them from engaging in the activities that bring them purpose. I want to help people improve the quality of their lives and live their lives as meaningfully as possible. I want to help people engage in occupations that are transportive to them so that they can be active participants of their own narratives.
The common thread that I found across all the patients that I observed, regardless of their primary diagnoses, was that many of their concerns were rooted in a dysregulation of their nervous systems. The nervous system’s role in regulating and coordinating the activities of various organ systems makes it susceptible to causing physiological imbalances when disruptions in its functioning arise (Julius, 1991). Prolonged activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system can lead to physiological changes related to chronic stress such as disrupted sleep patterns and hypertension, pain disorders and hypersensitivity, autonomic dysfunction, gastrointestinal disorders, and immune dysfunction (McEwen, 2017). In addition to the imbalances that accompany chronic stress, anxiety can manifest as physical symptoms including fatigue, chest pains, and muscle tension (McEwen, 2017).
When the nervous system operates in a “fight or flight” state, it focuses on efficiency with the goal of keeping the body alive and functioning (Julius, 1991). Often when patients experience chronic stress, it can be difficult for them to reduce their state of physiological arousal and consequently progress towards their health-related goals such as weight management, chronic condition management, and reduction of biomarkers including cholesterol levels and hypertension. Even in patients that are seeking to manage what are traditionally seen as physically rooted concerns, anxiety symptom education and management strategies are integral to empower patients through motivation and to guide intervention and treatment planning by shifting sympathetic activation to a more balanced and relaxed state that allows the body to reduce any shortcuts and optimize function (McEwen, 2017).