Our Journey
mOTivate minds began as an Occupational Therapy Mental Health awareness blog in 2019-2020. Our CEO and Founder began this blog to help spread the awareness of Occupational Therapies role in Mental or Behavioral settings. Further, the blog helped OT/OTA professionals get resources that they could utilize in practice.
During this time the COVID pandemic occurred in which services for Mental Health were desperately needed. Our CEO re-located to Fargo, ND. in which mOTivate minds officially became a business in January, 2022. Initially, the business was founded to offer OT/OTA mentoring as well as coaching services to help expand OT’s role in mental health settings as well as help OT practitioners gain confidence in their scope of practice. Our CEO has helped numerous of OT’s begin their own practices our positions in behavioral health settings.
Fast forward to May of 2022, our CEO opened mOTivate minds as an outpatient OT private practice for teens/adults specializing in mental health and chronic conditions. Our clinic focused on enhancing recovery and functional abilities. mOTivate minds served several individuals in person and virtually all around the Fargo/Moorhead community.
As of March 2024, mOTivate Minds ended clinical operations of providing OT services to the FM area.
Our services will be transitioning to focus solely on OT mentorship and coaching at this time. This new shift in our practice emphasizes our commitment to advancing OT roles in mental health settings and beyond. We'll continue to equip Occupational Therapists with the skills for entrepreneurial success and clinical excellence, maintaining our dedication to trauma-informed care and neurodiversity affirmation.
CEO & Owner
Shannon Pfau MAOT, OTR/L, NDOTA Fargo District Chair
My name is Shannon I grew up in outside of the Twin Cities within the suburbs of Minnesota. As a family we moved to Fargo in 2021. I’ am a wife and a mom of two young boys ages 4 & 5. I have been a licensed Occupational Therapist since 2016. I graduated from St. Catherine University in 2016 with my Masters in Occupational Therapy and a Bachelors degree in Occupational Science. Over the past 8 years, I have gained experience working in both inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings.
As an OT I use “non traditional” approaches which includes art, crafts, games, movement, polyvagal techniques and cognitive behavioral therapy for clinical interventions. I also regularly use sensory modulation, biofeedback, trauma releasing exercises, EFT, and I am certified in the safe and sound protocol.
I am dual licensed in MN and ND. I specialize in adolescents and teens with mental health, trauma, sensory dysfunction (SPD), dual diagnosis, or ADHD/Executive dysfunction. Additionally I have a unique niche in helping individuals who have chronic health conditions including Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Long Haul, Fibromyalgia, RA, etc. I personally live with hEDS, POTS, MCAS and several other conditions. I am relatively open about my story (only if asked).
I am a mom of two boys, a wife, and a pitbull lover. I enjoy painting, puzzles, coffee and being an extrovert. I enjoy giving back to the field of OT by mentoring/coaching to help other OTs get into more behavioral health settings. Additionally, I am the Fargo North Dakota Occupational Therapy District Chair and recently, I helped launch the NDOTA MHOT Task Force. Nationally, I run the MHOT Collective to help OT entrepreneurs get resources to develop practices or roles in behavioral health.