Dr. Briana Dykstra joined Indiana Wesleyan University in September of 2022. Briana was a member of the inaugural cohort of the OTD program at Indiana Wesleyan and returned four years later as faculty. Briana was born and raised in Michigan and received her Bachelors in Kinesiology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Following her undergraduate studies, she worked as a movement-based preschool teacher and special education paraprofessional before returning to school to complete her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy.

Following graduating as an OTD, she moved to Muncie, IN where she worked in an outpatient pediatric clinic. She also spent some time working in other settings including the NICU at Ball Memorial Hospital, a local school servicing grades Pre-K-12, and PRN in adult acute rehab at Ball Memorial Hospital. Dr. Dykstra’s professional interests include pediatric neurorehabilitation, NICU, and feeding therapy. Her favorite thing about occupational therapy is seeing clients achieve a long-term goal with or without adaptive measures and be able to participate in everyday life. She enjoys working closely with parents and caregivers to help support children through developmental milestones.

Dr. Dykstra enjoys spending time with her husband and two children and her interests include weightlifting, running, reading, and cooking.