Where OccupationalRehabilitationStandards Began
The story of a family that changed how the world understands work, ability, and human potential.
Our History
A Legacy of Firsts
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Dr. Leonard Matheson originates the concept of "work hardening": a revolutionary rehabilitation approach that would fundamentally change occupational therapy and return-to-work practices worldwide.
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Roy Matheson establishes Matheson Education and Training Solutions, building on his brother Leonard's groundbreaking research to bring world-class training to clinicians everywhere.
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Matheson participates in setting the national standards of practice for work hardening and functional capacity evaluation. The tests and treatment models designed here become used worldwide.
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EPIC Rehab and Roy Matheson and Associates training standards for Ergonomics, FCE, and Work Rehabilitation become recognized internationally as some of the highest in the industry.
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Modern work evaluation now integrates objective testing, ergonomics, cognitive assessment, and data-driven analysis. Matheson continues to evolve the science: combining emerging technology with evidence-based practice.
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The Visionaries
The Matheson Brothers
Two brothers whose work transformed occupational rehabilitation from a nascent concept into an internationally recognized discipline.
Originator & Pioneer
Dr. Leonard Matheson
“The originator of work hardening, work tolerance screening and work capacity evaluations, and architect of the national standards still followed worldwide today.”
Founder & Educator
Roy Matheson
“Extended his brother's principles into clinical application, evaluator training, and defensible documentation aligned with regulatory and ADA considerations.”
The Modern Era
Train Smarter.Become the Expert.
Today, the principles that began with the Matheson model continue to evolve alongside advances in research, technology, and workplace demands.
While tools and methodologies have advanced, the core philosophy remains unchanged: accurate measurement, sound clinical reasoning, and practical application are essential for helping people return to safe, productive work.
Experience the Matheson Difference
From pioneering the field,to leading its future.
When you train with Matheson, you learn from the leaders. Join the 18,000+ clinicians who have transformed their practice with the most trusted name in occupational rehabilitation education.
Dr. Leonard N. Matheson has spent more than five decades advancing the fields of occupational rehabilitation, functional assessment, neurorehabilitation, and work-focused healthcare.
A psychologist, researcher, educator, and internationally recognized leader in occupational rehabilitation, Dr. Matheson is widely known for helping establish many of the practices that continue to shape the field today. He is the originator of Work Hardening and has contributed to the development of national standards for Work Hardening, Work Conditioning, Work Capacity Evaluation, and Functional Capacity Evaluation.
Throughout his career, Dr. Matheson has designed numerous assessment tools and treatment models used in occupational rehabilitation. His work includes the development of the Pictorial Activity Task Sorts, including the Spinal Function Sort, Hand Function Sort, and Multidimensional Task Ability Profiler. His assessment tools have been translated into more than two dozen languages and used by rehabilitation professionals around the world.
Dr. Matheson spent 15 years as an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy and Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine. His scholarly work includes more than 45 peer-reviewed scientific publications, along with more than 100 invited papers, textbook chapters, and professional presentations. He also authored chapters addressing functional capacity evaluation for the American Medical Association's disability evaluation publications.
His consulting and professional work has extended across healthcare, government, industry, and insurance. Over the course of his career, he has worked with Fortune 100 employers, insurance carriers, rehabilitation organizations, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Medical Association, and numerous governmental and healthcare organizations in the United States and internationally. He has also provided testimony before the United States House of Representatives.
A significant portion of Dr. Matheson's more recent work has focused on neurorehabilitation and the healthcare needs of active-duty service members, veterans, first responders, and their families.
His work in this area has included research and development related to combat concussion, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, depression, sleep, and community reintegration. In collaboration with military and academic partners, he has contributed to the development of mobile digital therapeutics using cognitive behavioral approaches to support individuals experiencing post-traumatic headache, depression, and related behavioral health concerns.
Dr. Matheson has also worked directly with military healthcare professionals and veteran-focused organizations. His contributions have included education related to mild traumatic brain injury and polytrauma, evaluation of programs supporting individuals with PTSD, consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and development of education focused on restorative sleep for veterans and first responders.
His service to the military community was recognized by the United States Marine Corps with a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding service during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
In 2021, the American Occupational Therapy Association recognized Dr. Matheson's contributions with its Health Advocate Award, honoring his work as a pioneer, educator, and policy advocate in work-oriented neurorehabilitation.
Today, Dr. Matheson serves as an adviser of research and development for Matheson Education & Training Solutions, where his experience continues to guide the evolution of occupational rehabilitation education, functional assessment, research, and clinical practice.
His career has been grounded in a simple principle: helping professionals better understand human function so they can make more informed, meaningful, and defensible decisions about work, rehabilitation, and recovery.
Christina “Chris” Howe, OTR/L, CWCE, was an internationally recognized occupational therapist, executive, and educator who served as a foundational pillar in the evolution of the Matheson occupational rehabilitation systems. Over a career spanning more than three decades, she transitioned the clinical frameworks of Roy Matheson and Associates into a global standard for professional certification, eventually assuming full ownership of the brand’s educational legacy.
After establishing herself as an industry innovator through her work directing the Occupational Health Solutions clinic at Portsmouth Hospital, Howe joined Roy Matheson and Associates in the late 1990s. Recognized by founders Roy and Dr. Leonard Matheson for her exceptional clinical insight and pedagogical skills, she quickly rose to become a premier master instructor for the organization. In this capacity, she spearheaded the global expansion of the “Matheson System,” traveling extensively across North America and into major Asian medical hubs, including Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong, to train thousands of physical therapists, occupational therapists, and industrial safety directors. Leveraging her deep clinical expertise in upper extremity injuries and workplace design, she also heavily refined the company’s core ergonomics and Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) curricula, cementing the organization’s reputation for producing legally defensible workplace assessments.
As the Matheson brand decentralized to separate its research arms from its educational endeavors, Howe transitioned from international field instruction into executive leadership. She took over the day-to-day corporate operations of the training division, guiding the company through its corporate restructuring and establishing its headquarters in Bedford, New Hampshire. Howe ultimately acquired the training enterprise outright, becoming the President and Owner of Matheson Education and Training Solutions (METS). Under her executive leadership, METS maintained its position as the premier international provider of postgraduate certifications for work capacity evaluators.
In November 2017, Howe’s life and career entered a challenging new chapter when she was diagnosed with cancer, initiating a long, hard-fought battle with the disease. Demonstrating a profound degree of personal resilience, she refused to let her health afflictions compromise her commitment to the professional community. Despite the demands of her lengthy illness, she continuously managed the day-to-day corporate operations of METS and actively taught postgraduate certification courses right up until her passing on October 25, 2022, at her beloved cottage in Rye, New Hampshire. Her methodologies, leadership philosophy, and curriculum updates remain central components of contemporary occupational health education worldwide.
Written by Roger Howe