Mental Health Occupational Therapy Services
(Youth and Adults)
Maria Sotirakos, OT/Erg.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational Therapy is built on the premise that engaging in meaningful occupations and roles is a predictor of health and well-being.
Occupational Therapists work towards empowering clients by facilitating their participation in occupations that are important to them but may be impacted by illness or disability. These occupations can range from productive activities (such as school, work, and household duties) to self-care and leisure activities.
Among other things, an Occupational Therapist (OT) in Mental Health can help by:
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Working on concrete strategies to better manage anxiety, depression, self-regulation, and emotional regulation.
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Assessing skills, interests, values, and strengths and establishing goals that are in accordance.
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Creating a schedule and structuring daily activities.
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Assisting with organizational difficulties, and their impacts at school, work, or home.
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Working on daily routines and lifestyle habits that can improve mental health.
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Replacing unhealthy activities with healthy, meaningful activities.
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Working on interpersonal skills and improving interpersonal relationships.
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Collaborating with a client's school, workplace, or with other healthcare professionals if needed.
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Assessing sensory processing difficulties and their impact on daily functioning.
(CAOT, 2023)
For more information on Occupational Therapy and Mental Health:
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy (CAOT)- Mental Health OT
For examples of ways OT helped with mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic:
-Services-
01.
- Sensory processing consultations
- Self-regulation and co-regulation strategies
- Management of anxiety, depression, and self-regulation difficulties and their impact at home and school
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) informed approaches
- Zones of Regulation and Sensory Integration informed approaches
-Mindfulness-based interventions
02.
- Management of anxiety and depression and their impact at home and school
- Management of cognitive difficulties (attentional, executive functioning) and their impact on daily functioning
- Exploration of interests and leisure activities through OT interventions that build resilience and self-esteem
- CBT-informed, DBT-informed (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy), ACT-informed and Self-Compassion Therapy-informed interventions
-Mindfulness-based interventions
03.
- Management of anxious and depressive symptoms and their impact at home and work
- Management of cognitive difficulties (attentional, executive functioning) and their impact on daily functioning
- Working on balancing life roles and occupations
- CBT-informed, DBT-informed, ACT-informed, Self-Compassion Therapy- informed interventions
- Mindfulness-based interventions