Complete Health Wellness Group

Mental Health Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a holistic approach that uses evidence-based practices and meaningful occupations, or everyday activities, to promote mental health. These activities are tailored to an individual's needs and capabilities to provide a “just-right” challenge. 

Occupational therapy can help in the following ways:

• Improve occupational performance and activity engagement

• Boost self-esteem and motivation

• Learn important life skills and strategies

• Identify and implement healthy habits, rituals, and routines

• Establish meaningful life roles

• Provide accommodations and compensatory strategies

 

Psychotherapy Collaboration

Occupational therapy and psychotherapy are often used together to create a comprehensive and effective treatment plan for mental health. Occupational therapy focuses on providing practical strategies and activities to help people incorporate therapeutic skills into their everyday life. This supplemental form of therapy often helps bridge the gap between therapist-led sessions and applying those therapeutic skills in real-world situations, ultimately leading to improved mental health and well-being.

 

Occupational Therapy Mental Health Approaches

The focus on the influence of occupational engagement on health promotion sets occupational therapy practitioners apart from other mental health professionals. Occupational therapy practitioners design and provide interventions tailored to individual clients in order to improve their mental health and increase their ability to participate in meaningful activities in everyday life. These interventions involve providing education, guidance, and support that help the individual achieve their goals in several ways.

• Support client strengths and areas for growth

• Teach functional strategies to address cognition, sensation, motivation, and emotions

• Promote executive functioning (attention, organization, time management, problem-solving)

• Enhance coping, social-emotional, and self-regulation skills (mind-body connection)

• Identify and incorporate appropriate sensory experiences (brain breaks, fidgets)

• Create supportive environments (sensory-friendly, universal design, modifications)

• Incorporate leisure and play activities

• Modify task expectations