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Updates have been done: 1.) Creation of the More Resources header; 2.) New and extensive listing of resources under the Pain Management header --> Pain Management Resources page; 3.) more Pain Management Methods provided under the Pain Management Header --> Pain Management Resources page (with more planned to be added soon.)
This website has been created as an online library of information that has been found useful by me (the author) for the people for whom I have provided occupational therapy care. The contents are inspired by the types of concerns I have typically addressed as an OT and reflect my OT approach. This website continues to be built and updated so check back periodically to see what's new.
Please scroll down to
- Learn more about OT.
- Read the disclaimers, including your responsibility in using the information in this website.
- Learn more about the author and why there is no contact information.
Thanks and take care!
About Occupational Therapy
Weird word, right? And yet, it is kind of perfect. An ‘occupation’ in our profession is based on an old-fashioned use of the word and refers to anything that ‘occupies’ your time.
The things you do, your occupations, can be disrupted by life changes. Sometimes these changes are physical, sometimes psychological, sometimes they are changes to your environment, etc. Often, they are changes that affect multiple aspects of your life.
The 'aspects of your life' represent your roles, such as grandparent, parent, child, sibling, worker, person who fishes / knits / cooks / volunteers / teaches / reads, and so on. Roles can also include things that are often taken for granted: person who drives / uses a toilet / bathes alone / picks out their own clothes, and so much more. As these roles occupy your time, we call them occupational roles.
I'll go one step further and point out that your roles tend to reflect a way that you have come to identify yourself and thus are an intrinsic part of your overall identity. We call this your occupational identity, your 'doing' self.
When a change occurs, it can have a ripple effect through the specific occupations that you normally do such that it changes one or more of your occupational roles. This change, then, can also alter your sense of identity as a 'doing' person.
As a result, you may find yourself doing less which can lead to several physiological concerns overtime as well as feelings of stress, depression, worry, anger, and more.
Remaining occupationally engaged - even if how you do the occupation has changed, or if you are now doing a different occupation - has a dynamic and beneficial impact on your health.
Understanding the importance of remaining occupationally engaged is one thing. Finding your way through a change in a way that feels appropriate for your concerns is another.
In occupational therapy, we are focused on you as a whole person and how the changes you are experiencing are impacting your ability to remain occupationally engaged. Sometimes we use a dynamic occupation as our intervention. Sometimes we use a more targeted intervention to facilitate your ability to engage in your occupations. We work with you, as a team, to determine what the best care approach is for your concerns.
Often our approach, and certainly mine, is a 'teach a person to fish' approach. You could think of me as a clinical health management and lifestyle coach. As a licensed and highly trained healthcare professional, I think it is important to highlight the "clinical" part of this description.
Clinical pertains to the observation and treatment of patients. As a clinician, I am specifically trained to consider the evidence-based medical aspects of your occupational concerns and how these may be rehabilitated or managed in the context of your life.
It is the whole of you, though, that I am focused on. If the evidence says 'x' is the most appropriate treatment for your condition, but you find 'x' to be a bad idea for you, then we don't do 'x'. We continue to consider what 'tools' that I have in my 'tool bag' that do work for you and go forward from there. If it turns out that I don't have a tool that is helpful to you, then I refer you back to your doctor/nurse practitioner or to another provider as I am able to support you in finding the appropriate care for your concern(s).
Lots. Occupations are dynamic so OTs must also be dynamic. Some of us are 'generalists.' This means that we do our best within our scope of practice and skillsets to help any person that comes to us for care. Some of us are specialists focusing on concerns such as early childhood development or end-of-life care.
Interventions can include:
- Engaging in an occupation relevant to your concern(s)
- Health management training, including chronic pain management
- Trauma informed approaches and behavioral/lifestyle management skill development, including sensory based approaches
- Memory care and caregiver training, including home safety and environment management
- Post-stroke care, including neuromotor reeducation
- Behavioral management and pro-social development, again including sensory integration
- Ergonomic and home safety assessments
- Functional performance assessments
- Physiological interventions, such as hand therapy and orthotics
- And more.
What your OT can do will be specific to them. Talk with them to learn more.
The Author
You may have guessed by now that I am an occupational therapist. I truly enjoy what I do, especially when I can bring a sense of relief to the person who has come to see me for care. I have worked almost exclusively in rural areas during my career and consider myself a bit of a country girl.
Many of the folks I work with have limited income, time, and access to helpful resources. I have been influenced by this over the course of my career to try to develop interventions that meet these realities in a common sense way. I believe in educating those in my care so that they can better identify their specific areas of concerns and begin to manage them more effectively.
My intention in this is to support a person's independence in their occupational performance as possible. Sometimes I am focused on helping a person and their caregiver(s) become an independent team. I hope that you feel less worried and less confused by your concern(s) and more confident in your ability to self-manage in the context of your life.
Author Anonymity & Contact
My identity will remain anonymous on this website to avoid professional conflicts.
This website is shared with specific individuals who have an association with me. Those individuals are separately provided specific contact information for me.
If you are one of those individuals and you have a question for me, please contact me via the method(s) you have been provided.
If you have found this website and you are not associated with me then you are encouraged to take any questions you have to your healthcare provider(s) and ask them their thoughts.
Disclaimers & Your Responsibility
This website is not affiliated with any entity other than me, the author.
The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or replace medical advice.
While information is referenced that I have found helpful, I am not attempting to sell or endorse a specific product from any entity, even if I write or indicate in any other way that I like it.
I do not receive any payments or other financial benefits from this website or the information contained herein.
I may state that I have found something useful or that a resource is good, excellent, or similar. However, this does not mean that it is right for you. Every person who visits this site is responsible for how they use this information, including you. Do your own research, which can include consulting with your healthcare provider(s), to determine what or if you want to purchase any item or participate in anything referenced in this website.
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