OT and Mental Health
I’d love to help more people understand exactly what Occupational Therapists do, and how much we can help...
OTs are incredibly practical. We look at every part of everyday life: routines, self-care, work, social life, leisure, sleep, relationships and community. We look at what an individual needs, how their life is looking, where they want to go, and how we make it work for them in their environment.
I’m really passionate about the role OT plays in mental health. Many people just don’t realise that Mental Health a really important part of what we do. We’re so well situated to help, because we look at the whole of someone’s life: all their roles, their history, their developmental stage and their relationships. So it’s a really good fit. A lot of people don’t know that eligible OTs can also see people on a mental health plan.
Because we work with the whole of everyday life, OTs can be a practical, hands-on option for families and individuals. And we work with all ages.
In fact, I’ve worked with every single age group, but at the moment I’m happy to be working with children and families.
OT can sit alongside other professions, like speech pathology, physiotherapy, social work, psychology, nursing, dietetics and plenty of other supports. We work really closely with teachers and support workers. We also work very closely with GPs , paediatricians and psychiatrists, helping families work through the day-to-day aspects of life, where it matters most for them.
So OT can be a great place to start!
