When someone asks about your occupation, you probably tell them about your job.
But if an occupational therapist asks, they want to know about all of the activities you do during the day—everything from getting dressed and feeding yourself to the work you do and the hobbies you enjoy.
“It’s about the way you occupy your time, the everyday activities you do with your family or in your community that provide meaning and purpose,” says UNC Health occupational therapist Andrea Weaver, OT. “There are things we need to do and want to do, and occupational therapy is about enabling those activities.”
Who needs occupational therapy?
Occupational therapists work with children and adults in a variety of settings—hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, homes, schools and more—and for a variety of reasons.
A child may see a pediatric occupational therapist because of a birth defect, developmental disability, injury or disease. They may work with the therapist on fine motor skills or hand-eye coordination so that they can do activities such as holding a toy, dressing themselves or writing at school. They may be learning these skills or doing these activities for the first time.
As an adult, you may have a better sense of the activities you need to work on and how they’ve been affected by illness, injury, surgery or aging.
“Maybe you used to be able to do something and you can’t do it now,” Weaver says. “You may want ideas on how to get back to a prior level of function or to find a new workaround.”
Occupational therapists can help with a wide variety of tasks, from driving a car to assessing home safety to feeling comfortable in an overstimulating environment, so it’s important to find one that’s right for your needs.
“Every occupational therapist has developed different skills, so start by asking your doctor for a recommendation,” Weaver says. “Some occupational therapists specialize in helping people get wheelchairs, for example, while others may be more familiar with certain diagnoses, like Parkinson’s disease.”
What is it like to work with an occupational therapist?
Because an occupational therapist can help with a diverse range of tasks, everyone’s experience will be different. But no matter the activity, your therapist can help you identify ways to do it with less stress on you and your body.
“We start by learning your motivation, your ‘why’ for seeking help from an occupational therapist,” Weaver says. “We look at what you do in a day: what you’re having trouble with, your perspective on why this is troublesome and what you’ve already tried. Then, we’d work together on some goals.”
As an example of what this might look like: Let’s say you have Parkinson’s disease and are experiencing changes with how your hands function because of tremors and stiffness. One of your primary goals is being able to dress yourself in your favorite button-up shirt, because that’s what helps you feel independent and confident.
Your therapist would start by assessing your perception of touch, strength, coordination and visual motor skills. Then they might guide you through task-specific activities to restore your ability to button normally. They might introduce other options, such as a tool that helps you pull the buttons through the holes, or consider whether it’s best to partially button the shirt before pulling it on.
“There are always multiple ways to do something, and we can find a way that’s acceptable to you,” Weaver says.
The occupational therapist will always consider the environment around you and whether a change could help. Perhaps buttoning the shirt in a mirror is confusing your right and left hands. Maybe sitting in your bedroom while buttoning is easier than standing in your bathroom.
What’s the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy?
There can be some overlap between occupational therapy and physical therapy; you might work on hand strength and mobility with both therapists, for example. A physical therapist will be more focused on how your body is functioning, while your occupational therapist is considering what you want to be doing.
“Occupational therapy has some similarities to physical therapy, in that we want you to be able to return to function and be pain-free,” Weaver says. “An occupational therapist is viewing your participation and engagement in occupations as central to the rehab process.”
You might benefit from doing both types of therapy at once.
“Some people think they have to do one therapy at the time, but there can be tremendous growth when you have therapists from different disciplines working with you,” Weaver says.
What is the connection between occupational therapy and mental health?
Occupational therapy allows you to do the things you want to do.
“When you think about why you do some of these tasks—the pleasure you get from them, how they contribute to your role in your family or society—occupational therapy can really improve your quality of life and mental health,” Weaver says.
When you’re dealing with a difficult diagnosis or recovering from a debilitating injury, the ability to complete these tasks can take on a new importance.
“Independence is something we become used to as an adult, and when we lose it, it can feel like we’ve lost a part of our identity,” Weaver says. “Even if you can’t do a task fully by yourself, being able to do certain parts of the task can help feed into a feeling of productivity, fun or independence. You can feel more in control.”
If you think occupational therapy might help you, talk to your doctor. If you need a doctor, find one near you.