Have you ever wondered how an occupational therapist can help your mental well-being? What is the OT’s role alongside the psychiatrist, psychologist, recovery coaches and support workers? Here’s a little story to give you an idea.
Person-centred Care/Rapport Building
Michael is a 30-year-old man with complex psychosocial disabilities, including Autism, ADHD, Depression, Anxiety and complex PTSD. When our Therapy Circles OT first met Michael at his home, he seemed distant. The OT approached Michael without any judgement and tried to get to know Michael better as a person, what his hobbies are, what he likes, and what he struggles with. After patiently building rapport with Michael, it was clear that his behaviour was due to a deep mistrust of health/disability professionals. He’d had multiple bad experiences in the past.
Michael shared his stories about the difficulty he’d had finding psychologists/OTs that he could build rapport with and who could understand why he struggled so much in daily life.
Psychoeducation
Our Therapy Circles OT got to work with Michael, assessing the different areas he struggled with. The OT pieced together the interplay of his various disabilities and the barriers that prevented him from participating in daily life. The OT provided extensive psychoeducation to help Michael better understand his disabilities and symptoms. Michael said that he had never had anyone explain to him how Autism and complex PTSD affected a person. This improved understanding changed how he perceived and approached the world. It also allowed him to remove the blame from himself.
Strengths-based Approach
The OT continued to help Michael identify his strengths and how he could use them to do what he wanted—for example, managing his household chores or going out in the community and making new friends. The OT would incorporate his strengths and interests into each therapy session. Michael could start working towards achieving his goals of managing his health, managing his household, and going out into the community. To build a good picture of Michael, the OT joined him in community visits with his support workers to understand what Michael struggled with when he was out in the community.
Advocacy
Michael was beginning to trust our OT and felt seen as a person not only defined by his disabilities. The OT wrote a functional capacity report for Michael to present to NDIS and demonstrate the need for further support. Part of the role of the OT is to advocate for Michael and explain his needs to his support coordinators, support workers, or even new psychologists. This support is crucial because it is difficult for Michael to advocate for himself or repeatedly talk about his goals and life story to different people. The OT worked closely with his support workers to implement strategies that emerged in the therapy sessions to help Michael build a bigger life for himself.
Ongoing Therapy Intervention
Michael continues to work closely with our Therapy Circles OT. The OT uses different treatment approaches, such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, practising tasks, and modifying activities to help build Michael’s confidence. The OT ensures that the focus remains on Michael’s strengths and interests to continue helping Michael achieve his goals of living a better life. The OT has become one of the more consistent supports in his life, and while much of his life circumstances and other support changes, he trusts the OT to continue supporting and advocating for him.
If you would like to meet with a Therapy Circles OT as part of your NDIS plan or refer someone for assistance, please contact us.
