Adult and adolescent Occupational Therapy is aimed at promoting an individual’s mental and emotional well-being and is often used in tandem with psycho-therapeutic treatment to enable individuals to achieve a more balanced and independent lifestyle.

The primary goal of Occupational Therapy is to equip clients with a practical toolset that they can use to make a success of their social, personal, professional, and emotional lives and to achieve growth in these areas which may lead to well-being, satisfaction, and fulfilment.

The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework focuses particularly on the central thesis that the longer an individual is not engaging in meaningful work or daily tasks, the greater the risk of poor mental health, low confidence, loss of skills, reduced social connections and an unbalanced lifestyle. In the case of individuals who are suffering from mental health problems that have kept them away from work or out of an active daily lifestyle, their symptoms can be compounded to the point that they are unable to return to a fulfilled and active life in any capacity or alternatively, if they have done so prematurely, they may run an increased risk of relapse.

Occupational Therapy therefore concerns itself with attempting to bridge the gap between time spent being inactive due to extended periods of illness and a return to a fully balanced lifestyle. This is achieved through a holistic approach that includes positive reinforcement and the implementation of evidence-based practices that are tailored to the individual’s needs.

There is also often a greater degree of focus on practical coping mechanisms which can be implemented by the individual to better adjust to a new way of living and are designed to compliment work being done by the rest of the treating team which may include psychologists and psychiatrists. This multi-pronged approach has shown itself to be highly effective in assisting people with returning to a balanced lifestyle in a way that is realistic, healthy, and appropriate.

In addition to individual treating sessions Occupational Therapy services can include Functional Capacity Evaluations, Group Therapy, Case Management, Work/Site Visits, Workplace Accommodations, Cognitive Rehabilitation, Sensory Profiling/Modulation, Stress Management, Anxiety Management, and Social Skills Training.

To contact Kristyn please email kristyn@fitforworksa.com or call 082 487 2361