What is Occupational Therapy?
Human life comprises hundreds of daily activities that occupy our waking hours. These activities — defined as “occupations” — have a profound impact on how we feel physically, emotionally, socially and even spiritually. They can provide a sense of satisfaction and well-being but they can also create stress, imbalance and dissatisfaction. While they perform include professional, employment and work activities, occupations encompass more than just a person’s career because people of all ages, cultures and capabilities engage in occupations.
Occupational Therapy (OT) is the profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through engagement in everyday activity. It is a health care profession aimed at improving performance, preventing illness and disability and promoting adaptation to life changes. In this interdisciplinary field, occupational therapists (OTs) help all people — those with and without disabilities — to realize healthier, happier and more productive lives.
OTs help people to get back to meaningful everyday activities. They work with people of all ages who have experienced an illness affecting physical or mental health, an injury, or a disability starting early in life. They work with families, communities and organizations to enable people to live life to the fullest.
What Do Occupational Therapists Do?
OTs are healthcare professional who help patients maximize independent living skills. They work with people who have injuries, illnesses, disabilities, or other conditions that affect their ability to perform the activities of daily living (occupations).
A therapy session will focus more on functional restoration that may consist of strengthening, performing the task a different way, using adaptive equipment, or modifying the environment to get the job done. This work helps the patient to gain or regain independence, whether they are a child born with developmental delays, a construction worker with a hand injury, or an older adult who has survived a stroke.
Typically, OTs work in clinical or school settings according to the medical model, with insurance reimbursement. However, there is currently a movement in the field toward working with marginalized people in community-based settings, such as homeless shelters, community mental health sites, and residential facilities. These emerging practice areas are exciting opportunities for OTs, though reimbursement can be challenging.
OTs’ experiences are as unique as the people they serve. Being an OTs gives you the opportunity to work one-on-one with clients to help them return to meaningful and purposeful activities and improve their lives.
Where Do Occupational Therapists Work?

• Hospitals
• Occupational Therapy Clinics & Rehabilitation Centers
• Schools & Educational Services
• Home Healthcare Services
• Nursing & Day Care Facilities