Welcome to guest blogger:
Katy Schmidt, OTD, OTR/L
Aspire OT is always excited to celebrate OTs, OTAs, and students who make an impact. Katy Schmidt, OTD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, assistant professor, researcher, advocate and Aspire OT instructor who is passionate about serving individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders and chronic pain.
When the fourth edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework was released, I was pleased to learn that health management was added to our domain as an area of occupation. I address health management with most of my clients, aiming to improve their participation in occupations such as physical activity, nutrition management, medication management, and symptom management. These activities can hold inherent value to an individual. Additionally, these activities can improve a client’s ability to participate in other occupations. For example, if an individual with schizophrenia mitigates their symptoms through physical activity, nutrition, medication, and coping strategies, they will likely be able to engage in other daily occupations more meaningfully and consistently.
Whether addressing risky behaviors or promoting healthy activities, occupational therapy practitioners have a unique opportunity to improve our clients’ health management. However, human behavior is a very tricky thing and it does not change easily. We cannot simply tell our clients, “You need to stop drinking and start exercising.” They likely already know this and have heard it a million times. Instead, we must utilize our holistic knowledge of the client and their values, environment, and occupations to enhance their intrinsic motivation to change their behaviors, using strategies such as motivational interviewing. Through a collaborative partnership, we can empower our clients to initiate long-lasting, meaningful behavioral change for improved health.
As an occupational therapist who has worked in schools, jails, and psychiatric hospitals, I prioritize building rapport with each client. As trust develops, clients may feel comfortable enough to divulge their engagement in risky behaviors, such as substance use, high-risk sexual activity, gambling, illegal activities, or self-injury. As an occupational therapist, I seek to first recognize these risky behaviors as occupations that hold meaning and purpose to the client, then to promote the client’s health management.
When the fourth edition of the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework was released, I was pleased to learn that health management was added to our domain as an area of occupation. I address health management with most of my clients, aiming to improve their participation in occupations such as physical activity, nutrition management, medication management, and symptom management. These activities can hold inherent value to an individual. Additionally, these activities can improve a client’s ability to participate in other occupations. For example, if an individual with schizophrenia mitigates their symptoms through physical activity, nutrition, medication, and coping strategies, they will likely be able to engage in other daily occupations more meaningfully and consistently.
Whether addressing risky behaviors or promoting healthy activities, occupational therapy practitioners have a unique opportunity to improve our clients’ health management. However, human behavior is a very tricky thing and it does not change easily. We cannot simply tell our clients, “You need to stop drinking and start exercising.” They likely already know this and have heard it a million times. Instead, we must utilize our holistic knowledge of the client and their values, environment, and occupations to enhance their intrinsic motivation to change their behaviors, using strategies such as motivational interviewing. Through a collaborative partnership, we can empower our clients to initiate long-lasting, meaningful behavioral change for improved health.
Motivational Interviewing for Occupational Therapy Practitioners
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