A Letter from the founder

Occupational therapy (OT) is defined as “… a client-centred health profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life.”[i]

Defining our practice is the first step of being an occupational therapist, and typically, any OT you meet will be able to give you their definition in one minute or less. My first introduction to the theory and practice of OT was through a textbook called The Art and Science of Living[ii] whose title to this day encapsulates what occupational therapy strives to do in practice.  Occupational therapy practice exists in diverse settings, with the simple goal of working with individuals to engage in meaningful, individualized activities (occupations) to the best of their ability. Occupational therapy is the evidence based practice of artful integration of meaningful activity. It is the art and science of living, in practice.

Since beginning my career as a practitioner, I’ve begun to change my answer to the question “What is occupational therapy?” as I have found that my personal definition has started to evolve into something larger than being a therapist or healthcare provider. My own elevator speeches began to reflect my deepening belief in the potential of occupational therapy. I started to voice the same simple statement about my profession - that each human being has the right to engage in occupation and to practice meaningful activities that are fulfilling to them.  

For me, that statement was the beginning of OTs For Action. As I write this, OTs For Action is a brand new community of occupational therapists and their friends, family and communities. In forming OTs for Action, my simple goal is to create community for and with occupational therapists and to work to alleviate occupational injustices locally and globally.

At OTs for Action we believe:   

  • Each person has the right to engage in occupations that provide meaning and fulfillment to the person completing those occupations;
  • Occupational injustice[iii] occurs when a person is unable to engage in occupations as a result of oppression, including economic, social, political or systemic oppression;
  • We [the OTs For Action community] have the ability to positively impact  structures of oppression in our world by working with persons and communities experiencing occupational injustice.

While you and I build this community, we will create our mission and vision for the work we want to do in this world.  We will come together with our communities, our families, our friends and our clients to create change. Our focus will be to work with one another, to build awareness of the occupational injustices in our world, to lift one another up, and to create solutions to those injustices.  We will also take the time to consider that we too, are occupational beings. You, too, have the right to engage in occupations that are meaningful, fulfilling and joyful to you.

You are invited to join this community and work to positively impact our world community so that each human being has the ability to engage in meaningful, fulfilling occupations to the best of their ability.  This community is ours to build, love, and nurture so that we may be better able to engage with our world.

Will you join me?

 

In solidarity and with love,

2017-03-04 17-21.jpg

 

 

Founder of OTs For Action

 

 

 

Sources: 

[i] Definition of Occupational Therapy. (2012) World Federation of Occupational Therapists. http://www.wfot.org/AboutUs/AboutOccupationalTherapy/DefinitionofOccupationalTherapy.aspx

[ii] Christiansen, C., & Townsend, E. A. (2014). Introduction to occupation: the art and science of living. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

[iii] American Occupational Therapy Association. (2008) Domain of Occupational Therapy, Overview. Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. (2nd Ed.).  Automated Graphic Systems, Inc., White Plains, MD.