Occupation-Based Reflection

Touro University Nevadas curriculum encourages and promotes the use of occupationbased intervention and strategies when working with clients. I always understood the
functionality of utilizing the clients occupations when trying to recover physically, but I admit I
did not understand the finer point behind meaningful and purposeful occupations. The Master of
Science in Occupational Therapy Program taught me how you can address even small
components of functionality such as range of motion with a client specific occupation that will
encourage longer participation time, motivation, and increased independence. Not only does
utilizing a meaningful and purposeful occupation encourage the client to participate fully in his
or her recovery, but it also is encouraging to put forth maximum effort when participating as the
client can easily mark his or her own progress.
The first artifact that influenced the way I think about occupation-based interventions was
the occupational analysis and intervention plan I completed in clinical reasoning about
occupation. This was the first time I was able to use my occupational therapist lens to interview,
develop an occupational profile, and create an occupation-based intervention plan for another
individual. This process reinforced just how important it is to actively listen to my client, her
wants and needs, and to utilize an occupation that is important to her in order to effectively treat
her concerns.
The second artifact that really cemented my opinion about utilizing occupation-based
interventions is my experience during my first level II fieldwork at Rawson-Neal Psychiatric
Hospital. I worked with various clients with different backgrounds and diagnoses, different areas
of concern and improvement, and I was able to use occupation-based strategies to address
physical impairments, but also emotional and mental issues. More specifically, working with my
one client that had spent approximately 40 years in prison, I used meal preparation to assist him

Occupation-Based Reflection

with development of an identity beyond ex-convict, address grief he felt related to his mothers
passing, and to build his self-confidence as he did not have adequate skills to support himself and
function as an independent adult in society. Using an occupation that he was familiar with and
had basic skills in encouraged his participation as well as increased motivation. This scenario
encouraged my own fledgling skills as an entry-level occupational therapist and encourage my
critical thinking skills when attempting to think of other occupation-based interventions for other
clients.
All in all, I believe my ability to think of and grade or adapt occupation-based
interventions increased immensely through the semesters at Touro University Nevada and my
various experiences. I grew to appreciate just how utilizing meaningful and purposeful
occupations can increase patient buy in, but are versatile and allow occupational therapists to
address multiple areas of concern with one activity. Not only do I have a better understanding of
occupation-based interventions, but I also have a greater understanding of their importance in
relation to occupational therapy as we are the only profession that utilize them to assist with our
therapeutic treatment of clients.