Occupation-Based Practice Reflection

Prior to beginning Occupational Therapy school, I had almost no idea what occupational
based practice was or its impact on a persons health. Throughout this program, I have come to
understand truly what it means to say that humans are occupational beings. People attain growth,
roles, lessons, and meaning through their experiences and occupations. Although various
assignments sought to further explain what it means to be an occupational being, it was through
fieldwork that I was able to really understand how engagement in occupation can promote and
sustain health and wellness. I found that clients were much more engaged and willing to
participate in therapy despite feeling unwell if they saw the value in treatment. I found it to be
much easier to convince a client to practice their ADLs versus trying to have them complete an
upper extremity exercise without explanation.
At the beginning of the program, projects such as the activity analysis and the various
assignments related to occupational profiles did not seem to make much sense. The assignments
seemed tedious and without much direction. However, I have come to realize the importance of
being able to break down an activity to its most basic parts and to be able to understand who a
person is and what their goals are. Clinicians must be analytical in their approach to treatment
and seek to understand the interplay between the person, environment, and the desired
occupation. It is when these three concepts overlap that a person is able to fully participate and
engage in those activities that they find most meaningful.
Although it seems intuitive that everyone should have the ability to do what they want
and what is meaningful to them, I have come to learn of social injustices that bar certain
individuals from fulfilling their role as occupational beings. As a future clinician, it is important
for me to be an advocate for those who feel as though their locus of control is being taken away

from them as a result of external factors. I hope to always find challenges in helping individuals
participate in those occupations they find most meaningful, as it is through those challenges that
I will become a better clinician.