Occupational therapy is an allied health profession. This term is utilized to refer to the wide range of expert groups that work in mainstream wellness care. Other examples of allied health professionals include physiotherapists, radiographers, speech and language therapists, and podiatrists. Occupational therapists are needed to train at degree level and register with the Wellness Profession Council, which was set up by the government to ensure the safety of the public and continuing expert development of its members.
Occupational therapists are concerned with human occupation in its widest sense. They think that men and women have an intrinsic drive to be active and express themselves via occupations and activities. Occupational therapists understand that occupations contribute to a person’s sense of identity and place in society. Take a moment to have a feel about all the roles and occupations that make up your life, you might be a parent, or partner, you may be studying at college or working your way up the career ladder, you could be into exercising and keeping fit or you may be leading a hippy way of life!
Whatever, your life alternatives, it is most likely that these roles and occupations give your life direction. For example, believe about the range of activities that you do in any week, you will discover that most of what you do, is related to your life roles and selection of occupations. This is simply because we do what is meaningful to us and what is necessary (ironing is likely to fall into the latter category!).