Should I See a Mental Health Occupational Therapist or a Psychologist?

An endorsed mental health occupational therapist (MHOT) often provides a similar service as a psychologist.

Psychologists have tended to focus more on thoughts and behaviours where MHOTs use a much broader model of the human system, including your current environments (home, work, school, sensory impacts), physical health, relationships, personal motivations, and daily tasks/habits. MHOT's are interested in how you are functioning within self care, productivity and leisure and often take a practical approach towards helping you improve your participation in these activities.

As an MHOT, I will work with you as an individual who is not only impacted by your thoughts and feelings but also your experiences and the contexts in which you reside. I enjoy helping people reach their potential by tapping into their unique strengths.

I may use experiential activities to help you identify your own strengths and resources that will ultimately assist you to recover and be the best version of yourself.

Occupation as defined by occupational therapists (OT) refers to any task or activity you are participating in. OTs are highly trained in activity analysis.

This means that OTs can provide assessments that break down tasks into their components to identify the specific factors that may be interrupting a person from performing a certain task.

For example, a task such as cooking might be impacted by executive functioning skills, such as planning or sequencing, or it could be challenging due to sensory integration, or it could be challenging due to depression, anxiety, stress, or motivation.

A variety of approaches can be used to meet specific needs and situations. In addition to traditional psychological talk therapies, MHOTs can also provide:

• Brief functional assessments
• Living skills, such as cooking, budgeting, and household management
• Positive psychology and healthy habit formation
• Self-care, lifestyle, and spiritual-related health and well-being