We might be in different positions, but we are all living in the same world.
Occupational Therapy is known to be the most diverse medical profession as it uses a holistic approach during assessments and interventions. There are different frames of reference, models, and techniques used in occupational therapy to analyze and shape interventions. There is also one technique known as “therapeutic use of self”. According to Finlay, (2022), the therapeutic use of self is the self-aware intertwining of both our professional self, the one that uses knowledge, skills, and techniques) and our personal self (which arises from our history, beliefs/values, personality, and embodied lived experience) https://www.lindafinlay.co.uk/therapeutic-use-of-self/. This is known to be a tool where one (therapist) uses themselves in a way that they become an effective tool in the evaluation and intervention process.
According to Cam (2022), therapeutic use of self is when practitioners leverage their own knowledge, personality, thoughts, feelings, or even their physical body to benefit their patients. During assessments, it can be used to build rapport with the client or social support by empathizing with the client, encouraging and giving them hope. In short, we use ourselves to advocate for patients to gain access to resources, collaborate with the client (autonomy), encourage the client by positive re-enforcement, educate the client about important issues to be considered and help problem-solve which will enable our clients to reach their ultimate occupational goals. For more details visit Cam’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNZDTPiY140.
Therapeutic use of self to me, means understanding my patients and treating them with an understanding that they are real human beings, not robots to be used for academic purposes. Even thou I have little patient which I am willing to work on, relating to my patients in terms of how they may be feeling is important for me. Having the role of being their therapist doesn’t make me superior to them hence “we might be in different positions, but we are all living in the same world”. It is all about being a human being in relation to another human being. It's less about applying therapy techniques and more about finding a way to be with our clients, in patience, curiosity, compassion, caring, and challenge, while we go exploring together how we can make life meaningful again, Finlay (2022).
In my journey of being an OT, I have used my interests and lived experience during therapy, especially during assessments. In 2022 on my first Psycho-social block I had a patient who was not willing to engage in therapy. But I started sharing my love for football and how I have sustained injuries whilst playing. He then started mentioning his perspective on football which then led to having more conversations as this allowed him to warm up to the student therapist, he was seeing for the first time, and already asking questions. Therefore I used myself to elicit better outcomes during assessments (https://lifelonglearningwithot.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/therapeutic-use-of-self/#:~:text=Therapeutic%20use%20of%20self%20is,information%20you%20choose%20to%20share%E2%80%A6). We even utilize this technique unconsciously.
For intervention, this reminds me of the young male adult who was involved in a car accident rendering him T8/T9 dislocation. He had fluctuation of moods due to the sudden permanent changes in his life. Having to adapt the sessions, empathize with him, and physically do passive mobilization, and then educate him to minimize contractures was also a therapeutic use of self. This technique can also apply to physical aspects of life not only psychosocial such as sharing common depressing stories to help others pull out of their depression states or making them see that other people also go through what they are going through or relate.
This also reminds me that how we treat our patients really has an impact on when and how other clients can start seeking intervention. If the word of mouth is that Ots treat their patients like trash. No one even in their sickness would like to be treated as such. So, it is important for us to use ourselves in a good way. In closing this is advocating us to always practise the Golden Rule!
For more information on the therapeutic use of self, you can also visit the OT Practise framework online: American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), Article 7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S...
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