Throughout life a persons health can be disrupted and challenged by life events. This may be from everyday stressors or more complex events.
When a person is unable to do the things they need or want to do, occupational disruption occurs. This impacts all domains of a persons life – their work, self care, leisure and relationships.
Life unravels… and it becomes harder to stay in the flow.
Mental Health occupational therapy (OT) helps to weave together the network of factors that cause perturbations in one’s meaningful existence in the world.
What is mental health occupational therapy?
Mental health occupational therapists are interested in what matters to a person. They take time to understand the person, where they are and where they wish to be.
They help people to achieve the everyday activities that they engage in and find meaningful.
Psychological therapy approaches used at Next Wave Therapy include:
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Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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Psychological Education
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Sensory-Modulation
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Trauma Informed Care
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Neuro-Occupational Approach
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Dialectical Behavioural therapy (DBT)
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
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Schema Therapy
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Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
These approaches are used within an occupational model which means that therapy always focuses on what is personally meaningful for the individual in their daily life.
Life skills are a foundation to being able to navigate through times of stress as well as to create growth and change. Occupational therapists at Next Wave Therapy help people with:
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Stress Management
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Assertiveness Training
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Anxiety Management
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Relaxation Training
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Anger Management
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Sleep Therapy
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Self esteem
Occupations are a life shaping force.
A neuro-occupational approach recognises the dynamic relationship between the nervous system and occupational performance. It helps to design meaningful and life changing therapy by;
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Focusing intention
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Building meaning into your life
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Developing self-awareness
It helps people learn how to regulate their behavior and adapt to challenging situations that may happen outside of them (from the environment) or from inside (body responses, thoughts and feelings).
A neuro-occupational approach helps people create more meaning in their life, in doing this, change happens in the direction of their own choosing.
Small meaningful goals set a person on a path toward self efficacy, motivation, hope. and ultimately they become the co-creator of their own change.
Next Wave Occupational Therapists
Sasha Wray and Annabel Poulsen are mental health OT’s who provide Focused Psychological Therapy for depression, anxiety, chronic pain, autism, grief, sleep disorder, chronic fatigue, stress and acopia.
No referral is needed to see an occupational therapist at Next wave but a GP referral is needed for treatment under a Medicare Mental Health Care Plan.
