The clients perspective

From informal discussions with peers and fieldwork supervisors these are the words that were drawn on most commonly. These are what Steger, Wilcock and other theorists have eluded to in their articles. These words are also key to the people we work with, our clients. Client-centered practice is emerging as an important approach to intervention in all areas of occupational therapy (Sumsion, 1999).

Viktor Frankl, was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the Holcaust, provided great advice for increasing meaningfulness in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning.” He noted that “striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force” (1963). In other words, meaning comes from having a purpose in our lives.

For Occupational Therapists we see a lot of people who have had an experience that has caused them to have to change their view of what means something to them. This transitional period can be a challenge. Takes patience and adaption. 


Reference:

Frankl, V. E. (1963). Mans search for meaning. New York: Washington Square Press

Sumsion, T. (1999). Client-centred practice in occupational therapy: A guide to implementation, London, United Kingdom: Harcourt Brace and Company ltd.