Mental Health Occupational Therapist

Working, juggling the bills, and dealing with the general stress of life are a challenging balance. Throw in the extra burden of mental illness and life might seem too complicated to manage. Thankfully, those who suffer from depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other mental health issues can rely on Mental Health Occupational Therapists to help them balance it all.

As a Mental Health Occupational Therapist, you teach your patients how to cope with situations. Of course, each situation is different, so that gives you a bit of variety with each case.

For example, many of your patients struggle to deal with stress. For those cases, you work to give them a virtual toolbox that helps them react properly when the stress bug bites. Other patients might need help balancing a checkbook, paying bills, or figuring out how to run errands when they don’t drive.

As a Mental Health Occupational Therapist, you have a binder of resources at your disposal, so no matter what the situation is, you’re prepared. Patient has an addiction? Refer her to a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. Patient needs a mental health evaluation? Send him to a Psychiatrist.

In fact, you’re commonly one member of a support team made up of Doctors, family members, and other social service providers such as yourself.

At the end of the day, you feel great about your contribution to the team as your patient improves healthwise, finds a job, manages the bills, and gains satisfaction from personal independence.