MAN, THROUGH USE OF HIS HANDS….

“Man, through the use of his hands, as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health,” Mary Reilly.

Mary Reilly, EdD, OTR, FAOTA (1916–2012)

It is no secret, to those that know me, this is my absolute FAVORITE quote, regarding occupational therapy.  I find projects using my hands to be extremely calming, allow me to gather my thoughts and feel productive at the same time, and really, whose mood isn’t improved by splashes of bright colors of paint, or pastels, or whatever medium you choose.

The focus of occupational therapy is on activities of daily living….what’s that you ask…those are the things we do every day, from getting dressed, to eating, to checking Instagram on our phones.  The activities we do every single day.  Then there are the instrumental activities of daily living, our jobs, cooking, shopping, paying bills, the list goes on.  Fortunately for us occupational therapists, this allows us to work with clients on whatever is of importance to them.  If you have a client who loves to work on cars, we can bring tools to the treatment room, or better yet, outside to work on a car.  If you have a child that wants badly to conquer the monkey bars, we can work on that. Our treatments are client-centered, we can find what is meaningful and find progress and success in improving performance of those meaningful occupations.

Occupational therapy celebrated 100 years of existence in 2017…Hooray!! A number of fantastic articles, speeches, and presentations came out of the centennial celebration, if you are interested in getting to know the pioneers of occupational therapy check out this amazing video detailing the history of occupational therapy.  The OT centennial website was created to celebrate the progress of occupational therapy, check it out here!

So next time you are feeling anxious, or frustrated, or feel the need to clear your mind, create something!