The overall purpose of this project is to explore the unique perspectives and practice patterns of Canadian OTs regarding psychotherapy services. The study will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 will be a scoping review of the literature regarding the use of psychotherapy approaches within OT practice. Phase 2 will be a national survey of therapists working with clients who experience mental health challenges. The survey will explore psychotherapy knowledge and training, psychotherapy practice patterns (eg. client population, approaches, frequency of use, goals of therapy), perspectives on the relationship between psychotherapy and enabling occupation; and perceived facilitators or barriers to practicing psychotherapy in the context of occupational therapy practice. Phase 3 will involve focus groups with approximately 30-40 key informants conducted in five regions across Canada. Focus group participants will be asked to comment on the findings from Phases 1 and 2, and then engage in a dialogue about developing knowledge translation tools for a range of audiences, including OT educators, students, clinicians, decision makers and the general public. Project outcomes will include: 1) Summary of the research literature regarding OT and psychotherapy, 2) National profile of psychotherapy practice patterns of OTs in mental health; 3) Identification of key opportunities and challenges in positioning OT within national and provincial frameworks of psychotherapy regulation and service provision, and 4) Knowledge translation tools to build competence and credibility of OT’s and promote the unique role of OT in providing psychotherapy from an occupational perspective for individuals with mental health issues.
November 2019 Blog – Sandra Moll 2019 COTF Mental Health Research Grant Recipient
