Neuroaffirming Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Mental health occupational therapy (OT) focuses on supporting individuals in developing the skills, routines, and environments that promote well-being, participation, and a sense of purpose. It addresses the interplay between a person’s mental health, sensory processing, daily activities, and social or occupational roles. OTs in mental health settings work with clients to enhance emotional regulation, executive functioning, self-advocacy, and engagement in meaningful activities while considering personal strengths and challenges.
In a neurodiversity-affirming framework, mental health OT moves away from deficit-based models and instead recognizes and respects neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergences as natural variations of human cognition. This approach emphasizes self-understanding, autonomy, and accessibility rather than imposing neurotypical norms.
How Mental Health OT Looks in Neurodiversity-Affirming Care:
- Sensory-Informed Strategies: Understanding and supporting sensory processing differences rather than trying to "normalize" them. This may include sensory modulation techniques, creating sensory-friendly environments, or developing self-regulation strategies that align with the person's needs.
- Executive Function Support Without Pathologization: Helping individuals create customized strategies for planning, organizing, and transitioning without framing executive function differences as failures.
- Reducing Internalized Ableism and Supporting Identity Development: OTs help clients unlearn harmful messages about themselves and develop a positive self-concept that acknowledges both their challenges and their unique strengths.
- Activities of Daily Living: Developing strategies and supports to engage in activities like showering, meal preparation, sleep, grooming while also reconstructing ideas of what a person's daily activities "should" look like.
- Strength-Based and Interest-Led Activities: Encouraging engagement in meaningful activities that align with a person’s passions and natural ways of thinking, rather than enforcing neurotypical productivity or social expectations.
- Task and Environment Adaptation: Instead of changing the person, OT helps adapt environments, routines, and expectations to better fit the individual’s strengths and sensory profile.
- Co-Regulation and Autonomy: Recognizing that regulation is not just an individual responsibility but a relational process. OT provides strategies for co-regulation while supporting self-advocacy and interdependence.
- Nervous System Regulation: Using Polyvagal-informed and body-based strategies to support autonomic regulation, co-regulation, and resilience. This may include rhythmic movement, breathwork, grounding techniques, and structured activities to help shift between states of arousal safely and effectively.
- Chronic Illness Support: Observing ways in which chronic illness impact the person's quality of life and their ability to engage in activities that are meaningful to them. We develop strategies to work both with and around symptoms while also acknowledging grief and anger that often accompanies chronic illness.
Mental health OT in neurodiversity-affirming care validates individual experiences, promotes self-determination, and shifts the focus from “fixing” to “supporting” in ways that enhance participation and quality of life.
Occupational Therapy services are available for clients in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont.
Client Testimonial
"Before I started OT with Melissa, [I] was having a lot of panic attacks and stress which impacted me medically. I also was afraid to talk to anyone for my whole life about what we worked on but Mellisa was open and completely non-judgmental. She helped me be comfortable with myself and I also now use a weighted stuffed animal that helps me everyday because she recommend I use it.
When I was meeting with Melissa I felt really comfortable because she understands when I'm stressed or something is wrong. She also helps keep me on track and focused by redirecting me. She also is really calming and caring too. She understands how to help people with complicated developmental disabilities and understands how medical trauma makes them harder to manage. When we were meeting it was very helpful to ask her questions about what we were working on and not feel judged about it and she had really helpful feedback and solutions. She also like myself loves “the office” and can quote it. I feel really calm anytime I talk to Melissa because she’s really funny and laid back. She also taught me skills I use every day to calm down which are really helpful and actives to reduce stress and anxiety in seriously stressful situations.
I feel a lot better having worked with Melissa and it’s helped me with other people on my care team, [and] I feel a lot better now because of what Melissa helped me through and all I learned. My mom also noticed the difference too. What Melissa was most helpful with was helping me feel safe and secure about myself having to do with what we worked on and it was really helpful, especially with me because sometimes talk to family or your parents is difficult sometimes.
I would definitely recommend people try OT mental health, it literally saved my life on a number of occasions even before I started with Melissa, and everything I learned and worked through with Melissa makes me think that it should be available in all 50 states because sometimes people need an alternative to regular therapy or both. After I started working with Melissa I was focusing more on different things and the things Melissa understands and taught me is why mental health OT is so helpful."
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