This year, Occupational Therapy Month celebrates our dedication to inspiring hope and transforming lives. Every day, occupational therapists (OTs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) make a profound impact — not only by healing the mind and body but by empowering individuals to overcome their challenges. By focusing on each client’s unique needs and goals, OTs help people regain independence, rebuild confidence, and improve their quality of life.
After an injury or illness, the inability to perform even the simplest daily tasks can feel overwhelming. What was once a routine or trivial activity becomes a monumental undertaking. There’s anxiety about returning to work, caring for family, driving again, or resuming cherished hobbies and fitness routines.
Yet, with every therapy session, we witness small but meaningful steps toward recovery. As OTs and OTAs, we measure those 10 extra degrees of wrist extension, see wounds heal, note increases in grip strength, and watch dexterity improve—all contributing to greater function. But what truly makes a difference is when a patient returns for their next session, eager to share their new accomplishments: “I was able to put my hair in a ponytail,” “I rode my bike,” “I carried a shopping bag.”
Sometimes, patients struggle to recognize their own progress. So, the next time you greet a patient, instead of asking, “How are you feeling today?” or “What’s your pain level?” consider asking, “What’s the good news today? What are you able to do better today than you could last week?” It’s a small gesture, but one that helps our patients foster a sense of accomplishment and resilience.
The true power of occupational therapy lies in its ability to transform not just physical health, but mental and emotional well-being. In every intervention, in every small victory, we are reminded of why we chose this profession—to make a real difference, one life at a time. Inspiring hope, changing lives.
Do you have ideas to facilitate a discussion with your patient to inspire hope? Please share on ASHT Connect mobile app community! We would love to hear from you!
I think it is incumbent upon frontline healthcare professionals like ourselves to respond vociferously and publicly to the destructive monetary efforts, and latest decimation of personnel at the NIH that will affect the provision of healthcare to our patients, and to our respective selves, and to the nation as a whole. We may be small in number as an organization, but as citizens and professionals we do know first hand how egregious limits are to public health programs, funds for research and limits imposed on insurance have been for services we have directly provided.
I ask our current elected leaders of ASHT to make public a statement condemning and characterizing the current administration's efforts being haphazard, without logical forethought, being harmful to national healthcare, and with the effect of it arising from malice towards everyone in healthcare. AOTA and APTA also needs to respond.
Yes, I perceive all this as nothing less than a personal attack on all of us who have been working in healthcare. Nonetheless, they have no regard for the existence of a public health service and those who work in US healthcare.