Client Centered Practice in Occupational Therapy: A Guide to Implementation

Interest in the use of a client-centred approach to practice has developed rapidly during the last decade and many occupational therapists are now endeavouring to implement it. The principles of this approach are also being introduced to students as partof their undergraduate studies. This text aims to provide a readable introduction to the theories of client-centred practice and to show how it may be applied to the therapeutic management of different client groups.

Client-Centred Practice in Occupational Therapyis written in a style which is accessible to both students and practitioners. It demonstrates clearly how the concept of client-centred care may be usefully incorporated into day to day occupational therapy practice.

Reviews the essential theory of client-centred practice

Presents care models for occupational therapy on which a client-centred approach may be based

Describes the Canadian Occuational Performance Measure as an example of tool which may be used to evaluate clinical outcomes

Explains how the theory of client-centred practice may be implemented for different groups of clients

Uses case examples to illustrate the theory.

Debra Cameron PhD OT Reg (Ont) Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Partner, Reach Therapy Services Working with children and their families for over 20 years has inspired Deb's ongoing interest in the benefits and challenges of providing client-centred practice in paediatrics. Anne Carswell PhD FCAOT OT Reg (Ont) Associate Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Anne is one of the six co-authors of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. She has practiced client-centred occupational therapy for over 40 years and has conducted research in this area with older adults who have dementia and their families. Joanne Valiant Cook PhD Associate Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada In her role as associate professor, Joanne shares her expertise regarding psychosocial rehabilitation, client-centred care, qualitative research and other subjects with a particular focus on helping students understand the client's experience of mental illness. Joanne's clinical, consulting and research experiences have been primarily in the field of mental health and illness with a particular focus on innovations in service programmes. Her research strategies and designs have always been within the qualitative paradigm of inquiry. Deborah Corring PhD OT Reg (Ont) Program Director, Regional Mental Health Care St Thomas, St Joseph's Health Care London, Ontario, Canada Deb is the Program Director of a large clinical programme that has both inpatient and outpatient components. The programme operates under a psychosocial rehabilitation philosophy with a recovery focus. Deb has worked in mental health for 33 years as a clinician, an administrator and as a qualitative researcher. Her past and current research has focused on articulating the client perspective concerning several issues including quality of life, satisfaction with services received, etc. Marie Gage MSc BSc(OT) OT(C) Collective Wisdom Management, Haliburton, Ontario, Canada Marie teaches client-centred care planning to interdisciplinary care teams that are interested in integrating their care. Marie also provides direct clinical services to clients, with a variety of physical diagnoses, in their home. Sandra Jean Graham Hobson MAEd LLD OT Reg (Ont) Associate Professor School of Occupational Therapy, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Sandra has worked with older adults, many suffering from cognitive impairment, and young adults with acquired brain injury. She has taught on the topic of client-centred practice with both of these populations. Mary Ann McColl PhD Associate Director for Research, Centre for Health Services & Policy Research, and Professor in the Departments of Community Health & Epidemiology and Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada In addition to being co-author of the COPM, she has written a number of books, including Introduction to Disability, Theoretical Basis of Occupational Therapy and Spirituality and Occupational Therapy. Davina Parker MSc Dip COT SROT Head of Occupational Therapy, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK With her experience of implementing client-centred practice in clinical settings, Davina's interest lies in the application of the COPM and the challenges that face the therapist. Nancy Pollock MSc OT Reg (Ont) Associate Clinical Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Nancy is a researcher with the CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research where she studies family-centred practice. She is one of the co-authors of the COPM and applies these concepts in her paediatric clinical practice with children, families and teachers. Debra Stewart MSc OT Reg (Ont) Assistant Dean, Occupational Therapy Programme, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Debra's clinical and research interests are in the field of paediatrics. She is a co-investigator with CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research and is involved in numerous projects related to adolescence and the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities. Thelma Sumsion, PhD MEd BSc(OT) OT Reg (Ont) FCAOT Director, School of Occupational Therapy, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada Thelma has been interested in client-centred practice since the 1980s and in 2002 she completed her PhD studies in England related to defining this concept.