Occupational Therapy Sydney

Occupational therapy teaches practical strategies that can be implemented in everyday life. These techniques support attachment/engagement, sensory integration and self-regulation to improve mental health and wellbeing. Consequently, by making use of familiar activities, such as cooking, cleaning or listening to music, you can develop mechanisms for coping when you feel agitated or unsafe

Most people associate occupational therapy with paediatric or physical concerns but its origins were in mental health. Occupational therapy benefits from a holistic approach, and in addition to their skills in physical wellbeing, occupational therapists are also trained in treatment areas associated with mental health disorders, such as:    

• Cognitive assessment 

• Therapeutic alliances 

• Sensory strategies 

• Socio-emotional skills 

• Group process 

• Activities of daily learning (ADLs) 

Our Support services are highly flexible

Sydney-siders who are struggling with adverse circumstances in their lives, including grief and stress, as well as people with mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety, can benefit from occupational therapy. Developmental conditions, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), may also be improved by an OT practitioner.

Occupational therapy may benefit children and adults who are experiencing: 

• Difficulty with social engagement 

• Motor coordination problems, e.g. kicking a ball 

• Poor attention and concentration 

• Self-care skills that are lacking, e.g. eating or sleeping 

• Oversensitivity to sensations such as sound, sight, taste, smell, touch and movement 

• Poor emotional regulation 

• Inability to engage effectively with everyday routines 

• Fussy eating 

• Sensory modulation disorders comorbid with neurological trauma 

Occupational therapists utilise sensory strategies to help individuals process information from their environment to keep them grounded and calm. People with mental health conditions may not be able to process this information, leaving them feeling distressed and insecure. Thus, sensory strategies may activate these processing systems and are particularly effective for those who may not derive benefit from other therapies. 

Occupational therapists may be of assistance in leading groups in life skills, money management, therapeutic cooking, wellness recovery action plans, independent living, sensory groups, nutrition, job readiness and other areas. 

Therapeutic listening by Vital Links is used for treating individuals who have difficulty with listening, processing sensory information, attention and communication. Developed by Vital Links, it is a program that uses sounds to harness the brain so that sounds are processed more effectively, helping listeners to focus and engage with the world more fully. It may include music or ambient sounds, such as frogs croaking or birdsong.   

Children who have experienced trauma may be impaired in their ability to develop healthy emotional attachments. In order to support them, we have a range of strategies to enable children to function well at home, school and in the community. By providing focussed ways of strengthening emotional connections, self-esteem, emotional resilience and trust can be rebuilt to enable children to feel safe, secure and worthy.