What Is Occupational Therapy, Really?

Occupational therapy (OT) helps people of all ages do the everyday activities that matter to them — dressing, cooking, working, playing, writing — despite injury, illness, disability or developmental delay.

Unlike physiotherapy, which focuses primarily on movement and physical recovery, OT looks at the whole picture: your environment, your routines and the specific tasks you need or want to do, then builds a plan around those goals.

An occupational therapist might help a stroke survivor relearn how to cook safely, help a child build the hand strength needed for handwriting, or help an office worker set up a desk that doesn't leave them in pain by 3pm.