Pros And Cons Of Being An Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists treat the ill and disabled through therapeutic use of everyday activities. They work to develop, improve, and recover skills necessary for the patient’s daily living. Important qualities for an occupational therapist include compassion, communication skills, writing skills, creativity, flexibility, and patience. A therapist must be able to communication through both speech and writing in order to properly execute treatment, as well as explain the treatment to the patient and their loved ones. Flexibility, creativity, and patience are also a must because occupational therapists can work in many different settings. An occupational therapist needs to be able to use what is available to them in order to provide the best possible treatment. Our interviewee, Marissa Knight, mentioned that creativity especially comes into play when working for a non-profit company with limited resources. Above all, they need to have compassion for the struggles that their patients face. In order to become an occupational therapist, one has to complete both an undergraduate degree as well as a graduate level degree in occupational therapy. There are many undergraduate routes available, including exercise …show more content…
An occupational therapist has the opportunity to help others, by lending a hand and getting their patients back on the road to recovery. This is also a great career for someone who is able to think on their feet and have a lot of ways to keep the patient moving and improving. However, occupational therapists also need to have patience, considering the fact that it will take time to see results. They will also have to face discouraged patients, and remind them that results take time. Some patients feel very hopeless about getting better, so they will lean heavily on the therapist for support. However, therapy needs to be a team effort through the help of the therapist and the work of the