Understanding Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
How Occupational Therapists Support Functional Recovery in Montreal
Written by Gio Arcuri, OT, MSc
Occupational Therapist
University Lecturer
Founder, Clinique Vivago
Making sense of how occupational therapy helps people live, function, and recover with mental health challenges starts with understanding daily life—not just symptoms.
Mental health challenges affect far more than thoughts and emotions — they impact daily functioning, routines, relationships, work, and identity. Occupational therapy in mental health focuses on helping individuals regain, maintain, or adapt their ability to function in everyday life, even in the presence of psychological or neurodevelopmental conditions.
At Clinique Vivago, occupational therapy is grounded in a functional recovery approach, emphasizing real-world participation, autonomy, and sustainable well-being.
Functional recovery refers to the ability to live a meaningful, autonomous life — even when symptoms persist. Research consistently shows that symptom reduction alone does not guarantee improvements in quality of life, role participation, or long-term outcomes.
This approach aligns with recovery-oriented mental health models emphasizing participation, empowerment, and self-determination.
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
Occupational therapy in mental health is often misunderstood. When people hear the term occupational therapy, they may assume it refers primarily to vocational assistance, job placement, or practical supports such as adapting a workstation or learning to use technology.
While these interventions may fall within the scope of occupational therapy, mental health occupational therapy is a distinct and specialized area of practice—one that focuses on how psychological, emotional, and neurodevelopmental factors affect a person’s ability to function in everyday life.
At Clinique Vivago, occupational therapy in mental health is grounded in a functional, recovery-oriented approach. It addresses the real-world impact of mental health challenges on daily activities such as self-care, routines, relationships, work or studies, leisure, and community participation.
Defining Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
Occupational therapy in mental health is a regulated health profession concerned with enabling individuals to engage meaningfully in the activities—occupations—that structure daily life and contribute to health, identity, and well-being.
In mental health contexts, occupational therapists focus on:
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how emotional distress, cognitive patterns, trauma, or neurodivergence affect daily functioning
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how environments and expectations interact with internal experiences
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how individuals can regain autonomy, structure, and participation despite ongoing symptoms
Rather than centering exclusively on diagnosis or symptom reduction, occupational therapy emphasizes functional recovery: the ability to live, act, decide, and participate in ways that are sustainable and aligned with personal values.
Mental health challenges affect far more than thoughts and emotions — they impact daily functioning, routines, relationships, work, and identity. Occupational therapy in mental health focuses on helping individuals regain, maintain, or adapt their ability to function in everyday life, even in the presence of psychological or neurodevelopmental conditions.
Education and Professional Training of Occupational Therapists in Quebec
In Quebec, occupational therapists are highly trained regulated health professionals. Entry to practice requires completion of a master’s-level university degree in occupational therapy, followed by registration with the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec (OEQ).
Occupational therapy programs in Quebec are typically offered within faculties of medicine, rehabilitation sciences, or occupational science, reflecting the profession’s strong grounding in health sciences, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice. Graduate-level training includes advanced coursework in mental health, neuroscience, psychosocial intervention, research methods, and extensive clinical placements across health care and community settings.
This academic preparation equips occupational therapists to contribute meaningfully to mental health assessment, functional intervention, interdisciplinary care, and recovery-oriented practice (Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec [OEQ], n.d.).
Core Focus of Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Mental health occupational therapists assess and intervene at the intersection of the person, their environment, and their daily occupations. Areas commonly addressed include:
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Daily routines and role balance
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Emotional regulation as it occurs in real-life situations
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Planning, organization, initiation, decision-making (commonly referred to as executive functioning)
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Motivation, energy, and activity tolerance
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Identity development and role transitions
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Social participation and interpersonal functioning
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Adaptation to stressors, change, or chronic mental health conditions
Interventions are individualized and contextual, recognizing that functional difficulties are not solely internal but shaped by social, environmental, and systemic factors.
When Is Occupational Therapy Indicated in Mental Health?
Occupational therapy is particularly relevant when mental health challenges interfere with everyday functioning, including but not limited to:
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Depression, anhedonia, and reduced initiation
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Anxiety disorders and emotional dysregulation
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Burnout and work-related stress
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Neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD or autism
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Eating disorders and body-related distress
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Trauma and chronic stress
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Difficulties returning to work, school, or meaningful roles
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Disruption of routines, self-care, or daily structure
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Periods of identity transition (e.g., young adulthood, gender affirmation, major life changes)
Occupational therapy is often well suited for individuals who possess insight into their difficulties but experience challenges translating that insight into sustainable daily functioning.
Occupational Therapy in Relation to Other Mental Health Professions
Mental health care is most effective when disciplines are clearly differentiated and appropriately integrated.
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Psychiatry primarily addresses diagnosis, medical evaluation, and pharmacological treatment.
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Psychology focuses on psychotherapy, emotional processing, and cognitive or relational patterns.
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Occupational therapy focuses on how mental health affects everyday functioning and participation—and how these can be rebuilt in real-world contexts.
Occupational therapy is especially valuable when symptoms interfere with performance in daily activities, such as maintaining routines, managing demands, sustaining relationships, or engaging in work or studies.
At Clinique Vivago, occupational therapy often complements psychological or psychiatric care within an interdisciplinary framework, while also functioning effectively as a standalone intervention when appropriate.
Occupational Therapy Within Interdisciplinary Mental Health Care
Occupational therapy is most effective when integrated within interdisciplinary mental health care. At Clinique Vivago, occupational therapists work alongside psychologists, neuropsychologists, physicians, and other professionals to ensure that care plans are:
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clinically coherent
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functionally relevant
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adapted to real-world demands
This collaboration allows functional goals to align with psychological, medical, and cognitive interventions — reducing fragmentation of care.
Who Benefits Most From Mental Health Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is particularly beneficial for individuals who:
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feel “stuck” despite insight or therapy
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struggle to translate treatment gains into daily life
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experience functional impairment at work or school
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live with neurodivergence or complex profiles
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require structured support beyond weekly therapy
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are navigating major life transitions
OT is appropriate for simple, moderate, and complex needs, including cases where traditional outpatient therapy alone is insufficient.
Why Choose a Functional Recovery Approach?
A functional recovery approach recognizes that mental health is lived in context. By focusing on what people do, can do, and want to do, occupational therapy supports recovery that is meaningful, sustainable, and measurable.
Research consistently supports the role of occupational therapy in improving participation, quality of life, and long-term outcomes in mental health care.
Why Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Is Often Misunderstood
Occupational therapy in mental health is frequently misunderstood due to historical, linguistic, and systemic factors.
First, the profession’s broad scope across physical rehabilitation, pediatrics, geriatrics, community practice, and mental health has shaped public awareness primarily through its more visible physical health roles. This can obscure the depth and specialization of mental health practice.
Second, the term occupation is commonly misinterpreted as referring solely to employment. Within occupational therapy, occupation refers to any meaningful activity that structures daily life, including self-care, rest, social participation, leisure, education, and community engagement (Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists [CAOT], 2013).
Third, mental health occupational therapy often works in context—addressing routines, environments, participation, and identity rather than isolated symptoms. While this approach is strongly supported by professional standards and recovery-oriented models (OEQ, n.d.; CAOT, 2021), its clinical complexity may be less immediately visible to the public.
Finally, occupational therapists are sometimes perceived as secondary providers despite holding advanced university degrees and practicing as autonomous regulated professionals. This perception contrasts with regulatory and professional frameworks that position occupational therapists as essential contributors to mental health care.
Professional Regulation and Standards in Quebec and Canada
Occupational therapy in mental health is governed by professional, ethical, and competency standards at both the provincial and national levels.
In Quebec, the Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec (OEQ) defines entry-to-practice requirements, standards of practice, and professional competencies. Mental health is explicitly recognized as a core domain of occupational therapy practice, with an emphasis on autonomy, participation, and functional adaptation (OEQ, n.d.).
At the national level, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) defines occupational therapy as an occupation-based, client-centred, and evidence-informed profession. CAOT frameworks emphasize recovery-oriented care and the interaction between individuals, environments, and daily occupations as foundational to mental health practice (CAOT, 2013; CAOT, 2021).
Together, OEQ and CAOT standards affirm occupational therapy’s distinct contribution to mental health care—particularly in addressing the functional and participation-based consequences of psychological distress, mental illness, and neurodivergence.
Occupational Therapy at Clinique Vivago
At Clinique Vivago, occupational therapy in mental health is characterized by:
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a strong focus on everyday functioning
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individualized, occupation-based goal setting
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inclusive and affirming care respectful of identity and lived experience
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integration within interdisciplinary and stepped-care models
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flexibility to adapt interventions to each person’s pace and capacity
Interventions may include:
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development or restructuring of daily routines
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graded re-engagement in meaningful activities
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application of emotional regulation strategies in context
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executive functioning supports
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sensory and environmental adaptations
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return-to-work or return-to-school planning
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values- and identity-based goal development
Occupational Therapy Within Interdisciplinary and Intensive Programs
Occupational therapy is a central component of Clinique Vivago’s semi-intensive and intensive mental health programs. By addressing functional barriers directly, OT helps bridge the gap between therapeutic insight and everyday life.
This approach allows many individuals to receive comprehensive, structured care without hospitalization, while remaining engaged in their communities and daily environments.
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health: A Functional Path to Recovery
Mental health challenges often disrupt daily life in ways that extend beyond symptoms alone. Occupational therapy addresses this disruption directly—supporting individuals in reclaiming autonomy, structure, and participation in meaningful activities.
At Clinique Vivago, occupational therapy in mental health is not about productivity for its own sake. It is about supporting people in living lives that are functional, dignified, and aligned with their values.
Key References
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2013). Occupational therapy and mental health. CAOT. https://caot.ca
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2021). Position statement: Occupational therapy and mental health. CAOT. https://caot.ca
Ordre des ergothérapeutes du Québec. (n.d.). Champ d’exercice et normes professionnelles. OEQ. https://www.oeq.org
