Mental Health Occupational Therapy for Adults
Mental Health Occupational Therapy for Adults
Mental health can affect how you manage everyday life. It can change your ability to work, maintain relationships, care for yourself, manage responsibilities, establish routines and participate in the activities that are important to you.
Our mental health occupational therapists work with adults to understand these impacts and develop practical and psychological strategies that support everyday functioning and participation.
We provide adult mental health occupational therapy in Melbourne, Brisbane and by telehealth across Australia.
Mental health and everyday life
Occupational therapy focuses on the activities, roles and routines that make up everyday life.
This includes looking after yourself, working, studying, parenting, managing your home, maintaining relationships, participating in your community, resting and doing the things that are important to you.
Mental health difficulties can disrupt these areas in different ways.
Anxiety can make it difficult to leave home, participate socially, manage responsibilities or remain engaged at work.
Depression can affect motivation, energy, self-care, routines and involvement in everyday activities.
Trauma can affect sleep, relationships, emotional regulation, concentration, work, parenting and a person’s ability to feel safe in everyday situations.
Our work connects mental health treatment with the areas of life that have become difficult.
How can a mental health occupational therapist help?
Our occupational therapists use evidence based psychological strategies alongside occupational therapy approaches.
Treatment is individualised around the person, the difficulties they are experiencing and what they need or want to be able to do.
Depending on the person, therapy may focus on:
- understanding and managing thoughts, emotions and behavioural patterns
- developing strategies to manage anxiety, mood or trauma related symptoms
- emotional regulation
- establishing or rebuilding everyday routines
- motivation and engagement in meaningful activity
- managing the impact of mental health on work or study
- relationships, parenting and family roles
- self-care and home responsibilities
- sensory and environmental factors affecting participation
- planning, organisation and task completion
- returning to activities that have become difficult or avoided.
The focus of treatment is not only on managing symptoms. We work with people to use what they learn in therapy in the context of their everyday lives.
Who do we work with?
Our experienced mental health occupational therapists work with adults experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, including:
- anxiety disorders
- depression and mood disorders
- PTSD and complex trauma
- difficulties adjusting to significant life events
- emotional regulation difficulties
- complex mental health conditions
- mental health difficulties occurring alongside neurodivergence.
You do not need to know whether occupational therapy is the right service before contacting us. We can discuss what is affecting you and whether our service is appropriate.
Psychological treatment within occupational therapy
Mental health occupational therapists can use recognised psychological treatment approaches as part of their practice.
Our clinicians draw on psychological and occupational therapy approaches according to their training, experience and the needs of the person they are working with.
These approaches can include cognitive and behavioural strategies, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, motivational interviewing, sensory approaches, family therapy, psychotherapy and EMDR where provided by an appropriately trained clinician.
The occupational therapy perspective keeps treatment connected to how mental health is affecting the person’s actual life.
Medicare mental health treatment
Eligible occupational therapists can provide Focussed Psychological Strategies under Medicare’s Better Access initiative.
If you are eligible for Better Access, you may be able to receive a Medicare rebate for mental health occupational therapy following an appropriate referral from your GP, psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Learn more about Medicare Mental Health Occupational Therapy
Psychotherapy and EMDR
Our Therapies also provides psychotherapy and EMDR as part of our adult mental health services.
These services are provided by clinicians with the relevant training and experience and have their own treatment pathways.
Learn about Psychotherapy
Learn about EMDR Therapy
Telehealth across Australia
Adult mental health occupational therapy is available by telehealth across Australia.
Telehealth allows you to work with an experienced mental health occupational therapist from your own location and can be particularly useful where distance, travel, work, caring responsibilities or limited access to local mental health services make attending a clinic difficult.
Medicare Better Access mental health treatment can also be provided by telehealth where the service is clinically appropriate.
Learn about Mental Health OT via Telehealth
In person appointments
We provide in person adult mental health services in:
Melbourne
Parkdale and Seaford, with services across our relevant south-east Melbourne catchment.
Brisbane
South Metro Brisbane.
Telehealth is available Australia wide.
Referring a patient
We accept referrals from GPs, psychiatrists and other health professionals.
Mental health occupational therapy can be particularly relevant when a person’s mental health is affecting their ability to manage everyday activities, roles, routines or responsibilities.
We provide referrers with clear information about our services, Medicare Better Access referrals and when mental health occupational therapy may be appropriate.
Information for GPs and Psychiatrists
Start here
If mental health is affecting your everyday life, work, relationships, routines or the things that are important to you, you can contact us to discuss whether mental health occupational therapy is appropriate for you.
