How to Become an Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists are health care professionals that assess and provide treatment for a range of physical and psychiatric conditions. They can deal with a lot of different issues, depending on the case they are on and treat people of all ages with varying problems.
Occupational therapists help people overcome their difficulties and enable them to regain their independence. They have a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment and/or task to fit the person they are treating. It’s an evidence-based practise deeply rooted in science. Occupational therapy is a challenging and dynamic profession that makes a valuable difference in people’s lives.
Occupational therapists have responsibilities such as: helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people to recover from injuries and regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.
Their services usually include an individualized evaluation, during which the client and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals, customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals and an outcome evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan.
If you’d like to be proactive and help people, then you should consider a career in Occupational Therapy.
HOW TO BECOME OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
To become occupational therapist, you’ll need to study an approved pre-registration programme to gain the necessary occupational therapist qualifications. After that, you must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
The Health and Care Professions Council are a regulator of health and care in the UK that aims to protect the public. That’s why anyone who wants to have a career an become occupational therapist is obligated to be registered with the HCPC in order to practice.
If your dream is to to know how to become occupational therapist, you’ll need to choose an approved pre-registration university programme. These programmes are usually full-time BSc (Hons) that takes three or four years to conclude. And although the courses differ a little, they all have a lot of practical work with patients.
To be accepted into a full-time occupational therapy degree course you need:
- Two or three A levels
- Along with five GCSEs, including English language, maths and science.
Don’t worry if you don’t have everything described above because you might still be accepted. If you have alternative qualifications such
- BTEC, HND or HNC which includes biological science
- A relevant vocational qualification
- A science-based access course
- Or equivalent Scottish or Irish qualification.
But remember, each institution has its own entry requirements, so you should check carefully when choosing the best university for you.
To get onto a degree apprenticeship, you’ll need to apply for an apprentice position with a health care provider. You’ll usually need level 3 qualifications to get onto a degree apprenticeship.
Wherever you study or train, having work experience is essential to show that you understand occupational therapy. Some degrees let you have a work placement during your time at university. But if an extra year doesn’t sound very appealing to you, you can always find a summer internship with an occupational therapist to see how the job is like.
How to Become Occupational Therapist: Learn these things
- Theories and models relating to occupation and occupational science;
- The relationship between occupation, health, and wellbeing;
- The core values and beliefs of occupational therapy;
- Professional attitudes and behaviours;
- Critical thinking and reasoning skills, including research;
- Occupational therapy process skills;
- Analysis and use of occupations as therapeutic media;
- Entrepreneurial and leadership skills.
How to Become Occupational Therapist: The best universities in the UK
1) Cardiff University – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
2) University of Southampton – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
3) University of Bradford – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
4) Coventry University – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
5) University of Bristol - Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
6) Oxford Brookes University – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
7) Brunel University – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
8) University of East Anglia – Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons)
How to Become Occupational Therapist: Skills you need
- Knowledge of psychology,
- Counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach,
- Sensitivity and understanding,
- To be flexible and open to change,
- Knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses,
- The ability to work well with others,
- The ability to use your initiative,
- To be able to use a computer and the main software packages completely.
Once you’ve successfully completed an approved programme, you are then eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC. Once registered as a practitioner, you’ll be required to retain your name on the register by keeping your knowledge and skills up to date and paying an annual retention fee. You’ll also need to pass enhanced background checks, as you may work with children and vulnerable adults.
How to Become Occupational Therapist: Daily Tasks
- Teach a patient recovering from a stroke how to do things for themselves;
- Assist and encourage someone going through depression;
- Indicate ways in which an office can help an employee that had a car accident;
- Keep notes on clients’ progress;
- Advise and support clients and their families and/or carers.
How to Become Occupational Therapist: ENTRY WITHOUT A DEGREE
If you feel like university isn’t the best fit for you and don’t to wait so long before starting your career, then it might be possible for you to start working as soon as you reach 18 years old.
It’s possible for you to start at an assistant, technician, or support worker level and then work your way up until you become Occupational Therapist once you gain enough experience and theory.
Note that this way of entering Occupational Therapy is risky because it will take much longer and it’s not guaranteed you’ll even make it to the top. If you can, you should consider having a degree in either occupational therapy, or psychology, biological science, or health science.
However, it’s not impossible getting your dream job without a degree and if you work hard and are motivated, you’ll find a way to be an occupational therapist.
If you choose to be an assistant or support worker, you’ll work directly with an occupational therapist to carry some of the tasks. These can include daily care, suck as washing and dressing, helping clients using aids and equipment or assist the occupational therapist in helping someone adapt to life after a major accident, helping children with disabilities take part in school and other activities, helping dementia sufferers develop strategies, etc. Whatever you choose to do, now you know how to become occupational therapist have fun and remember to never give up!
