Occupational therapy Values and Beliefs

About occupation, we believe that:

• Occupation gives meaning to life; 
• Occupation is an important determinant of health, well-being, and justice;
• Occupation organizes behaviour;
• Occupation develops and changes over a lifetime;
• Occupation shapes and is shaped by environments;
• Occupation has therapeutic potential.

About the person, we believe that:

• Humans are occupational beings; 
• Every person is unique;
• Every person has intrinsic dignity and worth;
• Every person has the right to make choices about life;
• Every person has the right to self-determination;
• People have some ability to participate in occupations;
• People have some potential to change;
• People are social and spiritual beings;
• People have diverse abilities for participating in occupations;
• People shape and are shaped by their environments.

About the environment, we believe that:

• The environment includes cultural, institutional, physical, and social components; 
• The environment influences choice, organization, performance, and satisfaction in occupations.

About health, well-being, and justice, we believe that:

• Health is more than the absence of disease; 
• Health is strongly influenced by having choice and control in everyday occupations;
• Health has personal dimensions associated with spiritual meaning and satisfaction in occupations, and it has social dimensions associated with fairness and equitable opportunity in occupations;
• Well-being extends beyond health to quality of life;
• Justice concerns are for meaningful choice and social inclusion, so that all people may participate as fully as possible in society.

About client-centred practice, we believe that:

• Clients are experts regarding their own occupations;
• Clients must be active partners in the occupational therapy process.

(Enabling Occupation II, CAOT 2007, p. 3-4, adapted from Enabling Occupation, CAOT, 1997, 2002, p. 31)