The Role of Occupational Therapy in Healing from Abuse

Written By Stephanie Poma, OTR/L

From the moment you wake up until the moment you go to sleep (and even then!), you engage in various tasks you need or want to do. 

Occupational therapy is a profession that can help a person be as independent as possible in their everyday life through the meaningful activities they want to engage in. We do this by first, assessing and identifying the areas that the person wants to improve upon. From there we help the person refine their skills, introduce adaptive tools and modify their environment(s) if needed. We are a holistic profession, which means we take into consideration the person as a whole being with emotional, mental, cognitive, physical and spiritual components. 

Life After Abuse 

What happens if your daily life is disrupted in such a significant way that it makes it difficult for you to take part in your everyday routines?

Abuse comes in the form of behaviors and actions that can lead to harming someone psychologically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Experiencing abuse can cause a dramatic shift in the way you internally feel and how you externally handle your daily life. You may notice a change in your capability to tolerate the ebbs and flows of your days. You may feel on guard often or numb. You may have difficulties in relationships which may lead to isolation. These are just a few of the results that come from abuse. The aftermath of abuse is trauma. 

Trauma consists of the symptoms that occur following the events of abuse. This can lead to a drastic change in the way you handle daily stressors. If you have a harder time tolerating your daily pressures, you may try to avoid them. Attempts to avoid stressors can vary from dissociation, addictions and destructive behaviors. Inevitably, the need to cope through the symptoms of trauma can overshadow your daily life and cause long-term effects. 

How Can Occupational Therapy Help?

An occupational therapist can help you get back to a place where you can feel safe internally, more at ease in the environments you navigate, and motivated to accomplish goals that will lead you to a thriving life rather than a surviving one. 

Methods to help you in the process include but are not limited to:

  • Aromatherapy 

  • Interoceptive work

  • Grounding through the senses

  • Proprioceptive work

  • Mindful movement

  • Relaxation exercises

  • Cognitive behavioral strategies

  • Goal setting 

  • Routine building 

  • Environmental modification

Our practice involves a combination of identifying practical skills, education, and putting learned skills into practice. We walk with you through the mental and emotional components of your healing too as it is crucial for the deep work we do. Through this process, we aim for you to be able to get to a point where you are able to confidently leave our practice feeling renewed and restored. 

Network of Support for a Lasting Recovery 

Occupational therapy is a wonderful addition to the different fields of practice that aid trauma survivors. Other specialities we collaborate with include mental health specialists, counselors, psychiatrists, doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists, and other rehabilitative professions. We can help strengthen and reinforce strategies through real-time experiences. We can look at social and environmental contexts that can strengthen your recovery or identify those that can be modified. We offer additional insight to other professions such as your sensory experience and how it shows up in your life. Most importantly, we look to collaborate with you as our field focuses on client-centered approaches. We set functional goals that revolve around what is meaningful to you and invite your feedback to measure your progress. 

Healing is Possible

The process of healing from abuse varies from person to person, but recovery is possible. The brain can be reshaped and rewired to function differently. In other areas of life, a coach is someone you can benefit from to grow and improve the area you are tackling. In healing, an occupational therapist can help you tackle the mental and emotional components while practically doing the work.

At Resurrected Living, we are here to help you through the healing process. We are here to make the process less overwhelming and lonely. We offer a free 20-minute consultation to discuss your unique challenges and discuss how our services can help you. We invite you to connect with us today!

Stephanie Poma, OTR/L

Stephanie is a NJ-based licensed occupational therapist with a passion for mental health. As the founder of Resurrected Living, she provides holistic-based treatment and offers valuable first-hand experience to all patients, especially for survivors of sexual trauma.