Use of Magic in Psychiatric Occupational Therapy: Rationale, Results and Recommendations

Activity is at the core of the occupational therapy process. One activity which has received little attention from therapists is magic. Yet, it possesses characteristics which suggest considerable potential for therapeutic application. In this paper, the authors outline the rationale, procedure and results of a pilot programme undertaken in the day centre of a hospital psychiatric unit, along ***wtih some recommendations for the use of magic. It combined the resources of a magician and two occupational therapists in teaching participants a variety of magic tricks. The results presented highlight the evaluations of the participants themselves as to the perceived benefits of magic.