The Value of Occupation as the Core of Treatment: Sandy’s Experience

Since 1917, when the occupational therapy profession was first established, the therapeutic value of occupation has been questioned, researched, valorized, and even trivialized. This article discusses one typical occupation-centered treatment, namely a community outing, the shopping spree. The purpose is to articulate the value of occupation-centered intervention and particularly (a) its importance for building rapport between patient and therapist so that genuinely meaningful treatment can be carried out; (b) its role in providing opportunities for patients to imagine futures through felt meanings and future images; and (c) its integrative qualities with respect to identities and performance components.