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

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.