Occupational Therapy

Certain illnesses, injuries, and disabilities can limit an individual’s capacity to engage in everyday activities and live their life to the fullest. Occupational therapy helps individuals adapt to health limitations and perform daily activities that are essential and meaningful to them. With an emphasis on assisting individuals to gain life skills and effectively engage in everyday activities despite mental and physical barriers, occupational therapy strives to empower individuals to enhance and enjoy their lives as much as possible.

At Thrive Reno, we incorporate occupational therapy into our integrated treatment programs for eating disorders and perinatal mental health. We also offer outpatient occupational therapy for those struggling with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) as well as those living with chronic pain.

In our eating disorder recovery programs, all clients are evaluated to assess whether individualized occupational therapy would encourage healing from their illness and any co-occurring conditions. If deemed necessary, tailored occupational treatment can continue to nurture those recovering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFEDs) in many ways.

Occupational therapy services and interventions concerning eating disorder recovery may include the following based on the unique needs and goals of an individual and their family:

Sensory and oral motor assessment and treatment, including Beckman oral motor exercises
Implementing sensory modulation strategies for self-regulation
Evaluation and treatment of unintegrated primitive reflexes
Assisting the client and family in establishing a mealtime routine
Graduated exposure to varied foods
Promoting personal hygiene and positive self-image
Developing a balanced daily routine
Endorsing engagement in daily activities, including wellness-promoting leisure activities
Strengthening distress tolerance and reinforcing relaxation strategies learned in programming
Life skills training in self-care, health literacy, meal planning and preparation, grocery shopping, budgeting, household management, medication management, and participation in school or employment
Working hand-in-hand with clients to set realistic and attainable goals

Additionally, both our intensive outpatient program (IOP) and partial hospitalization program (PHP) feature twice-weekly THRIVE life skills groups to program participants. These sessions offer valuable insight and guidance rooted in:

The basics: prioritizing personal hygiene, sleep hygiene, eating positioning, and more

Health and Home: exploring health literacy, medication management, and household management

Roles and Routines: identifying values, clarifying roles, and establishing routines

Intuitive Meal Preparation: guidance for meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal preparation

Victory Planning: setting attainable goals, establishing recovery maintenance, envisioning a positive future

Expression: developing self-expression and determining communication styles and techniques for talking about one’s eating disorder comfortably and confidently

Occupational Therapy for ARFID Treatment

While individuals of any age can develop avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), this condition typically evolves in infancy or early childhood. Those diagnosed with ARFID experience extremely selective eating behaviors beyond what can simply be considered “picky eating.” These sensory-based disordered eating behaviors severely limit one’s ability to intake enough calories and essential nutrients to grow, develop, and function properly. At Thrive, an occupational therapist is a part of a multidisciplinary team that helps clients and their families heal from ARFID through integrated care. Occupational therapy can offer valuable insight and interventions around sensory modulation, oral motor skills, mealtime positioning and patterns, and food-related phobias and fears. Treatments used to assist individuals and their families recovering from ARFID include:

Comprehensive evaluation, which encompasses a standardized sensory processing assessment, a Beckman oral motor assessment, child interview, parent/caretaker interview, and a complete list of currently tolerated foods
Further investigation into the cause(s) of selective eating habits, including medical history and environmental influences
Coordination between the family and treatment team to develop an individualized treatment plan and adjust as needed
Implementing sensory modulation strategies to increase comfort receiving input from one’s environment
Building skills for increasing self-feeding and introducing medical and adaptive equipment as appropriate
Practicing Beckman oral motor exercises to improve oral motor function
Graded exposure to varied foods
Family education sessions exploring contributing factors to selective eating, effective mealtime strategies, home practices for improving sensory regulation and oral motor skills, and caregiver coping strategies
Establishing mealtime routines and encouraging practices for more pleasant and productive mealtime patterns

Those living with chronic pain, or pain that persists more than six months, often experience significant impacts on their physical, mental, and emotional health. The sum of these challenges can inhibit engagement in and enjoyment of everyday life. Through occupational therapy, individuals can discover tools and techniques to function better and engage in essential and meaningful activities alike.

Occupational therapists practice a holistic approach to chronic pain management with an emphasis on equipping clients to better self-manage their pain. Because chronic pain can arise from a broad spectrum of causes and conditions, occupational therapy is highly customized to the client’s unique needs and goals.

Occupational therapy can support an individual experiencing chronic pain and empower one to live a more fulfilling life in various ways. All clients who seek occupational treatment for chronic pain at Thrive will encounter:

A thorough biopsychosocial evaluation including a personal interview, daily activities profile, standardized pain scale, and standardized assessments for quality of life, performance skills, and sensory processing

Client-centered goal setting, skills development, routine establishment, and motivation for increased engagement in meaningful activities that occupy one’s time

Pain neuroscience education to identify pain triggers and effective coping strategies
Development of sleep, nutrition, and movement routines that promote increased daily function
Individualized education in appropriate pacing of daily activities for a balanced activity level
Evaluation and training in ergonomics, body mechanics, positioning during activity, and adaptive equipment
Utilization of evidence-based self-regulation strategies including mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and relaxation techniques
Manual therapy, myofascial release, and movement modalities promoting self-management
Targeted training on the use of modalities appropriate for home care including cryotherapy, thermotherapy, aromatherapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and light therapy
Development of a plan for self-management of pain flare-ups
Strategies to increase communication, self-advocacy, social engagement, and social support systems

Thrive’s occupational therapy services can help you or a loved one progress on the path to better well-being and achieve an enhanced quality of life.