It is ok to talk about your views here. What a person believes, or doesn't believe, often has an impact on how well a person recovers. If you want to bring in a passage from your favorite religious text or scientific treatise and discuss it in your individual session, no problem. Chances are that, if it is on your mind when you are thinking about your health and well-being, there is a reason that may be very helpful to consider. 

The same goes for  talking about sex. It is a topic that often gets left out when a person is recovering from something that has impacted their sex life and made them concerned about their relationship with their partner or potential future partner. It can be uncomfortable to talk about these things or to consider the tools that might help as these tend to be associated with triple x movies and similar. The reality is that most of us are sexual humans and many of would like to remain so to a certain point in our lives. The movies may offer up one view but OT opens up a much more grounded, safe, and realistic view of the same. 

Any other 'taboo' or concerns that feel like they might be perceived as embarrassing? Is it difficult to get clean after toileting, for example? It's ok.  You may talk about it and we will help if we can. 

At MH&W, we often take an instructional approach. We want you to understand our clinical perspective about your concerns and your care options with us. We also want to learn what your thoughts are regarding your concerns and the care you would like to receive. This is how we work together to make a care plan that works for you. This is the heart of making an informed decision which is a fundamental right that you have in all healthcare treatment for which you are able to provide consent.* It also aids you in managing your own care when not in a treatment setting. We know we can talk a lot so feel free to ask us to slow down, repeat, or simplify at any time during our session. 

It is possible that you may not agree with our perspective and we may not feel comfortable with supporting you in your preferred approach. It doesn't happen often but it is ok when it does. If we know of other resources that might support you better, we will share them accordingly. 

Another fundamental right that you have in medical care is your right to your privacy. We accomplish this by complying with regulations for storing medical records, communicating medical information in certain ways and more. One that people don't expect, especially in a small community, is that we don't 'friend' you or accept 'friend' invites via social media even if you give us permission. 

We also do not initiate conversations with you in public spaces. You, though, may initiate conversations with us in public spaces and you may indicate how you know us to anyone who might be listening or overhearing. If we have your permission to acknowledge you and/or speak about your concerns in public spaces we will do so, but we may still be a bit cagey about your care just to be safe. If we do not have your permission, we won't acknowledge or speak to you in public. Please understand that we do not do this to be rude. We simply do not want to violate your personal choices as to how much others know about you. 

*If you are unconscious, in a state of significant cognitive decline, or in an altered psychological state such that you are not considered able to make your own care decision, then another person may be making those decisions on your behalf such as a person who has a medical power of attorney to care for you or a healthcare provider. People who are unconscious or in an altered psychological state would not be appropriate for our clinical care and should be taken to an emergency healthcare provider. 

In the section discussing informed decisions, we talk about the benefit of understanding more about your concerns. Smart, not scared is another benefit that we wanted to highlight in its own header. It is a simple concept. The more you understand, the less likely you are to be afraid. The less worry, anxiety, or fear you experience around your concerns, the less stress you experience. The less stress you experience, the better you tend to feel. The better you feel (and the more confident and competent), the less you need us! We're good with that. 

We have worked now in both the Canadian and US medical systems, longer by far in the US. What we have noticed is that, for different reasons, both countries currently are encountering a similar set of end-result issues. A key one is that people don't feel that they get enough time with their providers. They feel that their concerns are not always understood as they wish and they worry that, as a result, they get care that is missing an important issue. 

We can tell you first hand that, as providers, we have felt the frustration of providing care that we, too, felt was rushed. It is equally stressful for us and drains us of our energy and motivation. It can - and has - made us physically sick. This is not how we wanted to feel when we signed up to be providers. 

In our clinic, we have made a conscious decision to slow down. We offer fewer appointment options in our calendar and we spend more time with you based on your preferences. We are interested in listening to you and considering the worries or information you have regarding your concern. We will base our care on your inputs, preferences, and our clinical knowledge. It may be that we have insights on all of your thoughts. If not, we will let you know and then help you with what we can. If we know of others who could help you with things that we cannot, we will provide this accordingly. 

While we believe that this type of slow OT care is better than the rushed version, the flip-side is that you might have to wait for an appointment to open up before we can see you. Please be patient. 

Science has somehow become conflated with politics, rather angrily, in recent years. It is unfortunately understandable when seemingly respectable scientists endorse things like cigarette smoking (historical example) or pharmaceutical companies who profit from the work of scientists, fraudulently alter data, and promote highly addictive medications such as opiates as suitable for nearly everyone. It can be even more confusing when it seems like scientific studies support one thing one day and then change their tune the next. Are eggs good? Bad? Coffee? Wine? These examples, though, do not accurately reflect what science really is about. 

Science is about the rational consideration of information, examining a topic from as many angles as possible. The examination is completed in research studies, which have different levels of evidence from anecdotal ('hey everyone, we witnessed this and wonder if it is because of this') to randomized control trials wherein a very specific question is asked, very specific controls are in place, and variables are limited so the researchers can see as clearly as possible if 'x' is causing or influencing 'y'. There are other levels of research in between these extremes, each with its own merit. Many factors, or variables, can influence the outcome of research and are seriously considered by reviewers before the results are fully accepted.

It is the job of scientists, which includes people from many professions, to look at the results of research and try to poke holes in the results. Ideally, research should be repeated with larger groups of people, people from different backgrounds, people with different attributes, etc. If the results hold with each repeat and each population, then the results are generally considered pretty reliable, though scientists unlikely to say that the results are 100% absolutely reliable as we know that there are more things that we may not know about now that could be influential in the future. 

Unfortunately, media outlets and marketers for profit-seeking companies can jump on the results of a study that might not have been that rigorous, might not have been re-tested in different ways, or similar. They might also misinterpret the data or fail to share the actual research question being studied. And, yes, there are poorly behaved scientists endorsing things they really shouldn't. All of this can lead to confusion and distrust. 

Science, though, is not the cause of willful misunderstanding, corrupt motivations, profit-seeking companies, etc. The people using/misusing the results of scientific research are the ones responsible for these concerns. 

Does scientific research yield answers to everything? No. We have learned many things from scientific research but there is still so much more to know. 

The fact that we know a lot and yet have so much more to learn influences how we approach care. Clinical decision-making is constructed from three primary components: evidence from scientific research that is or could be relevant to a client's concerns, the clinician's clinical experience, and the client's personal insights and preferences for their care. 

Ideally, the three components come together well and client and clinician agree to a care approach. Sometimes this does not happen. There are times when a clinician cannot support a client in their preferred treatment approach and, if this cannot be resolved, the clinician may recommend that the client consider another provider for their care. An extreme example of this was provided when it was suggested that COVID might be cured by injecting bleach into one's body. If a client came to a clinician seeking this intervention, the clinician would very likely decline to support them due to lack of scientific evidence to support it and the strong possibility of causing harm to the client. 

At MH&W we use clinical decision-making in your care. We're serious about using all three components, especially your input, as your choice is vital for addressing concerns such as trauma. If, though, our use of scientific evidence to support our work with you goes against your values, we respect your right to choose a provider who aligns with your care preferences. 

You might be surprised to learn how many options are in your community that can support you in being occupationally engaged. You also might be surprised by how helpful that can be physically, cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually. It is not unusual for people to seek out medical care for concerns that improve from joining a birding group, learning how to sing in a choir, volunteering at local events, participating in community center classes, seeking out group exercise classes, and more. These options can be free or low cost and may more flexibly meet your schedule. It's a great idea to stick your toe in the water and see how you feel afterwards!

You might notice that all of the options listed are types of occupations. Not surprisingly, we encourage this! We do realize, though, that this is best accomplished when people feel that they are safe and supported within their local community even if other community members do not share all of their views. Engaging in respectful discussions and making it known that you are open to be in community together can go along way towards helping the overall health of all community members. 

Seriously! Imagine if you felt you could safely turn to your neighbor for help if you fell or when you needed groceries even though your neighbor held different views than you. The healthcare system can only go so far. Especially in a rural community like ours. Imagine if we all leaned in and lent a hand, without judgment, to our neighbors. We don't advocate being taken advantage of, making yourself sick from over-helping, or anything of that sort, however, a little extra in safe situations could make quite a difference.

Online communities can be a great support when you cannot find folks in your immediate surroundings that share a trait or interest of yours. They can also be very helpful when you cannot get out of your house very often. We do advocate for their use. However, there is a more dynamic benefit for being with other people in reasonably comfortable situations even if what you're doing is not something you might have chosen for yourself. 

Nature therapy is thing! Really! Who knew that we would live in a world that had lost so much greenspace that we would have to research the benefits of nature on our health and well-being. It seems a bit like common sense to those of us who grew up with trees, doesn't it? Unfortunately, even living in a beautiful, green, treed area such as ours does not outweigh the draw of a couch, tv, tablet, or computer. 

The research continues to show us that getting outside is very beneficial for a variety of health concerns. Plants give off chemicals that support our health. Growing up playing outdoors on wilder settings reduces the incidents of attention deficit disorders. Seeing greenery outside of an office window can improve productivity in women. Being in nature can soothe pain. The results continue to pile in. Providers in the UK actually prescribe walks in natural settings. Japan promotes forest bathing. Here in Canada, we have PaRX, a prescription for nature program that is advocating providers here also prescribe nature.  

We know it can get smokey out there, but get outside when you can. All nature can be good. If possible, though, try the wonder and wander approach. It focuses your attention and your senses on your immediate experience, engages your creative thinking, and elicits a type of child's mind in the sense that you are being more wide-eyed and curious, like a child, rather than adult who might be trying to get their 30-minute walk in while planning the rest of their day.