In this episode we are talking all about Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy with Professor Gayle Restall. Gayle is co-editor of the new book; Promoting Occupational Participation: Collaborative Relationship-Focused Occupational Therapy.
Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy underscores the core purpose of occupational therapy—enabling access to, initiation of, and continued participation in occupations. It highlights the essence of occupational therapy as a practice built on collaborative relationships with individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations. The focus is on leveraging the strengths, knowledge, talents, and resources of people and groups. Key focuses include:
- Client Relationships: Explaining how therapists work closely with their clients.
- Practice Goals: Defining the main aims of occupational therapy.
- Focus on Justice: Shifting towards promoting fairness, equality, and rights in therapy.
We discuss:
- What Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy is all about
- Why and how we need to evolve from client-centered practice
- A dive into the four elements of Collaborative Relationship Focused Occupational Therapy: contextually relevant, nuanced, safe and promote rights based self determination
- What inspired Gayle to collaborate with Mary Egan and team of others to conceptualise this new practice
- The components of Canadian Inter-relational Practice Process Framework (COTIPP) and how it is different from other frameworks
Gayle is a Professor Emerita at the University of Manitoba. She lives works, plays, and builds relationships in Winnipeg where she lives. Gayle is a registered occupational therapist with a PhD in Community Health Sciences. Her scholarship is driven by a passion for involving people who require health and social services in their own care, program development, research, and social policymaking. Through her research, she explores the systems and policy changes needed for people with chronic health conditions to fully participate in community life. She is committed to lifelong work to facilitate justice and equity for individuals and collectives. Spending time in the boreal forest to hike, cycle, or cross-country ski is a favorite pastime.
