Occupational Therapy in Cumbria- what is OT?
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
Occupational Therapy (OT) has its roots in mental health care. In the early 20th century, it developed from the idea that participation in meaningful activity could support recovery and wellbeing.
During this time, structured activities such as crafts, work tasks, and daily routines were used therapeutically within mental health settings to promote engagement, purpose, and stability.
Over time, Occupational Therapy has evolved into an evidence-based profession, combining psychological understanding with practical, person-centred approaches.
Today, OT continues to play a vital role in mental health services, supporting people to manage challenges and live more balanced, fulfilling lives.
Occupational Therapy is a practical, holistic approach that focuses on how people function in their everyday lives — including their routines, roles, activities, and environments.
In mental health, Occupational Therapy supports individuals to manage the impact of emotional difficulties on daily life, helping them to engage in meaningful activities and build a sense of balance, structure, and wellbeing. It supports you to develop your identity through discovering yourself as an occupational being where by engaging in activities (Doing), creates a sense of who you are (Being), helping you to forge out an identity (Becoming) and find your place in society (Belonging).
Occupational Therapy at Helping Hanz Therapies
At Helping Hanz Therapies, Occupational Therapy is tailored to each individual. The focus is on creating realistic, sustainable strategies that fit within everyday life.
By combining Occupational Therapy with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), support is both practical and psychologically informed — helping individuals not only understand their difficulties, but also make meaningful changes in how they live day to day.
A Focus on Meaningful Activity
A key part of Occupational Therapy is the belief that engaging in meaningful activities — or “occupations” — supports both mental and physical wellbeing.
This could include:
- Daily routines
- Work or education
- Hobbies and interests
- Social connection
- Family roles
By supporting individuals to re-engage in these areas, OT helps to rebuild confidence, identity, and overall wellbeing.
How Occupational Therapy Supports Mental Health
Mental health can affect many areas of daily life, including:
- Motivation and energy
- Sleep and daily routines
- Self-care and personal organisation
- Work, education, or parenting roles
- Social participation
- Confidence and independence
Occupational Therapy works collaboratively to understand these challenges and develop practical, achievable strategies to support everyday functioning.
This may include:
- Creating supportive routines and structure
- Breaking down overwhelming tasks
- Developing energy management and pacing strategies
- Adapting environments to reduce stress
- Building confidence in daily activities
- Supporting engagement in meaningful occupations
OT Service Offer
Discover more about our extensive range of professional OT services. We constantly update this page, but if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to get in touch with me– I am more than happy to discuss individual circumstances
Who can be supported by Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy at Helping Hanz can support:
- Children & young people
- Adults
- Older adults
- Anyone experiencing functional difficulties due to a mental health, physical health or long term health condition. A full occupational therapy assessment will be carried out to establish what barriers you may be experiencing.
Where can you be supported?
Helping Hanz can work flexibly to meet your individual needs. Assessments can take place in:
- Your home
- Your school, college or university
- Your place of work
- In the community
Adaptions
As an OT, I can recommend adaptions to support functioning whether this is physical equipment, environmental adaptions or strategies or routine restructuring. It might be learning new ways of breaking down activities which currently feel overwhelming or support to enable your home environment, structure and routines to support your functioning. OT is such a flexible and holistic way of working and combined with my training and experience as a CBT therapist we can address the psychological barriers impacting your functioning as well.
School Environmental Assessments
Is your child struggling in the school environment?
If a flower was struggling to grow, we wouldn’t blame the flower, we would look at the environment and make adaptions- maybe the soil or the access to light, or access to water.
At Helping Hanz, I believe that children do well when they can. If they are struggling to function, I can complete school observation and environmental assessments, so recommendations can be made to allow the right strategies to be put in place to support your child to be able to access education. Contact me to discuss how I can support.
Recovery Through Activity
Recovery Through Activity is a 12 week Evidence-based programme that can be run in a small group or on an individual 1:1 basis. The programme is widely used in mental health and supports wellbeing through participation in activity.
These sessions are designed to cover 12 specific activity categories, ranging from leisure and creativity to community engagement. They also offer an opportunity to build friendships with others who may be experiencing similar difficulties or loneliness.
- Structure: The programme is designed as a series of 12 sessions.
- Adaptation: While traditionally a 12-session group, it is flexible and can be delivered in smaller groups or as one-to-one sessions depending on client needs.
- Focus: The intervention is an occupation-focused treatment, often used in mental health settings to increase participation in daily life.
- Timing: Sessions usually last for 1-1.5 hrs and involve discussion and engagement in activities over several weeks, supported by a structured, evidence-based manual.
Next adult group start date:
Now accepting enquires & bookings for May 2026 Group.
Quality Assured support
I am a BSc Occupational Therapy trained professional, with professional membership with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). I have also completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural therapy and a post graduate Certificate in CBT supervision. I have regular clinical supervision to ensure my practice is safe and effective. I am fully insured and police checked.