Occupational Therapy for Trauma Recovery
After a traumatic event, all sorts of life domains and activities can be affected. Sleep, work, relationships, routines, even doing the shopping or keeping on top of the washing can be challenging.
Trauma can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves and others, struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, or even physical symptoms that seem to have no clear cause. Occupational therapy offers a unique and practical approach to trauma recovery, helping you rebuild a sense of safety, stability, and control in your daily life.
We can help with the following:
- Energy support: PTSD (post-traumatic-stress-disorder) can have you feeling depleted, numb and even physically unwell. OTs can help you create a plan about how to manage and spend your energy wisely, according to your needs, obligations and values.
- Sensory work: Trauma can disrupt sensory processing, which can make everyday activities difficult or even intolerable. OTs can help develop supportive strategies and environments to support you to do what you want and need to do.
- Nervous system regulation: Ots have a whole mind and body approach to health. Understanding your nervous system and how it works can help you make good decisions around your brain and body health. Regulating your nervous system can help you experience safety with others and in your own body.
- Emotional regulation: OTs can teach practical strategies for managing difficult emotions, while looking at the whole picture to determine where other changes can be made to support emotional regulation.
- Routine and structure: Re-establishing daily routines can be incredibly difficult after a traumatic event. OTs can help rebuild these routines in a safe and manageable way.
- Social and life engagement: Sometimes getting out of the house can be scary after a traumatic event, leading to isolation. OTs can help individuals rebuild confidence in social situations and devise a plan with you to work safely towards engaging in your world again.
- Sleep improvement: Sleep disturbances are common after trauma. OTs can offer strategies for improving sleep.
- Everyday activities: Trauma can make doing everyday tasks more challenging, as your brain and body can be stuck in survival mode, affecting concentration, energy and mood. OTs can work with you to come up with strategies to get you going again.
How to Get Help
If you’ve experienced sexual trauma, you don’t have to navigate the healing process alone. Occupational Therapy services are available through ACC Sensitive Claims for those who have experienced sexual abuse or assault in New Zealand.
This means you may be eligible for fully funded support, allowing you to access trauma-informed care at no cost. If you’re unsure whether you qualify, I can guide you through the process and help you take the next step toward healing.
You deserve to feel safe in your body and life again. If you’re ready to explore how occupational therapy can support your trauma recovery, reach out today.