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Occupational therapy

What is occupational therapy?

It is a health profession that helps people do what they want or need to do when an injury, illness or other circumstances keep them from reaching their full potential in daily life.

See fields of practice Study the master’s
An occupational therapist guides an older woman as she pours water into a cup with an adapted handle
Transforming livesthrough everyday independence

Transforming lives

Helping each person reach the greatest possible independence

By assessing physical, psychological, sensory and social abilities, the occupational therapist designs the right treatment for each person.

The goal is to help each person achieve the greatest possible independence in daily life, contributing to partial or full recovery from illness or making it easier to adapt to a disability.

According to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation.

Its main goal is to enable people to participate in activities of daily living, either by enabling them to do the tasks that optimize their ability to participate or by modifying the environment to support participation.

Occupational therapists have extensive training that gives them the skills and knowledge to work with individuals or groups whose participation is limited by a change in their health.

Did you know?

Occupational therapy reaches more lives than you might think

A few facts we share with our students from day one. Swipe or use the arrows.

  • An occupational therapist can work in many fields, and we are prepared to work with patients and clients with different conditions, from autism to recovery from accidents.

  • Occupational therapy can also help people with Alzheimer’s! Its activities help them become more independent in their daily lives.

  • People who have had a heart attack or have heart conditions can benefit from occupational therapy: in cardiac rehabilitation, daily activities and exercises help reduce symptoms.

  • We don’t only work on a person’s activities, but also on their state of mind: it’s about setting a goal and finding what’s most meaningful to the patient, rather than focusing on deficits.

  • In occupational therapy we care not only for our patients’ bodies and movements, but also for their hearts and souls. By working together, they learn to live more independently and happily.

Fields of practice

Where occupational therapists work

Occupational therapists are health professionals dedicated to these fields, working with children, adults and older adults.

An occupational therapist supports a girl on a sensory integration swing
  • Geriatric rehabilitation
  • Pediatric rehabilitation
  • Mental health rehabilitation
  • Substance use disorders
  • Intellectual disability
  • Orthopedics, prosthetics and orthotics
  • Assistive technology and environmental adaptations
  • Early intervention
  • Neurological rehabilitation
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Work rehabilitation
  • Psychosocial rehabilitation
  • Teaching and research
  • Social exclusion and immigration
  • Other fields of therapeutic intervention

Real fieldwork

What occupational therapy looks like at INTSA

Students and faculty working with patients of all ages. Tap a photo to enlarge it.

Explore the Master’s in Occupational Therapy

Would you like to become an occupational therapist?

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Opening soon

INTSA opens its doors on January 11, 2027

We invite you to join the second cohort of our Master’s in Occupational Therapy. Message us on WhatsApp and we’ll send you information.

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