Lucy Leonard talks to OT Today about language

Over her 25-year career in occupational therapy, TOTS director Lucy Leonard has discovered one truth: language matters. Be it in how we communicate, or how we shape understanding — this could be in supporting our clients’ in their chosen environments or indeed themselves . Occupational therapy focuses on meaning, engagement and identity, all themes which can be affected by the language we choose to use.

Lucy feels passionately about language having previously tackled this subject at The Occupational Therapy Show, and recently gave an interview with OT Today magazine in the hope of reaching a wider audience.

In the article Lucy explains,

“In occupational therapy, we pride ourselves on being holistic. We go beyond symptoms, beyond diagnosis, and into the meaningful fabric of daily life: what people do, want to do, or need to do. But how often do we stop to examine the language that underpins this work? The words in our assessments, the terms we use in care plans, the way we talk about progress or struggle – they all have an impact.”

The main topics of discussion centre around the use of words such as ‘resilience’, ‘independence’ and ‘safe’ and their meaning in an occupational therapy context. Lucy goes on to say,

“Occupational therapists are trained to notice the subtle nuances in daily life. Their language should honour that nuance, capturing the complexity of lived experience rather than reducing it to generic phrases or passive descriptors.”

Click here to read the full article in OT Today