Occupational therapists work with patients to build or restore their abilities to perform the tasks of daily life. Occupational therapy can look very different depending on what issues a patient is dealing with and whether those issues are mental, physical, emotional or developmental. After a thorough patient assessment, an OT creates a plan and works toward helping that patient meet certain goals, which may range from eating and bathing to operating a computer and maintaining a budget.

Their work also includes keeping meticulous records of each patient’s progress. Occupational therapists work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, medical offices and clients’ homes. They also work in policy and administration, as well as in research and academia.

When Samia Rafeedie was an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, she sought the help of an academic adviser. She knew she wanted to work in health care, but she just didn’t know which area of health care best suited her. Her adviser suggested occupational therapy. Rafeedie remembers thinking, "I don’t want to help people find jobs."

But she followed up her adviser’s recommendation by visiting an open house at the School of Allied Medicine, where health care professionals from different fields described their work. She recalls an occupational therapist there saying, "Physical therapy teaches people how to walk, and occupational therapy teaches them how to dance."

Rafeedie, now an associate professor of clinical occupational therapy and director of the professional program at the University of Southern California Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, was sold on the profession from that day forward. "We help people do the every day ’occupations’ of life, regardless of age, ability or disability," she writes in an email.

The field has seen some vast changes in recent decades. One of the most exciting, writes Rafeedie, is the inception of occupational science. This is "the development of the science that validates what we do as occupational therapists, as it studies how meaningful activities – occupations – impact health, wellness, and well-being," she adds. There’s also been an increased drive for further research and clinical outcomes, and a push for more preventive and proactive therapy to help stop problems from developing, rather than reacting to existing problems with a rehabilitative program.The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11.5% employment growth for occupational therapists between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 16,100 jobs should open up.

You’ll need a bachelor’s and a master’s degree to practice as an occupational therapist. Some therapists also have doctoral degrees. After graduating from a program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, you’ll need to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam. You also must complete the necessary supervised fieldwork, which takes at least 24 weeks. After meeting these requirements, you can obtain your license.

Practicing therapists need to keep up with continuing education coursework to maintain their license. They can also obtain further certifications in specialized areas, like gerontology or pediatrics.