Mental Health Occupational Therapist vs Psychologist: What’s the Difference?
Updated: Sep 2
If you've been looking for mental health support, you may have wondered:
“Should I see a psychologist or an occupational therapist?”
It's a good question — particularly because there is a lot of overlap between the two professions.
Both psychologists and Mental Health Occupational Therapists are trained mental health professionals. Both can provide therapy, use evidence-based psychological approaches, support people experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and other mental health difficulties, and help people make meaningful changes in their lives.
So, what actually makes them different?
The answer isn't that one profession is focused on your mental health and the other is focused on practical things.
Both can support the whole person.
The difference is the professional lens each brings to understanding what is happening and what might help.
What does a Psychologist do?
Psychologists are trained to assess, diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
Psychological therapy can help you understand and work with things such as:
thoughts and beliefs
emotions and emotional regulation
behaviours and patterns
relationships
past experiences and trauma
coping strategies
anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions
psychological factors affecting your wellbeing
Psychologists use a range of evidence-based therapies depending on their training and the needs of the person they are working with.
For many people, psychological therapy provides an important space to understand their experiences, develop insight, process difficult experiences and learn new ways of responding.
So, what does a Mental Health Occupational Therapist do?
Mental Health Occupational Therapists are also mental health professionals.
We use therapeutic approaches to support people experiencing mental health difficulties, while bringing an occupational perspective to understanding what is happening.
This is where the word occupation becomes important.
In occupational therapy, an occupation isn't just your job.
Occupations are the things you need, want or are expected to do as part of your life.
That might include:
getting out of bed
caring for your children
preparing meals
showering and getting dressed
working or studying
exercising
managing your household
sleeping
participating in your community
pursuing hobbies
having time for yourself
These activities can seem ordinary, but they are actually a huge part of our mental health and wellbeing. When our mental health changes, our ability to participate in these things can change too. And sometimes, the things we do every day can also affect our mental health.
This relationship between mental health, the person, their environment and what they do is at the heart of occupational therapy.
The occupational therapy difference
A Mental Health OT doesn't simply ask:
“What symptoms are you experiencing?”
We may also ask:
“What is happening in your life because of those symptoms?”
And:
“What do you need and want to be able to do again?”
For example, imagine a new parent experiencing significant anxiety.
Their anxiety might involve racing thoughts, intrusive worries and difficulty switching off — all things that can be explored therapeutically.
An OT might also explore:
Are they avoiding leaving the house?
Are they struggling to care for themselves?
Have their routines completely changed?
Are they able to eat regularly?
Are they sleeping when opportunities arise?
Have they stopped seeing friends?
Are they finding parenting overwhelming?
Have they lost confidence in their ability to manage everyday tasks?
What expectations are they placing on themselves?
What does their support network actually look like?
What would they like their days to look and feel like?
The goal isn't simply to make the anxiety disappear.
It's to understand the anxiety, while also helping the person build a life they can participate in and feel connected to.
That might involve therapeutic work, education, behavioural strategies, routines, environmental changes, graded exposure, problem solving, activity planning, sensory strategies, values-based work or rebuilding confidence.
The intervention is guided by the individual person and what matters to them.
What about perinatal mental health?
This occupational perspective can be particularly valuable during pregnancy and early parenthood. Becoming a parent isn't simply a change in mental health.
It can change almost every part of your daily life.
routines
sleep
relationships
responsibilities
identity
work
social life
self-care
expectations
environment
priorities
This is one reason occupational therapy can be such a valuable part of perinatal mental health care.
A Mental Health OT can support parents experiencing anxiety, depression, birth trauma, grief and loss, overwhelm, burnout, identity changes or difficulties adjusting to parenthood.
We can explore both what is happening emotionally and psychologically and how those experiences are affecting the way you are living your life.
Can an OT diagnose a mental health condition?
This is one of the key differences between the professions.
Occupational therapists do not diagnose mental health conditions.
Psychologists are trained and qualified to assess and diagnose mental health conditions within their professional scope.
An OT can, however, assess how mental health difficulties are affecting a person's functioning, participation, routines, roles and wellbeing.
We can also work alongside psychologists, psychiatrists, GPs and other health professionals as part of a broader mental health care team.
Do I need a psychologist or an OT?
There isn't a simple “better” option.
It depends on what you need support with, your goals and the type of professional relationship that feels right for you.
You may choose to see a psychologist if you are looking for psychological assessment, diagnosis or specific psychological therapy.
You may choose a Mental Health OT if you want to understand how your mental health is affecting your everyday life and work on making meaningful changes to your routines, roles, activities, relationships, environment and participation.
And sometimes, you don't have to choose.
Psychologists and Mental Health OTs can work alongside one another and provide complementary perspectives. For example, a psychologist may support you to process trauma or work therapeutically with anxiety, while an OT may help you translate that work into changes in your everyday life. Neither approach is “better”.
They are different professional lenses.
You don't have to navigate it alone
There is no single mental health professional who is the right fit for everyone.
Psychologists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, GPs, social workers and other professionals all bring different expertise to mental health care.
The most important thing is finding support that fits you, your circumstances and what you want to change.
At Ready to Rise, we provide mental health occupational therapy for adults and parents, with a particular focus on perinatal mental health and the transition to parenthood.
If you're not sure whether occupational therapy is right for you, get in touch and we can talk through what you're looking for and whether we might be a good fit.
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