Occupational Therapy in Edmonton
Helping You Function, Adapt and Feel More Confident in Everyday Life
Occupational therapy helps you participate more fully in the activities, routines, relationships, work, school, and responsibilities that are important to you.
At Strathcona Physical Therapy, our occupational therapy services are personalized to support people experiencing challenges related to mental health, trauma, ADHD, autism and neurodivergence, sensory processing, chronic pain, injury, and changes in everyday function.
Our approach is trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming, looking beyond symptoms to understand how your health, environment, routines, nervous system, and life experiences may be affecting your day-to-day life.
Whether you are working toward managing daily routines, returning to work or school, recovering after an injury or motor vehicle accident, navigating ADHD or autism, managing anxiety or overwhelm, or simply trying to function more comfortably and confidently, occupational therapy can help you develop practical strategies that are meaningful to your life.
In-person and virtual occupational therapy appointments are available.
What Is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy focuses on helping you participate in the everyday activities that are important to your health, independence, and quality of life.
In occupational therapy, an “occupation” is anything you need or want to do in daily life, from working, studying, parenting, sleeping, and caring for yourself to managing relationships, routines, recreation, and community activities.
When mental health concerns, neurodivergence, pain, injury, trauma, sensory challenges, or other life circumstances make these activities more difficult, an occupational therapist looks at the whole picture. This includes your abilities, environment, routines, demands, and the barriers that may be getting in the way.
Treatment is practical and individualized. Depending on your needs, occupational therapy may help you develop strategies, build skills, modify routines or environments, regulate your nervous system, and gradually improve your ability to participate in the parts of life that matter to you.
How Can Occupational Therapy Help?
Occupational therapy can support you when mental health, neurodivergence, pain, injury, sensory needs, or life circumstances begin to affect your ability to manage everyday activities and participate in the things that matter to you.
At Strathcona Physical Therapy, occupational therapy may help with:
Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being
Support for anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, emotional regulation, and other mental health challenges that can affect daily functioning, relationships, work, and quality of life.
ADHD & Executive Functioning
Practical strategies for organization, planning, time management, task initiation, routines, attention, and managing the demands of work, school, home, and daily life.
Trauma & PTSD
Trauma-informed support to help you understand your responses, develop regulation and coping strategies, and gradually feel safer and more confident participating in everyday life.
Autism & Neurodivergence
Neurodiversity-affirming support focused on individual strengths, sensory needs, routines, self-understanding, energy management, and meaningful participation.
Injury & Motor Vehicle Accident Recovery
Support for rebuilding routines, managing symptoms, returning to meaningful activities, and addressing the physical, cognitive, emotional, and functional effects that can follow an injury or motor vehicle accident.
Sensory Processing & Regulation
Support for understanding sensory needs, recognizing triggers, managing overwhelm, and developing strategies that make everyday environments and activities more manageable.
Work, School & Everyday Function
Individualized strategies to improve participation in work, school, household responsibilities, self-care, parenting, recreation, and other important daily activities.
Chronic Pain & Persistent Symptoms
Strategies to support activity, pacing, routines, sleep, nervous system regulation, and participation when persistent pain or other ongoing symptoms interfere with everyday life.
Meet Our Occupational Therapist
Jenny Visconti, MScOT, BA (Psych)
Registered Occupational Therapist
Clinical Interests: Mental Health & Trauma • ADHD & Executive Functioning • Autism & Neurodivergence • Sensory Processing • Chronic Pain • MVA & Injury Recovery
Jenny provides compassionate, individualized occupational therapy focused on helping people participate more fully in the activities and roles that are important in their everyday lives.
Her approach is trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and collaborative. She works with individuals experiencing mental health concerns, trauma, ADHD, autism, sensory processing differences, chronic pain, and challenges affecting daily routines, relationships, work, school, and overall functioning.
Jenny combines practical occupational therapy strategies with therapeutic approaches tailored to each person’s needs and goals. Treatment may focus on areas such as emotional and nervous system regulation, executive functioning, sensory needs, routines, coping strategies, activity participation, and building greater confidence in everyday life.
She offers both in-person and virtual occupational therapy, including longer appointments when additional time may be beneficial for more complex needs.
What to Expect at Your First Occupational Therapy Appointment
Your first occupational therapy appointment is an opportunity to understand what is affecting your everyday life, what matters most to you, and what you would like to change.
Your occupational therapist will take time to learn about your concerns, experiences, daily routines, responsibilities, strengths, and goals. Depending on the reason for your visit, the assessment may explore areas such as:
Mental health and emotional well-being
Daily routines, habits, and self-care
Work, school, and home responsibilities
Attention, organization, and executive functioning
Sensory needs and regulation
Sleep, energy, and activity patterns
Pain and its impact on daily function
Relationships and social participation
Activities that are important or meaningful to you
Together, you and your occupational therapist will identify the areas having the greatest impact on your life and develop an individualized treatment plan based on your needs, priorities, and goals.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Your treatment plan may include practical strategies, skill development, changes to routines or environments, nervous system and emotional regulation strategies, therapeutic approaches, and gradual support toward participating more fully in everyday life.
Our Occupational Therapy Services
Occupational therapy at Strathcona Physical Therapy is available in person and virtually, with appointment options designed to accommodate different needs and levels of support.
Initial Occupational Therapy Assessment
Your first appointment focuses on understanding your concerns, daily functioning, strengths, challenges, and goals. Together, you and your occupational therapist will identify priorities and develop an individualized plan for care.
Occupational Therapy Follow-Up
Follow-up appointments build on your assessment and treatment plan. Sessions may include practical strategies, skill development, therapeutic interventions, nervous system and emotional regulation, executive functioning support, sensory strategies, and approaches to improve participation in everyday life.
Prolonged Occupational Therapy Follow-Up
A 120-minute extended session is available for clients who may benefit from additional time for more complex needs, deeper therapeutic work, functional planning, or integrating strategies without feeling rushed. This can also be helpful for clients who attend therapy less frequently.
Virtual Occupational Therapy
Many occupational therapy services can also be provided virtually, allowing you to receive individualized care from the comfort and privacy of your own environment.
Free 15-Minute Consultation
Not sure whether occupational therapy is right for you? A free 15-minute consultation is available to briefly discuss your needs and determine whether our occupational therapy services may be a good fit.
Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Occupational Therapy
Mental health and trauma can affect much more than how you feel. They can influence sleep, energy, concentration, relationships, routines, work, self-care, and your ability to participate in everyday life.
Occupational therapy looks at how these challenges are affecting your day-to-day functioning and helps you develop practical and therapeutic strategies to move toward the life you want to participate in.
Our approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and individualized. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, your occupational therapist considers your experiences, environment, nervous system, daily demands, strengths, and the activities that are meaningful to you.
Depending on your individual needs and goals, occupational therapy may support:
Anxiety, stress, and overwhelm
Trauma and PTSD
Depression and low motivation
Burnout and difficulty maintaining routines
Emotional and nervous system regulation
Sleep and energy management
Returning to work, school, or meaningful activities
Rebuilding confidence and participation after difficult life experiences
Treatment may combine practical occupational therapy strategies with evidence-informed therapeutic approaches, helping you build skills, improve regulation, establish sustainable routines, and gradually increase participation in the parts of life that matter to you.
ADHD, Autism & Neurodiversity-Affirming Occupational Therapy
ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence can influence how a person experiences attention, organization, sensory input, emotions, energy, routines, relationships, work, school, and everyday responsibilities.
Our occupational therapy approach is neurodiversity-affirming and individualized. The goal is not to change who you are, but to better understand how you function, identify what is making everyday life more difficult, and develop strategies that work with your strengths, needs, and environment.
Occupational therapy may help with:
Executive functioning, planning, and organization
Starting and completing tasks
Time management and maintaining routines
Sensory processing and sensory overwhelm
Emotional and nervous system regulation
Managing energy, stress, and burnout
Work and school participation
Sleep and daily habits
Developing sustainable strategies for everyday life
Treatment is collaborative and practical. Together, you and your occupational therapist can explore what is working, what is creating barriers, and what changes to your strategies, routines, tasks, or environment may make daily life more manageable.
The focus is on helping you build greater self-understanding, confidence, and participation in the activities and roles that matter to you.
Therapeutic Approaches Used in Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is individualized, and no single approach is right for everyone. Depending on your needs, goals, experiences, and comfort level, your occupational therapist may integrate different evidence-informed therapeutic approaches into your care.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
ART is a trauma-focused approach that uses guided imagery and eye movements to help reduce the emotional and physical distress associated with difficult or traumatic experiences.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting is a therapeutic approach that uses specific points in a person’s visual field while attending to emotions, sensations, or experiences. It may be incorporated into treatment to support emotional processing and regulation.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps individuals develop greater psychological flexibility by learning how to respond differently to difficult thoughts and emotions while taking meaningful action toward personal values and goals.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Prolonged Exposure is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD that involves gradually and safely approaching trauma-related memories, feelings, and situations that may have been avoided.
Behavioural Activation
Behavioural Activation focuses on gradually reconnecting with meaningful, enjoyable, and important activities when depression, low mood, or reduced motivation has made participation difficult.
These approaches may be used alongside practical occupational therapy strategies addressing daily routines, sensory needs, emotional regulation, executive functioning, activity participation, work, school, relationships, and other areas of everyday life.
Treatment is always collaborative and tailored to the individual. Your occupational therapist will discuss appropriate options with you and determine which approaches best align with your needs and goals.
Occupational Therapy After a Motor Vehicle Accident
Recovering from a motor vehicle accident can affect much more than pain and physical movement. Changes in energy, concentration, sleep, emotional well-being, confidence, routines, work, and everyday activities can all make it difficult to return to your usual life.
Occupational therapy focuses on how your injuries and symptoms are affecting your day-to-day function and helps you develop practical strategies for recovery and participation.
Depending on your needs, occupational therapy after an accident may help with:
Returning to work, school, and daily responsibilities
Rebuilding routines and activity tolerance
Pacing and energy management
Attention, memory, organization, and executive functioning
Sleep and daily habits
Anxiety, stress, and emotional regulation
Managing sensory or environmental overwhelm
Persistent pain and its impact on daily activities
Gradually returning to recreation, community activities, and meaningful roles
Supporting the Whole Recovery
Recovery after an accident is often multifaceted. When appropriate, occupational therapy can work alongside physiotherapy, concussion and vestibular rehabilitation, psychology, massage therapy, and other healthcare services to address different aspects of your recovery.
The goal is to help you move beyond simply managing symptoms and toward participating more confidently and independently in the activities that matter to you.
Virtual Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy doesn’t always require an in-person visit. Many areas of care can be effectively supported through secure virtual appointments, allowing you to connect with your occupational therapist from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Virtual occupational therapy may be particularly helpful for people working on mental health, trauma recovery, ADHD and executive functioning, sensory regulation, chronic pain management, routines, sleep, energy management, and work or school participation.
Receiving care in your own environment can also be valuable in occupational therapy. It allows you and your therapist to explore challenges within the setting where many of your everyday activities and routines actually take place.
Virtual sessions remain personalized, collaborative, and focused on your individual goals, just like in-person appointments.
Both virtual and in-person occupational therapy appointments are available at Strathcona Physical Therapy.
Insurance, Direct Billing & MVA Coverage
Occupational therapy may be covered through extended health benefits, motor vehicle accident insurance, or other funding sources, depending on your individual plan and circumstances.
Extended Health Benefits
Many extended health benefit plans include coverage for occupational therapy. Coverage amounts, referral requirements, and plan conditions vary, so we recommend checking your individual benefits before your first appointment.
Direct billing may be available for eligible insurance plans. Our administrative team can help you understand the billing options available through our clinic.
Motor Vehicle Accident Claims
Occupational therapy may also be part of your rehabilitation following a motor vehicle accident (MVA) when appropriate and approved through your claim.
Depending on your needs, OT can support areas such as returning to work or daily activities, cognitive and executive functioning, emotional regulation, activity tolerance, routines, sleep, persistent symptoms, and overall participation in everyday life.
Coverage and treatment authorization depend on the individual claim and insurer. Our team can help coordinate the necessary information and documentation with your insurance provider when required.
Questions About Coverage?
If you are unsure whether your occupational therapy appointments are covered, contact our clinic before booking. Our administrative team will be happy to help you determine the next steps.
Why Choose Strathcona Physical Therapy for Occupational Therapy?
Finding the right occupational therapist is about more than finding a service, it is about finding care that understands you, your everyday life, and the goals that matter to you.
At Strathcona Physical Therapy, our occupational therapy care is built around the individual, with time to understand your experiences, challenges, strengths, and priorities.
Personalized, One-on-One Care
Your care is individualized to your needs and goals. We focus on the areas of daily life that are most important to you rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Trauma-Informed & Neurodiversity-Affirming
Our approach emphasizes collaboration, respect, choice, and understanding. Care is adapted to your individual experiences, sensory needs, communication preferences, and way of functioning.
Practical Strategies for Real Life
Occupational therapy is about everyday life. Treatment focuses on strategies and skills that can be carried beyond the clinic and applied to your routines, work, school, relationships, and meaningful activities.
In-Person & Virtual Care
Choose the type of appointment that works best for you, with both in-person occupational therapy in Edmonton and virtual appointments available.
Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Care
When appropriate, occupational therapy can work alongside our physiotherapy, psychology, massage therapy, and dietitian services, allowing different aspects of your health and recovery to be supported within one clinic.
Care Focused on What Matters to You
Ultimately, our goal is to help you better understand your needs, build useful strategies, and participate more confidently in the activities and roles that are meaningful to your life.
Occupational Therapy FAQs
What does an occupational therapist do?
An occupational therapist helps people participate more fully in the activities and roles that are important in everyday life. This may include self-care, work, school, relationships, routines, sleep, recreation, and community participation. Treatment focuses on understanding what is getting in the way and developing practical, individualized strategies to improve function and quality of life.
Do I need a referral to see an occupational therapist?
In many cases, you can book an occupational therapy appointment without a physician's referral. However, some insurance plans or funding sources may require a referral for reimbursement or coverage. We recommend checking the requirements of your individual plan.
Can occupational therapy help with ADHD?
Yes. Occupational therapy can support people with ADHD in areas such as executive functioning, organization, time management, task initiation, routines, emotional regulation, sensory needs, and participation in work, school, and everyday responsibilities.
Can occupational therapy help with anxiety, trauma or PTSD?
Occupational therapy can help address the ways anxiety, trauma, and PTSD affect everyday functioning, including sleep, routines, relationships, work, emotional regulation, and participation in meaningful activities. Treatment is individualized and may incorporate trauma-informed therapeutic approaches alongside practical occupational therapy strategies.
Can occupational therapy help with autism and sensory processing?
Occupational therapy can provide neurodiversity-affirming support for autistic and other neurodivergent individuals. Care may address sensory needs, regulation, routines, executive functioning, energy management, environmental adaptations, and participation in everyday activities based on the individual's goals.
Can occupational therapy help after a motor vehicle accident?
Yes. Depending on your injuries and needs, occupational therapy may help with returning to daily activities, work or school, rebuilding routines and activity tolerance, cognitive strategies, sleep, emotional regulation, persistent symptoms, and other functional challenges following a motor vehicle accident.
Is occupational therapy covered by insurance?
Many extended health benefit plans provide occupational therapy coverage, but the amount and requirements vary between plans. Occupational therapy may also be funded through an approved motor vehicle accident claim or other funding source. Please check your individual coverage or contact our clinic if you need assistance.
Do you offer virtual occupational therapy?
Yes. Strathcona Physical Therapy offers both in-person and virtual occupational therapy appointments. Virtual care can be particularly useful for mental health, ADHD and executive functioning, sensory regulation, routines, chronic pain management, and other concerns that can be addressed within your everyday environment.
How long are occupational therapy appointments?
Appointment length depends on the type of service you book and your individual needs. We offer initial assessments, regular follow-up appointments, and prolonged 120-minute follow-up sessions for clients who may benefit from additional time.
What if I'm not sure occupational therapy is right for me?
You can book a free 15-minute consultation to briefly discuss your concerns and determine whether occupational therapy may be appropriate for your needs.