Occupational Therapy

The Department of Occupational Therapy at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CI) offers occupational as well as art therapy to the inpatients of the institute's four medical departments, i.e. the Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Dept. of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine and Dept. of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy. Additionally, the department also provides therapy for patients of the Day Clinic for the Elderly. As a rule, most of these rehabilitative programs are offered in groups.

On a day to day basis patients of the Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy can choose between 17 different occupational therapies organized in 27 groups. However, if necessary, therapy can also be provided on an individual basis. Following admission patients first take part in a special group geared towards new inpatients, during which they become familiar with the overall therapeutic program by being introduced and exposed to a different activity and task each day. For each individual patient therapists and physicians then determine the most suitable therapeutic approach such as painting, cognitive therapy, woodwork, working in the darkroom, or office training, to name only a few. For all therapeutic approaches the most important goals are motivating patients to become more active, helping them to cope with the symptoms of their illness, developing their ability to communicate, to discover and develop their creativity, training patients' ability to concentrate and persevere and helping them to acquire better strategies for coping with conflicts. In addition, therapy also aims at increasing patients' self-confidence and helping them to take pleasure in playing and performing. Through working with the different materials and techniques offered our patients can gain new insights about themselves and their abilities.

Within the Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy occupational therapy is mainly offered on an individual basis or in small groups, with the main focus on increasing self-confidence and supporting a positive identity thus providing them the chance to discover preferences, abilities and talents. In a friendly, supportive and structured atmosphere youngsters can learn how to solve problems by interacting with others and are encouraged to express themselves. During individual therapy we might, for example, work with a dollhouse or glove puppets, and with elements of art therapy such as guided imagination. During group therapy the focus is more on learning through playing and by carrying out exercises to improve our young patients' communication, concentration, memory and perception skills. Additional emphasis is placed on training manual skills and painting. In addition some adolescent patients also participate in work therapy sessions during which they can acquire woodworking and metalworking skills. This can help to assist our young patients in their decision concerning future job training while offering a good means for testing their stress tolerance.

Within the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy art therapy is mainly offered as part of the psychoanalytical treatment approach. All patients of this clinic participate regularly in art therapy groups, while some are also offered individual therapy. During therapy patients draw or paint, make collages or work with clay. Immediately following the non-verbal art therapy session patients and therapists then take time to discuss what they have done.

For patients of the Day Clinic for the Elderly we offer a special occupational therapy program designed to meet the particular needs and abilities of this group. However, the patients are also free to take advantage of the entire therapy spectrum offered by our department.