Is the Use of Life History and Narrative in Clinical Practice Reimbursable? Is It Occupational Therapy?

Narrative and life history meth ods in occupational therapy offer practitioners an OppOrtu niry to undemand what might other wise remain an unspoken and informal part of therapeutic imeraction. In con trast to the formal information about a patient's medical and psychosocial con dition, therapists often gain insight into the patient's inner life (e.g., family back ground, favorite music, holiday and birthday traditions) through the sponta neous conversations that arise during treatment. This informal information is importam to occupational therapists because it fills in the details about the patients they are working with and how the illness experience is affecting, and will ultimately affect, the patients' lives. Informally collected data invariably find their way into treatment interventions, informing the selection of treatment goals, activities, and outcomes. The use of factors such as age, roles,