Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy is an integral part of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic treatment. Its aim is to maintain or regain the ability to function in everyday life. For this purpose, a broad range of therapies is offered not only to train practical activities, but also to promote emotional skills and stimulate thought processes.

Ergotherapy in psychiatry

The word ergotherapy is of Greek origin and translates as recovery through activity and work. The aim of this social therapy method is to alleviate illness-related losses or limitations of everyday skills in order to maintain or regain the patient's ability to cope with everyday life independently. Psychiatric illnesses often go hand in hand with impairments of the capability to act, and with feelings of self-doubt. However, by practicing routines, concentration, or resilience, positive experiences can be conveyed and self-confidence strengthened.

Goals of occupational therapy

We pursue the following specific objectives:

• Promotion of basic work skills by training perseverance, concentration, and attention
• Strengthening of decision-making ability, self-initiative, and Independence, as well as learning or relearning how to plan actions
• Awakening of interests, motivation, and self-drive
• Improvement of mental and physical resilience
• Assistance with self-perception and external perception
• Improvement of interactive skills such as the ability to cooperate, contact and communication skills, teamwork and conflict management
• Strengthening assertiveness

Ergotherapy on the wards

On the main wards, we mainly provide group therapy, which is geared towards the different diagnoses with their specific objectives. Depending on the illness, the focus lies on creative handicraft techniques, practical planning tasks or perception-enhancing communicative measures. If necessary, we also offer therapy in individual sessions. In the intensive care unit, there is a daily occupational therapy group program.

A variety of creative techniques such as clay, wood, or silk painting are utilized. The therapy is supplemented by computer programs such as CoPack or RehaCom, which exercise the brain functions and enhance cognitive abilities. Group sessions to promote communication and cooperation or sound and body perception are also offered for all wards.

Ergotherapy in the day care clinic

The aim of occupational therapy in the day care clinic is to increase the physical and psychological resilience of the patients, to improve and stabilize basic working skills and special skills for reintegration into working life. To this end, work training is provided in the areas of computer, wood, textile, or bookbinding work, using a work activity under conditions as close to reality as possible as a means of therapy and training general basic work-related skills.