OT Tools of the Trade in Mental Health Support

How Occupational Therapists support mental health and maternal wellbeing, beyond talk therapy

When people think about mental health support, they often imagine sitting in a room talking about feelings or exploring thoughts. And while that can be helpful, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.

As Occupational Therapists (OTs), we’re trained to support mental health in ways that are practical, embodied, and deeply connected to everyday life. OTs across many areas of practice, from paediatrics to chronic disease to rehab, bring unique, transferable skills that can enhance mental health care.

Here at Apricity Therapy, we work specifically with mothers and women navigating seasons of change such as matrescence, burnout, neurodivergence, trauma, identity shifts, and emotional overwhelm. What we’ve found again and again is that supporting mental health isn't just about what’s going on in the mind. It’s about how that shows up in daily life.

The tools we use are grounded in occupation: how people live, cope, connect, rest, and find meaning. These are the OT tools of the trade that sit at the heart of our mental health practice here at Apricity.

1. Sensory Regulation and Processing Support

Maternal wellbeing is deeply impacted by sensory load. Whether it’s the relentless noise, constant touch, environmental chaos, or emotional overstimulation, most mothers I work with are sensory saturated.

OTs help you identify your sensory profile, recognise what helps versus what hinders regulation, and develop personalised sensory strategies. This is especially relevant in postpartum recovery, neurodivergence, trauma-informed care, and parenting in high-demand households.

In motherhood, this looks like:

• Understanding why you snap when you hear whining or can’t cope with clutter

• Creating small rituals to soothe a wired nervous system (e.g. grounding, compression, proprioception)

• Reframing “over-reaction” as a valid nervous system response, and learning how to support it

2. Fatigue Management and Energy Conservation

So many mothers are exhausted, not just from sleep deprivation, but from emotional load, decision fatigue, and constant micro-adjustments to meet everyone else’s needs.

OTs support clients to understand fatigue from a holistic lens (physical, mental, emotional), and offer strategies to pace themselves, prioritise demands, and reduce burnout.

In motherhood, this looks like:

• Naming your limits without shame

• Spacing out obligations based on energy capacity, not guilt

• Learning to rest before you crash

3. Grading, Adapting, and Structuring Tasks

When mental health takes a hit, even simple tasks can feel impossible. The dishes. The phone call. The school note.

OTs are trained to grade and adapt tasks so they feel more doable, less emotionally loaded, and better aligned with your capacity. We reduce overwhelm by helping you scaffold your way through daily life.

In motherhood, this looks like:

• Breaking morning routines into steps that work for your executive functioning

• Creating flow around high-stress moments like bedtime, school drop-off, and dinner

• Using external tools like lists, cues, and check-ins to reduce pressure on your brain

4. Occupational Identity and Role Transitions

Matrescence - mother becoming - is one of the most significant identity shifts a person can experience. Yet it's rarely named, and even more rarely supported.

OTs specialise in supporting people through role change, role strain, and role loss. We help you integrate your evolving identity and reconnect with who you are outside of caregiving and productivity.

In motherhood, this looks like:

• Naming the grief that comes with losing your “old self”

• Exploring what feels like you — creatively, relationally, spiritually

• Making space for both/and: love for your children, and longing for autonomy

5. Routine, Rhythm, and Occupational Balance

One of the most overlooked aspects of mental health is rhythm - not the strict routines that make you feel boxed in, but the kind that bring predictability, spaciousness, and energy flow.

OTs support clients to build nourishing rhythms into their days that reflect their real lives, sensory needs, and values. For mothers, this is essential.

In motherhood, this looks like:

• Creating routines that support, not sabotage, your nervous system

• Embedding regulation into your actual day, not just in theory

• Shifting from over-functioning or perfectionism to sustainable balance

6. Function-Focused Mental Health Support

Here’s the heart of it. OTs treat mental health through function.
Because even when you don’t have the words, or the energy to unpack your thoughts, you can still take small actions toward your wellbeing. That movement, that doing, has therapeutic power.

We help you build your mental health through daily life, not just through conversation.

In motherhood, this looks like:

• Re-engaging in activities that fill your cup

• Learning to track what drains and what restores

• Reclaiming your sense of I can through tiny acts of self-trust

Why This Matters in Motherhood

Maternal mental health isn’t just about reducing symptoms. It’s about:
✔ Supporting you to live in alignment with who you are
✔ Helping you feel less overwhelmed in your roles
✔ Creating ways to regulate, rest, connect, and express yourself
✔ Honouring your nervous system, your capacity, and your values
✔ Restoring a sense of self that might feel buried under the weight of doing everything for everyone else

At Apricity Therapy, we offer a holistic, practical, and evidence-based approach to maternal mental health. We blend body, brain, emotion, and identity. This is the work we’re most passionate about ~ helping mothers come home to themselves.

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