About this resource
Roles such as worker, parent, friend, student or volunteer give structure and meaning. This reflection asks which roles the person had in the past, has now and would like in the future, how valued each is and one step towards a role that matters.
Purpose
To identify meaningful roles and plan steps to maintain or rebuild them.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Occupational therapists. Also relevant for counsellors and therapists, social workers.
Client or participant group: Adolescents and adults, particularly after illness, injury or life change.
Practice setting: Occupational therapy, rehabilitation and mental health recovery.
Suggested uses
- Occupational therapy goal setting
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health recovery
- Return to work planning
Instructions for practitioners
- Explore what each role means to the person.
- Notice roles that have been lost and acknowledge grief.
- Choose one valued role to work towards.
- Link to participation goals.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Tick your roles: past, present and future.
- Rate how important each is.
- Choose a role to work towards.
Accessibility considerations
Use pictures. Can be completed verbally.
Scope and limitations
A reflection tool. It is not a standardised assessment.
Research basis
Occupational therapy models describe how the person, their environment and their activities interact, and how a balance of meaningful activity supports health and participation.
- Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L. (1996). The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A Transactive Approach to Occupational Performance. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103
- Wagman, P., Håkansson, C., & Björklund, A. (2012). Occupational balance as used in occupational therapy: A concept analysis. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 19(4), 322–327. https://doi.org/10.3109/11038128.2011.596219
- World Health Organization. (2001). International classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). WHO. https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health
What is included
A 2-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced.
