“It Would Be a Shame to Lose Them”: A Critical Historical,Scoping, and Expert Review on the Use of Projective Assessments in Occupational Therapy,Part I

Projective assessments have a long history in occupational therapy, yet their relevance may be questioned. This first article reviews the clinical utility of projective assessments by providing a critical history of their development, followed by a scoping review of the current evidence. The second article outlines the opinions of nine experts in this field. Through this comprehensive process, conceptual and methodological issues are articulated in order to suggest educational and clinical guidelines, and future research avenues. The place of projective assessments in occupational therapy is demonstrated as a salient specialty area of practice in the current evolving landscape of mental health.     

“It Would Be a Shame to Lose Them”: A Critical Historical,Scoping, and Expert Review on the Use of Projective Assessments in Occupational Therapy,Part II

Projective assessments have a long history in occupational therapy, yet their relevance may be questioned. Part I of this article provided a critical history of their development and a scoping review of the evidence. This second article outlines an interview-based qualitative study of the clinical and academic perspectives of nine experts. Through this comprehensive two-part article, conceptual and methodological issues are articulated in order to suggest educational and clinical guidelines, and future research avenues. The place of projective assessments in occupational therapy is demonstrated as a salient specialty area of practice in the current evolving landscape of mental health.     

The Phenomenology of Early Psychosis Elicited in an Occupational Therapy Expressive Evaluation

Expressive assessments facilitate sharing, and the therapeutic understanding of youth. The experiences of nine young adults seeking help for psychosis were explored with an arts-based, occupational therapy expressive evaluation. The study used participant-observation methods. Data analysis drew on hermeneutic phenomenology. The findings illustrate the challenges these participants have in feeling connected to a shared world of doing, and in locating themselves within the temporal flow of time. Of significance was the potential to read the unfolding of creation in clay media as an acted narrative to tap into “constellations of meaning.” Implications for clinical practice and professional reasoning are highlighted.