Power and client-centred practice: an insider exploration of occupational therapists' experiences.
BACKGROUND
Although problems with power sharing are frequently described in discussions about client-centred practice, little research has explored occupational therapists' experiences with this model of service delivery. To critically examine this aspect of occupational therapy, an insider study was conducted.


OBJECTIVE
The objectives of the study were to explore therapists' experiences with client-centred practice and to reveal how power works within this practice and in the health service environment.


METHODS
Semi-structured interviews with 9 therapists were conducted, and a thematic analysis of these transcripts was completed. A variety of institutional documents were reviewed and analysed.


RESULTS
Three main themes were identified: the different interpretations of occupational therapy discourse, the power of context, and the continuum of client-therapist interactions.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to consider the various competing discourses and institutional practices that frame the therapeutic relationship when evaluating methods to improve client-centred practice.
Mortenson
W Bennett
WB
University of British Columbia, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Vancouver, Canada. bmortens@interchange.ubc.ca
Dyck
Isabel
I
D000328:Adult; D001955:British Columbia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations