BP #8 - Cultural Competence

In class last week, we talked about cultural competence and how it is important for the field of occupational therapy. Cultural competence is the ability to interact with people from different walks of life and work toward a common goal. In other words, it is how we can connect with others who are be different or hold different values and beliefs. The culture of occupational therapy is centered around being holistic, client-centered and stresses the important of engaging in occupation. As a profession, we value these principles and aim to look at our clients as a whole person. By being culturally competent, we can connect with our clients on a better level to fully understand what occupation is purposeful and meaningful to them. As a student, there are many ways to further develop my cultural competence. Some ways include: exposing myself to other people who are different from me, recognizing my own biases, through community service, and through interaction with people of different professions. Throughout my OT journey, I will look for ways to increase my cultural competence to better connect with my clients.