Brittany Ferri

Sleeping difficulties are quite common. Research shows that nearly 15% of adults report having trouble falling asleep most days. If you’ve had sleeping problems at any point in your life, you know how desperate this can make you for relief.
Many people seek out natural sleep-enhancing methods. For instance, millions of people rely on music, podcasts, white noise, guided meditations, and other forms of audio to fall asleep each night. But this can pose a problem in terms of comfortable ways to...

Comprehensive care is essential for strong health outcomes across the lifespan. With more early detection efforts and greater awareness, conditions such as sensory processing disorder (SPD) are becoming more manageable for children and parents alike. This is due in large part to the efforts of various rehabilitation professionals, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and behavior therapists.

Hippotherapy is becoming well-known among parents and caregivers; however, the link between hippotherapy and the use of occupational therapy services can be overlooked by clinicians who work in outpatient or school settings. Increasing the awareness of hippotherapy for practitioners can result in educating the interdisciplinary team and providing appropriate referrals when indicated. Like occupational therapy, hippotherapy can address a variety of client-centered goal areas.

Key takeaways:
Sertraline is a generic antidepressant used for the treatment of depression and some anxiety disorders. It is sold under the name Zoloft.
Sertraline can take between 2 and 4 weeks to have the desired effect. Individuals should not stop taking sertraline without consulting their doctor first.
Individuals should seek emergency medical intervention for symptoms of serotonin syndrome, manic episodes, or an increase in thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Sertraline overview
Sertraline...

Key takeaways:

Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine that works on GABA receptors in the brain to slow cellular communication that may lead to increased anxiety. Therefore, this medication is chiefly prescribed for anxiety disorders, insomnia stemming from anxiety, and the short-term management of stress, along with some off-label uses

Lorazepam can be habit-forming and should be used with caution in individuals who have a history of substance use disorder. This medication acts as a central nervous s...

Key takeaways:
Family therapy can help individuals and their loved ones overcome mental health concerns and challenging life circumstances.
As with any form of talk therapy, family therapy providers may use a range of approaches, including narrative, strategic, structural, transgenerational, cognitive-behavioral, and attachment-based styles.
Family therapy is known to boost communication among members while teaching valuable coping and parenting skills. Members also learn to establish healthy...

Key takeaways:
Trauma therapy is a form of talk therapy designed to create a safe, supportive space for individuals to work through the effects of trauma, including nightmares, flashbacks, feelings of disconnectedness, guilt, shame, anger, fear, and sadness.
First-line trauma therapies include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Prolonged Exposure, which are paired with psychoeducation, emotion regulation, and the development of coping...

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I know the many ways sleep can impact children and their families. Sleep concerns can affect any young child, but they may be even more common in those who have neurodevelopmental conditions. In fact, sleep difficulties occur in nearly 70% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism may cause your child to sleep for short spurts, have difficulty settling down in the evening, or wake up multiple times during the night. Many parents may find their ch...

Key takeaways:
Talk therapy is a general category of mental health treatments that uses conversation to address emotional concerns.
There are many forms of talk therapy, also called psychotherapy or counselling, which may be used to manage difficult life events or mental health conditions on a short-term or long-term basis.
Talk therapy may be used alongside medication to more fully manage mental health diagnoses.

Key takeaways:
Mental health covers a person’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. We all experience difficulties with mental health from time to time, though some individuals may develop mental health conditions.
Diagnoses may fall under the following categories: anxiety, eating, impulse control, mood, personality, and psychotic disorders. Major and lasting changes in personality, lifestyle choices, and connection to reality are all warning signs that someone may be developing a mental health...

Symptoms of poor mental health
Although mental health conditions have strict criteria and require specialist training to diagnose, there are several warning signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health. [1][2] These can be early signs of a disorder, or a signal that someone is experiencing a period of poor mental health without an underlying condition. In either case, it’s important to seek support if you notice any of the following symptoms.

Key takeaways:

Triazolam is a benzodiazepine used primarily for the short-term management of insomnia. While less common, this medication may be used as a sedative during medical and dental procedures or to treat anxiety disorders.

Triazolam should not be taken for more than 7 to 10 days, as long-term use increases someone’s risk of dependence, withdrawal symptoms, and adverse side effects.

Triazolam interacts with alcohol as well as any medications that cause drowsiness, so they should not b...

Key takeaways:

Mental health medications help regulate and balance brain chemicals responsible for our emotions and thoughts. They may be used alone, but can be more effective when combined with other methods of psychotherapy.

Individuals may be prescribed antidepressants, antipsychotics, soporifics, sedatives, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, anticonvulsants, or stimulants depending on their specific health needs and mental health condition(s).

While teletherapy has been a common modality in disciplines such as speech-language pathology and psychology for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated its use in other areas of rehabilitation. As with any intervention format, teletherapy has its limitations, especially when it comes to managing physical health concerns such as edema and range of motion limitations. However, teletherapy can be an excellent fit for building cognitive skills, as technology can be incredibly beneficial in ad...

The prevalence of trauma across the lifespan is significant, and occupational therapists across all practice settings are very likely to interact with clients who have some type of trauma history. Exposure to trauma can impact an individual’s ability to participate in various activities in their lives. These include, but are not limited to ADLs, IADLs, social participation, health management and maintenance, and leisure participation. This makes it essential for therapists to understand how to properly address trauma.