Client-centred occupational therapy in Canada: Refocusing on core values / Recentrer l’ergothérapie au Canada sur les valeurs fondamentales de la pratique centrée sur le client

Abstract

Background. The Canadian occupational therapy profession has proclaimed its allegiance to client-centred practice for three decades. However, official definitions of client-centred practice have been inconsistent, and its defining features, underlying assumptions, and power relations have been subjected to little critical reflection. Purpose. The aim was to reflect critically on Canadian conceptions of client-centred practice and its core values. Key issues. Definitions of client-centred practice have evolved and changed, suggesting that the occupational therapy profession in Canada may have abandoned those values that originally underpinned its vision of client-centred practice by electing to focus on the enabling skills of therapists. However, evidence suggests that clients value those qualities of client-centred practice that underpinned the profession’s original vision. Implications. This paper proposes a renewed focus on respect—respect for clients; respect for clients’ strengths, experience, and knowledge; respect for clients’ moral right to make choices concerning their lives—and on fostering respectful, supportive relationships with clients.