Theory of Occupational Reconstructions

The Meaning Perspectives Transformation Model is characterised by three phases: the trigger phase, the changing phase, and the outcome phase. These three phases move the process of meaning perspective transformation in the physical, emotional, cognitive, or spiritual dimensions. Critical self-reflection acts as a catalyst and represents as a moment of “readiness of change”. This allows clients to identify their assumptions, question meaning, and develop alternative ways of performing.

The Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdTMoCA) (Van der Reyden et al. 2019) is founded on the theory of creative ability developed by South African Occupational Therapist, Vona du Toit (du Toit, 1974).   This model's unique contribution to the Occupational Therapy profession is understanding people in terms of sequential levels of creative ability. The term creative refers to one's ability to change in response to life‘s demands (the creation of oneself), as well as creation of tangible things and solutions to problems.

The three-phase framework helps to view the life resuming process of people who suffer from long-term disabilities such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and whiplash, and to provide the right intervention at the right time. In this framework, the reestablishment of previous role(s) of the clients and/or the development of a new role are the most important. The role achievement is believed to be the primary goal of therapy intervention for people with long-term disabilities. The three phases are included as named for this framework.

The Framework of Occupational Justice (FOJ) offers an occupational perspective of justice or injustice on everyday occupations. This framework emphasizes on the inclusion of every individual in an occupationally just word (i.e., the environment, such as community and government, in which the individuals can do what they decide to be the most meaningful and useful to themselves, family, communities and nations). It illustrates how the inter-relationships of structural factors and contextual factors support or restrict occupational outcomes and occupational rights.

The psychoanalytic frame of reference (FOR) emphasizes on the unconscious aspect of what is done and said, and it is embedded in an occupational therapy relationship model of practice - the Vivaio model (MOVI). The central element of the MOVI is the recognition of constant emotions that exist in the interdependent relationship between the three elements of patient, therapist and ‘doing’.