Why people need occupational therapy
Some people’s lives and/or development are different from those of their peers. With sufficient coaching, support and strategies, our clients can achieve a lot in life.
Parents and partners often have dreams for their child or partner as well. Sometimes we can work miracles together, but above all we try to make dreams come true.
We always start out with a DREAM: a request that somebody and/or their partner or parent(s) has. Together we look at the obstacles this person is facing and how we can help to make the dream or development a reality.
The DREAM
The aim here is to enable our client to gain or regain as much independence as possible in every situation.
As an occupational therapist, I often come into contact with children, young people and adults who have difficulty with certain skills, which means that they can no longer live, work or manage household tasks the way they would like to or have always done.
The obstacles they face may be physical, sensory, mental or emotional, or a combination.
We always start with the DREAM that this person and/or their partner or parent(s) request. Together we look at the obstacles our client is facing and how we can help to make the dream or development a reality.
As occupational therapists, we believe that we need to do this based on our client’s own contribution and potential. We work with them (and perhaps with their partner or parents as well) to work out a treatment programme.
The aim is to enable our client to gain or regain as much independence as possible in every situation they face.
We aim for our client to be able to do the most normal, everyday tasks again, perhaps with certain adjustments.
We practice these activities with the client in familiar surroundings (at home, at our practice, at school, at work etc.) – in other words, we provide individually tailored therapy!
Vision
Who am I ?
I am Filip Schepens, a dad with two fantastic sons.
Our eldest son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was born.
So I know what it means to be a parent with a “dream” when your child has been labelled as someone with a “disability”.
Working as an independent occupational therapist has always been “my DREAM”.
After graduation, I gained experience as an occupational therapist at the rehabilitation centre at Ghent University Hospital.
After that, I worked as an occupational therapist at various special schools and medical education centres. I also spent 14 years working as an employment/job coach at the sheltered employment organisation Ateljee VZW. For a while I was also a practical tutor in the Occupational Therapy course at University College Ghent (‘Hogeschool Gent’).
I have been a self-employed occupational therapist since 2015. I regularly take postgraduate classes, extra training and courses.
I also try to contribute to putting occupational therapy on the map through a commitment to our professional association, “Ergotherapie Vlaanderen”.
I am both a member of the board of directors and an executive of EDiTH. I am also the chair of the East Flanders Occupational Therapy Circle.
Furthermore, you will find me in various working groups and working for the Covid-19 helpline.
In my free time, I coach FC CP+ Rooigem, a Ghent football team for children with cerebral palsy.
Who is it for?
Children/young people with developmental and learning disabilities.
Adults: “DREAM” coaching.
