As of June of 2026, Hope & Healing is pleased to introduce Lauren Kapolnek, Occupational Therapist. Lauren specializes in helping teens and adults.

What is Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapy plays a crucial role in mental health by helping people engage in meaningful activity to promote emotional well-being and functional independence. The role of the occupational therapist is to help the client do what they need to do or what they want to do in life in a way that is tailored for them.

At Hope & Healing, occupational therapy services are supportive, individualized, and meaningful to each client. The occupational therapist will work collaboratively with clients to help create personal and practical strategies for managing daily life.

Water lilies with green leaves floating on a pond, some with brown spots, and two white lilies with yellow centers in the water.

Occupational therapy focuses primarily on the following:

  • Executive Functioning (working memory, planning/prioritizing, organization)

  • Life Skills Development and Routine Building

  • School and Work Management

  • Social Participation and Communication

  • Emotional Regulation

  • Community Engagement

  • Sensory Integration and Nervous System Regulation

  • Leisure and Play Participation

  • Functional Mobility and Pain Management

How does Occupational Therapy pair with mental health services?

Occupational therapy is best utilized as a support service in conjunction with mental health to assist clients in taking their knowledge developed in mental health sessions and problem solving with the occupational therapist to promote function. The occupational therapist can work one on one with clients to analyze tasks, examine roles and routines, and identify client tendencies in order to develop a plan that allows the client to function at their highest capacity. Examples include:

  • Assisting a client with examining their strengths, needs in environment, and communication patterns to identify what they may need in a future career path and job.

  • Developing systems for organizing a client’s home to suit their overall executive functioning needs taking into account the client’s current tendencies toward certain habits, identifying what is maladaptive and what can be utilized toward an organizational system.

  • Learning the life skills needed for major life transitions (high school to work or college, learning to live on your own, college to work, parenting) finding ways to make the transition smooth and less stressful which may include visual supports, scripts, and tailored systems.

  • Working through interpersonal communication and social skills, identifying constructive and destructive communication patterns to assist with managing situations at home, school, work, and in the community.

  • Examining cognitive, emotional, physical, and environmental factors that impact function to determine additional supports, physical needs, and nervous system regulation strategies to promote occupational participation.

If you are interested in scheduling an Occupational Therapy appointment for yourself or your teen, contact Lauren Kapolnek via our website or by calling 847-754-3838, ext. 9.