Find an Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapy services for behavioral health include:

• Functional assessments of self-care, cognition, and sensory processing
• Skills training for stress management, emotional regulation, and executive function
• Activity-based group therapy and community reintegration
• Environmental modifications to make home, school, or work more supportive
• Care-coordination with psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) guidelines recognize OTs as qualified mental-health professionals, case managers, and group facilitators across the lifespan.

Some practitioners pursue Board Certification in Mental Health (BCMH)—a voluntary credential requiring three years’ experience and 3,000 mental-health hours. Seeing “OTR/L, BCMH” on a profile signals advanced expertise.

Licensure rules come from state law, so practice parameters—such as referral rights or supervision ratios—vary. To simplify cross-state care, 29 states have enacted the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact. The Compact Commission will begin issuing multi-state privileges later in 2025; until then, your therapist must hold a license where you sit for each session.

Demand for virtual occupational therapist visits exploded during the pandemic. Congress and CMS responded by adding OTs to the list of practitioners who can bill Medicare telehealth through December 31 2025, with a proposed permanent rule under review. Commercial insurers typically follow Medicare’s lead, but policies differ by state. cms.gov/mocs.govota.gov

Telehealth occupational therapist sessions can cover:

• Live video coaching on sensory-modulation, mindfulness, or ADL routines
• Guided home or workplace ergonomics walk-throughs
• Digital cognitive-behavioral activity journals
• Caregiver training for youth or older-adult clients

If you prefer on-screen support, search directories filtering for online occupational therapist or telehealth occupational therapist to see who is licensed in your state.

Tip: If every in-network OT has a wait list longer than 10 business days, ask your insurer for a network-adequacy override so you can see an out-of-network clinician at in-network rates.

• Intake & occupational profile. You’ll describe daily routines, challenges, and goals.
• Assessment. Standardized tools may measure executive function, mood impact on ADLs, or sensory processing.
• Collaborative plan. Expect concrete, measurable objectives tied to meaningful activities (“prepare dinner three nights a week,” “attend two social events a month”).
• Home program. Many OTs use secure apps for between-session assignments—perfect when working with a virtual occupational therapist across state lines.