Locus of Control

Locus of control is important for OT to understand because it impacts how we approach clients and how we navigate our careers as occupational therapists. It is important for OTs to understand the perspective a person with an external locus of control may have when approaching treatments and POCs. The way an OT will help a client address their barriers will partly be dictated by how a client views the events that happen in their life. A client may believe that they have power over their barriers, or they may believe that their barriers have just occurred to them. It is critical to know how they distinguish these barriers, so that the therapist can help them overcome them in their own unique way.

It is also important for a therapist to understand locus of control when approaching advancement in their career as OTs. In advancing your career, looking for opportunities is important. I do not necessarily believe that all good things come by chance, but there is some truth to being in the right place, at the right time. Though I favor internal locus of control, not all things in life can be carefully planned, and it is unreasonable to believe that they can be. So, it is just as important to be on the lookout for chances to advance yourself and learn more.  

When I took the quiz on locus of control, in my mind, I knew I probably had an internal locus of control-for the most part. I think that I have control over how I react to what happens to me in life, but there are things out of our control. As I said earlier, it is unreasonable to believe that we have control over our entire lives and it can lead to anxiety and a need to micromanage your life. I understand that locus of control primarily hones in on how you see the world and your life play out. It is significant to know yourself and to address how to further your career and how your clients.