For questions about location, contact information, insurance, superbills, HSA/FSA, costs, session length, or Good Faith Estimates, please see General Questions about Services.
You are always welcome to schedule a brief phone call or video chat to discuss your situation.
Click on a question to jump down the page to the answer.
What is occupational therapy (OT)?
How is occupational therapy different from physical therapy?
What types of conditions does occupational therapy treat at Farfalla Integrative Health?
Do you provide occupational therapy sessions for children and teenagers as well as adults?
Do you offer both in-person and telehealth occupational therapy sessions?
Does it matter which state I live in for me to receive telehealth occupational therapy sessions?
Do I need a prescription for occupational therapy?
1.
What is occupational therapy (OT)?
Occupational therapy (OT) is a health profession that therapeutically uses everyday activities (occupations) to promote health and wellness, improve quality of life, and increase independence in life roles that matter to you.
Occupational therapy considers:
- You as a whole person: Your physical, mental, and emotional skills. Your interests, habits, values, and beliefs. Your view of the world and your place in it.
- Your environment: The physical spaces that you live, work, and play in. The objects and people in those spaces.
- Your occupations: ANY roles and activities you engage in during daily life (not just your job).
An occupational therapist can:
- analyze your daily routine and teach you how to modify the tasks you do or the way you do them so you can minimize pain, fatigue, cognitive overload, or overwhelming emotions and actually get things done
- assess your environment and correct for mismatches between your current abilities and external demands
- teach strategies that help you focus on your strengths while compensating for weaker areas
- improve your physical, cognitive, or emotional skillsets
- deliver body-based treatments to address physical symptoms
- provide cognitive and perceptual skills training during real-world tasks
- instruct you how to self-regulate your emotions and mindset within specific contexts
- design home programs to address imbalances in the body, regulate your nervous system, and promote skills development.
Go back to the top of the page.
2.
How is occupational therapy different from physical therapy?
Occupational therapy looks at a person’s ability to perform daily activities based on physical, cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors. OT takes a big-picture look at how a person is functioning and uses occupation-based interventions to improve function and quality of life.
Physical therapy primarily focuses on mobility, balance, strengthening, and physical exercise to promote wellness or recovery from an illness or injury.
Go back to the top of the page.
3.
What types of conditions does occupational therapy treat at Farfalla Integrative Health?
Common conditions treated include:
- Chronic/persistent pain
- Residual effects of cancer treatments
- Cancer survivorship concerns
- Long-COVID
- Mild traumatic brain injury
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Chronic fatigue
There are many other conditions that can be addressed by occupational therapy. However, some situations are not appropriate for telehealth services. (Examples: a person with a hand injury who needs custom splints, a person who had a recent stroke and needs extensive retraining to use their weak arm in a functional way.)
If you have a condition not in the above list and are interested in occupational therapy, please schedule a phone call or video chat so we can discuss your situation and make sure we can meet your needs.
Go back to the top of the page.
4.
Do you provide occupational therapy sessions for children and teenagers?
Farfalla Integrative Health provides occupational therapy for adults. It may be possible to work with an older teenager in certain circumstances; please schedule a phone call or video chat so we can discuss your situation.
Go back to the top of the page.
5.
Do you offer both in-person and telehealth occupational therapy sessions?
Yes, both in-person and telehealth occupational therapy sessions are available.
In-person sessions typically take place in the office in Lafayette Hill, PA (just outside of northwest Philadelphia near Roxborough, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, Conshohocken and Plymouth Meeting).
On-site visits (e.g., at your home or workplace) may be possible on a case-by-case basis. Depending on your location, additional travel fees may apply. We would discuss any applicable travel fees prior to scheduling. Please schedule a phone call or video chat if you are interested in an on-site session so we can discuss your situation.
Telehealth visits take place using secure video conferencing.
Go back to the top of the page.
6.
Does it matter which state I live in for me to receive telehealth occupational therapy?
Yes it does. Federal law requires that therapists are licensed in the states where their clients live.
Farfalla Integrative Health can provide occupational therapy to residents of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Go back to the top of the page.
7.
Do I need a prescription for occupational therapy?
Farfalla Integrative Health can provide occupational therapy to residents of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The laws governing prescription requirements differ in these states.
Pennsylvania:
- A prescription from your doctor is required for occupational therapy when treatment is related to a medical condition. (This includes mental health conditions.) The prescription can be written by your primary care physician, psychiatrist, or other type of specialist.
- A prescription will be needed whether you plan to submit for insurance reimbursement or not.
New Jersey:
- No prescription is needed for telehealth occupational therapy unless you plan to submit for insurance reimbursement. In that case, your insurance company most likely will require a prescription from your doctor before you start occupational therapy. Please check with your insurance company before scheduling.
Go back to the top of the page.