On 16 June, COTEC hosted another Coffee with COTEC online session, bringing together 12 Occupational Therapy representatives from across our Members to exchange experiences on promoting the profession to policymakers, healthcare leaders, other professionals, and the wider public.
Participants shared several practical examples of successful promotion and advocacy. A recurring theme was the importance of focusing on societal challenges and demonstrating how occupational therapy contributes to solutions, rather than starting with the profession itself. Examples were shared of engaging local and national authorities through concrete recommendations, evidence-based arguments, and stories that illustrate the impact of occupational therapy on participation, independence, and quality of life.
Several participants discussed the challenge of clearly explaining occupational therapy to different audiences. Associations have been developing tailored messages for the public, policymakers, and other health professionals, while frameworks such as the ICF can help communicate the unique contribution of occupational therapy within interdisciplinary teams. Participants also highlighted the importance of using language that resonates with the audience, for example by talking about functioning, participation, and meaningful activities rather than professional terminology.
The discussion also explored ways to strengthen the profession’s visibility. Examples included social media campaigns, public awareness activities linked to World Occupational Therapy Day, collaboration with journalists and local media, collecting service-user stories, and building strong partnerships with universities and educational institutions. Participants agreed that personal stories and real-life examples are often as powerful as statistics when demonstrating the value of occupational therapy.
Experiences from clinical practice showed the value of working closely with other professions. Workshops with medical staff, participation in multidisciplinary teams, and creating opportunities for other professionals to experience occupational therapy first-hand were seen as effective ways to increase understanding and referrals.
Participants also identified several topics for future Coffee with COTEC sessions. Suggestions included supervision and professional support systems for occupational therapists across Europe and the use of artificial intelligence in occupational therapy. A question was also raised about climate-proof working: how occupational therapists can adapt their services to extreme heat and climate-related challenges, and how colleagues in Southern European countries are already coping with these developments.
The session concluded with participants sharing key take-home messages: start with the problem that needs solving, use the language of the audience, build alliances with other professions, collect meaningful stories and evidence, and continue learning from each other across Europe through the Coffee with COTEC network.
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