Locus of Control

Locus of Control  

The world around us works in mysterious ways...or does it? The concept of determining our sense of control over ourselves and the world around us is interesting to say the least. Having an internal locus of control refers to a person believing they have control over their own life and their actions are directly responsible for changing their life. If a person has an external locus of control, then they believe that there are outside or external forces responsible for either positively or negatively influencing their life. If you are like me, I am right in the middle and I believe the locus, or location, of my control can be both internal and external. I believe there are strengths and weakness to both, and that it is important to be aware of your locus of control.

Determining your locus of control can help you better understand how you personally handle different situations. As an OT practitioner, it is very important to understand locus of control because how we approach and react to situations can either support or hinder progress not only within ourselves but in our clients as well. As OT practitioners we need to develop more of an internal locus of control, because ultimately we are the one's responsible for our actions and how our actions and decisions will impact our development as client-centered practitioners. By developing an internal locus of control we can also influence and teach our clients that their direct involvement during our interventions and treatment sessions will directly impact their progress. As OT practitioners, we can tell our clients what's best for them and what they should do and provide them with strategies to improve their independence-- but if the client isn't actively engaging and participating in therapy then progress is diminished. By teaching our clients that they have the ultimate control over their situation, we can help them better understand that we are there to provide skilled services to improve their independence, but their own actions and willingness to engage in treatment sessions will lead to their success.