Please note: This is the full recording of the live Lumina Springs workshop held on the 18th of June 2026, now available to watch on demand.
Occupational Formulation: Making Sense of Participation Without Pathologising
Occupational therapists are often asked to make sense of complex situations. We gather information, identify patterns, consider strengths and challenges, and attempt to understand why participation has become difficult. Yet many of us have experienced the tension of trying to formulate without reducing people to diagnoses, deficits or symptoms.
This workshop explores occupational formulation as a way of organising complexity while remaining grounded in participation, meaning, identity, relationships and context.
Rather than viewing formulation as a search for certainty or explanation, we will consider how occupational formulation can help us develop richer, more nuanced understandings of the people we work alongside. We will explore how formulation can support clinical reasoning, intervention planning, communication and collaborative decision-making without losing sight of the person’s lived experience.
Drawing upon occupational therapy theory, occupational science, psychologically informed practice and contemporary formulation approaches, this training invites participants to think critically about how we make sense of participation and the stories we tell about occupational difficulties.
Duration: Approximately 3 hours
Presenter: Lucinda Pollard
