Locus of Control

     After completing the locus of control questionnaire, I scored sort of in the middle of having an internal and external locus of control. I lean more toward external locus of control. I think this is accurate as I share some of the qualities of both sides but have my faults when it comes to not always taking the blame for things. But in the same sense, I feel that I demonstrate the positives of the external locus of control as well, as I am more easy-going and won't let myself get stuck on thinking about the past and what I could have done differently. 

    Learning about locus of control especially in a healthcare aspect is very important for us as future occupational therapists. We will have clients coming in from all different kinds of situations. Some will have an internal locus of control and will put the responsibility of working to achieve their goals completely on themselves. These are the ideal clients, but obviously we are not always going to have those. It is inevitable that we will have clients come in that find every person/situation/etc. to blame for what happened to them or why they are not achieving their goals. It is important we find ways to stay patient with these clients and help them work past this mentality.

    Helping these clients achieve an internal locus of control will make a huge difference in how they perceive their situations. It is important for us to talk with them and help them focus on what they can do now and not what happened in the past. It can be easy for us to grow impatient and less sympathetic to those who constantly find someone to blame or something to complain about. But, it is our job not to give up on them and to remind them that they are the ultimate decision maker when it comes to achieving their goals. This can make a difference in how they participate in their therapy sessions and especially their home exercise programs. We as OTs need to work to encourage an internal locus of control in our clients so that they know they can achieve success in their lives.