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Locus of Control

     Locus of control is how a person perceives the cause of their situations in life, and can be on a continuum between internal and external. I received 13 points out of a total of 23 points on the worksheet. I fell in about the middle of the scale between internal locus of control and external locus of control. After scoring this, it did not surprise me on how I fell within the scale. I had a hard time with many questions deciding which one I agreed with more. I believe that there is a mix of things we can control and things we cannot. Some things are just bound to happen, no matter how hard you work to avoid it.


     I found this topic and how it related to the client/therapist interaction very interesting. I appreciated how the article posted for our reference discussed how as therapists we can encourage an external or internal locus of control towards our treatment of clients. I also believe it is important to encourage an internal locus of control with our clients. As therapists, we are unable to be with the clients at all times or provide treatment to them forever. If a client experiences an injury or disease that impacts his/her daily life for years to come, they need to have the skills and resources necessary to have a quality of life. We do not want our clients to solely rely on us to regain function. The amount of time we have with clients for treatment on a weekly basis makes it difficult to make the progress the clients want. They can work on things on their own or with the assistance of a caregiver. By teaching them the techniques and skills to allow them to help themselves, we are encouraging an internal locus of control. I will keep this concept in mind when I am working with clients in the future.

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Logan and I on our first day of OT school.

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