Affiliations: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Occupational
Therapy, The University of Western Ontario, Elborn College, 1201 Western Road,
London, N6G 1H1, ON, Canada. Tel.: +1 519 661 2111; Fax: +1 519 661 3994;
E-mail: jscornai@alumni.uwo.ca
Abstract: Objective: This personal reflection on occupational transitions is
based on the life stories of two of the interesting people I met while in
Chile, one in Santiago and the other in my travels to San Pedro de Atacama and
how their stories have aided in strengthening my knowledge of occupational transitions. Participants: Purposeful restructuring of one's life is key to
developing identity and meaningful engagement in daily and occupational life. Methods: Both Mauricio and Francisco share, through their
occupational transition self-narratives, how they restructured their lives by
finding out who they really were, as well as what was most important to them. Results: I believe that the consistent theme or catalyst of change
within these stories is one of being unsatisfied with a current situation and
as a result, making a conscious decision to recreate/restructure one's identity
and sense of being. Conclusions: When seeking to both understand and apply a term like
occupational transition, it will be important to not preclude the individual
human stories, both told and untold, that will enable a more complete and
compassionate understanding of occupational transitions for both researchers and clinicians.
