The Power of a Paradox - Reflecting on the Potential of Occupational Futurity

Abstract

This spoken word piece reflects on the paradoxes, tensions, and possibilities within the profession of occupational therapy at a pivotal historical moment. Written and performed for the centennial conference of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy in Montreal in 2026, the poem emerged from the author’s experiences as an occupational therapist, educator, researcher, and learner navigating the contradictions embedded within contemporary occupational therapy discourse and practice. Positioned at the intersection of celebration and critique, the piece responds to the profession’s 100-year milestone by questioning dominant narratives of progress while simultaneously holding hope for more responsive and relational futures.

Through poetic storytelling, the work explores the coexistence of pride and nature within occupational therapy. The poem interrogates professional ideals of holism, inclusivity, and client-centredness alongside the realities of colonialism, ableism, individualism, systemic inequity, and institutional constraint that continue to shape education, research, and practice. Drawing on themes of paradox, positionality, and collective responsibility, the piece invites listeners to move beyond binary thinking and toward a “both/and” orientation that makes space for multiple truths, tensions, and ways of moving forward.

The piece engages metaphors of waves, dance, movement, breath, and discomfort to consider what it might mean for occupational therapy to evolve collectively rather than defensively. Rather than offering solutions, the poem centres reflection as an occupational and political act, asking how the profession might better align its sphere of concern with its sphere of influence. Ultimately, the piece argues that embracing uncertainty, contradiction, and discomfort is necessary for occupational therapy to meaningfully respond to contemporary social realities and cultivate more accountable, imaginative, and justice-oriented futures over the next century.