Client vs. Patient

Before I started this new journey in occupational therapy school, I thought I had a decent understanding of the profession, but I am quickly finding out that there was so much more to learn.  One thing that has stood out to me since day one was using the term “client” rather than “patient”.  Being that I worked in an outpatient clinic as a technician for the last year and used the term “patient”, it has been a difficult transition.  A patient refers to someone who receives medical care whereas a client is someone that seeks assistance of a therapist. Moving away from the “medical model” was one of the best decisions because one simple word can make or break someone.  “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is  one old tale that is far from being true. The words we choose to use as individuals play a huge role on how the world looks at us.  This connects to person-first language, which is also something new that I have recently learned.  In today’s society we heavily use a medical diagnosis to label a person, which can be very powerful and hurtful.  The proper way to address a client is put them first and their diagnosis second.  People with disabilities or illnesses are mothers, fathers, uncles, and sisters. They are humans too and they do not deserve to be treated differently.  We as practitioners have to be very careful and keep these things in mind before labeling a person and potentially doing more harm than good.