Therapy plays an important part in healthcare, helping people to psychologically and physically recover from ailments and injuries. Here are just a few different therapy roles in healthcare for those that have been considering this career route.

Health coach

Health coaches often help people with chronic conditions to make lifestyle changes. This could include helping people to quit unhealthy habits such as overeating and smoking that could be having a serious negative impact on their health. A health coaching qualification and certification is needed to enter this career. Health coaches often work freelance – there are guides online that you can read on how to get clients as a health coach. This can be a hugely rewarding job for those that are into their health and fitness and are dedicated to helping people.

Occupational therapist

Occupational therapists help people to live with disabilities caused by ageing, illness or accident. This could include recommending changes to a patient’s home to make it more disability-friendly as well as helping to teach new ways of doing day-to-day activities that may have been affected by the disability. Occupational therapists are often hired by hospitals, but you can also work freelance. Most people that get into this career must obtain a master’s in occupational therapy. It’s common for people to also specialise in certain areas of disability such as blindness or motor disabilities.

Physical therapist

Physical therapists help people to regain motor skills after injuries and physically debilitating emergencies such as strokes. This is done via a number of treatment options such as exercises, massages, hydrotherapy and stretches. A course in physical therapy is often needed to be qualified for this role. Many people specialise in areas such as sports injuries or muscular diseases and may work on a freelance basis.

Speech therapist

Speech therapist work specifically with people that have trouble speaking. This could include children that are developing speech unusually slowly or it could involve helping people to recover speech after a stroke or a throat operation. Speech therapists may also work with patients that have trouble swallowing as similar muscles are often needed for this process. There are specific qualifications that you can obtain in speech and language therapy – this guide offers more information on how to become a speech therapist.

Radiation therapist

Radiation therapists work primarily with cancer patients helping to administer radiation treatment. They often help patients to deal with the side effects of radiation as well as taking control of the actual radiation process. Getting into this career involves taking a degree in radiation therapy. Such therapists are often employed by hospitals and oncology specialist clinics.