Baking is an activity that my sister and I shared with mom every Sunday when we both lived in Fiji. Personally, I enjoy baking. It is the pleasure of creating something that is pleasant to the palate from raw ingredients. In my opinion baking adds a personal touch (e.g. birthday parties or weddings) reminding “loved ones” to appreciate the time and effort that has been invested.
While doing this activity, I was determined to be mindful of the color, consistency, taste and smell as I mixed all the ingredients together. I was conscious of how familiar this kitchen was to me for example I knew where items were kept in the pantry, baking utensils in the cupboard and how to operate the oven. I also took notice of the lovely aroma that took me on a journey back to my childhood….reminding me of mom and my sister.
I remember doing baking sessions with clients in my first fieldwork placement in the mental health setting. At that stage, I couldn’t understand how baking contributed to a client’s recovery journey. However this year I am able to appreciate how baking can be used as a therapeutic tool with clients.
Baking is an excellent therapeutic intervention strategy to use when observing a client's ability to :
- Make a decision as to what they want to bake
- Make a list of ingredients required
- Budgeting skills
- Ability to purchase items at the supermarket
- Follow instructions in a recipe book
- Ability to task sequence, problem solve, and multi task
- Ability to perform task independently and safely
I would definitely consider baking as a intervention tool if applicable during my OT practice in the future keeping in mind what response this activity has on the client i.e. either positive or negative.
