Burn injuries to the hands and upper extremities are painful and traumatic. The injury affects a client’s occupational performance and identity. Rehabilitation after a burn injury is a complex process that is more challenging when the burn survivor has multiple psychosocial issues and social vulnerabilities. Occupational storytelling is a treatment strategy that utilizes the client’s occupational history and experiences to form their life story. Utilizing this technique with the Kawa Model as both the practice model and frame of reference provides the occupational therapy clinician with the theoretical basis and a guide to implementing the creation of the subject’s past, present, and future occupational identity. The Kawa Model uses a river as a symbol of life that flows over and through obstructions, which represent life’s problems. The subject can integrate their knowledge from past experiences to aid in their healing from their injury to create a hopeful future. This case report capstone project explores the psychosocial impact of the burn injury, the influence of pre-existing mental health issues on injury and recovery, the role of occupational therapy in burn care and rehabilitation, and the potential for occupational storytelling as a treatment strategy to enhance learning and encourage positive coping strategies in the burn survivor.
