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Alexi Trninic

Occupational Therapist

About Me

I am a psychiatric Occupational Therapist with six years of experience working in adult mental health. After completing my community service at Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital, I continued to develop my practice in the fields of addiction, neurodivergence, trauma, and personality disorders.

My passion for mental health stems not only from my professional experience, but also from my own lived experience of neurodivergence. This has shaped my therapeutic approach, allowing me to understand that every individual has unique strengths, challenges, and ways of engaging with the world.

I believe in a holistic, compassionate, and person-centred approach to treatment. My role is to empower clients to build meaningful, fulfilling lives by improving their ability to function independently, develop healthy coping strategies, and engage in the activities that matter most to them.

What Does an Occupational Therapist Do in Addiction Treatment?

Occupational Therapy in addiction rehabilitation focuses on helping individuals rebuild a healthy, balanced, and purposeful life beyond substance use.

Addiction often affects every aspect of daily living, including emotional regulation, relationships, work, self-care, leisure, and overall wellbeing. Occupational Therapy addresses these areas by helping clients understand how their mental health and substance use impact their daily functioning, while developing the practical skills needed for long-term recovery.

Treatment may focus on:

  • Developing healthy routines and structure.
  • Building emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills.
  • Improving interpersonal relationships and communication.
  • Identifying triggers and developing relapse prevention strategies.
  • Enhancing executive functioning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
  • Supporting clients in returning to work, study, family life, and meaningful occupations.
  • Promoting balance between productivity, self-care, leisure, and recovery.

Recovery is about far more than abstinence—it is about creating a life that feels meaningful, purposeful, and worth maintaining.

Clients may be referred for individual Occupational Therapy sessions tailored to their specific needs and treatment goals during their inpatient stay.

Sessions may involve comprehensive assessment, therapeutic intervention, or both, depending on their needs in their recovery journey.

Assessments offered include:

  • Psychiatric Functional Capacity Evaluations.
  • Cognitive assessments, including CREYOS.
  • Formal functional assessments using the Activity Participation Outcome Measure (APOM).
  • General occupational therapy screening assessments.

Following assessment, therapy focuses on addressing identified challenges through collaborative goal-setting and evidence-based interventions. Individual sessions provide a confidential space to explore difficulties, develop practical coping strategies, strengthen daily functioning, and support sustainable recovery.