Pediatric Occupational Therapists’ Perspectives on Parental Involvement in Child Therapy: A Phenomenological Study in the Context of Filipino Pakikipagkapwa Culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.07.09.18Keywords:
Parental Involvement, Pakikipagkapwa, Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Therapist-Parent Collaboration, Therapeutic RelationshipAbstract
This study explored how occupational therapists viewed parental involvement in pediatric occupational therapy through the lens of pakikipagkapwa, particularly in understanding how collaboration, relational dynamics, and culturally grounded practices influenced therapy engagement and outcomes. Using a qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the study examined therapists’ perspectives on working with parents as active partners in the therapeutic process. Findings revealed that parental involvement was characterized by shared responsibility, joint goal-setting, and continuous communication, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in supporting the child’s development. The study further identified challenges affecting parental engagement, including differences in understanding of the child’s condition, family dynamics, practical constraints, and communication barriers. These factors contributed to inconsistencies in participation and in the implementation of therapy strategies at home. Despite these challenges, therapists demonstrated flexibility, empathy, and relational effort to maintain engagement and support therapy continuity. In addition, the findings highlighted pakikipagkapwa as a culturally grounded framework that strengthened therapist–parent relationships. Through empathy, mutual respect, and shared humanity, it fostered trust, improved communication, and encouraged active participation in decision-making. Its integration into practice enhanced collaboration and promoted more consistent parental engagement. Overall, the study concluded that effective pediatric occupational therapy was not solely dependent on clinical interventions but on the quality of relationships between therapists and parents. Strengthening collaboration through culturally responsive and empathetic approaches was essential in promoting sustainable child development outcomes.
Downloads
References
Advanced Therapy Clinic (2025) The importance of family involvement in occupational therapy [Blogpost].
https://www.advancedtherapyclinic.com/blog/the-importance-of-family-involvement-in -occupational-therapy
Ahmad M, Wilkins S (2024) Purposive sampling in qualitative research: A framework for the entire journey. Quality & Quantity. 59(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-024-02022-5
Ahmed SK (2024) The pillars of trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health. 2(1):1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100051
Alampay LP (2024) Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in the Philippines. International Journal of Psychology. 59(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.13117
Alase A (2017) The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies. 5(2):9–19. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.2p.9
American Occupational Therapy Association (2020) Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed). American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 74(Suppl 2):7412410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
Aponte, H. J. (2021). The soul of Therapy: the therapist’s use of self in the therapeutic relationship. Contemporary Family Therapy, 44(2), 136–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-021-09614-5
Baker AR, Barents ER, Cole AG, Klaver AL, Kampen VK, Webb LM, Wolfer KA (2025) Use and perceptions of telehealth by pediatric occupational therapists post COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Telerehabilitation. 16(2). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2024.6655
Burney V, McCann CM, Arnold-Saritepe A (2024) Parent engagement in child-focused interventions: A systematised review of qualitative allied health literature. Child Youth Care Forum. 53:1451–1486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-024-09797-6
Chuah HM, Sumari M (2025) Parents’ challenges in children’s psychotherapeutic interventions: A phenomenological study. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 25:e70003. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.70003
Collins MS (2025) Family involvement in pediatric occupational therapy interventions: A qualitative study. Honors thesis. Eastern Kentucky University. https://encompass.eku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2118&context=honors_theses
Constante A (2022) How “hiya,” “kapwa,” and other cultural values play a role in Filipino American mental health. http://casra.org/docs/culture-and-filipino-american-mental-health.pdf
Del Castillo FA, Eder CJ (2022) Pakikipagkapwa (fellowship) toward positive collective health behavior. Journal of Public Health. 45(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdac137
Delos Reyes RC, Linang TN, Magsombol HA, Nebres ME, Zoleta M (2021) Experiences of Filipino pediatric occupational therapists in Batangas City on telehealth. World Journal of Research and Review. 12(4):e8. https://doi.org/10.31871/wjrr.12.4.8
Eyberg S, Nelson MM, Guzick AG, Druskin LR, McNeil CB, Bussing R (2025) An open randomized controlled trial comparing group and individual parent-child interaction therapy for preschoolers with ADHD. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
10. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2025.2457147
Gagné-Trudel, S., Therriault, P., & Cantin, N. (2023). Exploring Therapeutic Relationships in Pediatric Occupational Therapy: A Meta-Ethnography. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 91(1), 78–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/00084174231186078
Guest G, Bunce A, Johnson L (2006) How many interviews are enough?: An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods. 18(1):59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
Guillot-Valdés M, Cuenca-Sánchez L, Sarhani-Robles A, Sánchez-Teruel D, Serra L, Robles-Bello MA (2025) Qualitative study on the perceptions and experiences of parents in early intervention centres in relation to family-centred practices. Children and Youth Services Review. 171:108196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108196
Hackl L (2022) Impact of the level of parental involvement in occupational therapy services on patient outcomes for children ages 0–3 in the outpatient setting. Doctoral capstone project.
A.T. Still University Scholarly Works. https://scholarworks.atsu.edu/ot-capstones/54
Hope Abilitation Medical Center (2024) Pediatric occupational therapy – What parents should know and expect from the therapy. https://www.hope-amc.com/pediatric-occupational-therapy-what-parents-should-know -and-expect-from-the-therapy/
Humbert TK, Cargill E, Sanders A, Wood C (2021) Collaboration: Perspectives of occupational therapists on family-centered care and participation. Annals of International Occupational Therapy. 4(2):76–84. https://doi.org/10.3928/24761222-20200811-01
Johansson M, Greenwood L, Torres G, Link K, Sibley MH (2023) Predictors of engagement barriers for adolescent ADHD treatment. Journal of Attention Disorders. 27(5):499–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547231153876
Jose CG, Lucy R, Parker AM, Clere J, Montecillo L, Cole AM (2024) Pakikisama: Filipino patient perspectives on health care access and utilization. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 37(2):242–250. https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2023.230165R2
Kobayashi V, Lavides M, Tiangco C, Panlilio P, De Leon R, Carreon A (2024) Understanding pakikipagkapwa through analytics. https://cids.up.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Understanding-Pakikipagkapwa Through-Analytics.pdf
Kurzweil S (2023) Involving parents in child mental health treatments: Survey of clinician practices and variables in decision making. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 76(3). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20220025
Lage CR, Wright S, Monteiro RGS, Aragão L, Boshoff K (2024) Collaborative practice with parents in occupational therapy for children: A scoping review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 71(5):833–850. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12974
Liverpool S, Pereira B, Hayes D, Wolpert M, Edbrooke-Childs J (2020) A scoping review and assessment of essential elements of shared decision-making in child and adolescent mental health. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 30.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01530-7
Mamauag BL, Alampay LP, Lachman JM, Madrid BJ, Hutchings J, Ward CL, Gardner F (2021) Cultural adaptation of a parenting program in the Philippines. Family Process. 60(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12625
Martello A (2023) The engaged family: Fostering family engagement within pediatric occupational therapy. Boston University Libraries OpenBU. https://open.bu.edu/items/dfdaafd7-c190-4825-848b-c3c04e5ce47a
Martinez-Pampliega A, Ortuño A, Mónaco E (2025) Effectiveness of the parenting intervention programme “Intelligent Families”: A randomized controlled study. Social Sciences. 14(3):175. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030175
Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (2024) Occupational therapy practice framework. http://ottheory.com/therapy-model/occupational-therapy-practice-framework
Paap, D., Karel, Y. H. J. M., Verhagen, A. P., Dijkstra, P. U., Geertzen, J. H. B., & Pool, G. (2022). The Working Alliance Inventory’s Measurement Properties: A Systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 945294. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.945294
Panotes A, Jocson J, Andigan CM, Sy MP (2024) Lived experiences of caregivers receiving occupational therapy through telehealth. Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional. 32:e3626. https://doi.org/10.1590/2526-8910.ctoAO27853626
Pe-Pua R, Protacio-Marcelino EA (2000) Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology): A legacy of Virgilio G. Enriquez. Asian Journal of Social Psychology. 3(1):49–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-839X.00054
Physical and Occupational Therapy (2025) Professional Regulation Commission. https://www.prc.gov.ph/index.php/physical-and-occupational-therapy
Saldana J (2025) The coding manual for qualitative researchers. SAGE Publications.
Smith JA, Fieldsend M (2021) Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In Qualitative research in psychology: Expanding perspectives in methodology and design. 147–166. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000252-008
Soulé I, Littzen-Brown C, Vermeesch AL, Garrigues L (2022) Expanding the mind–body–environment connection to enhance cultural humility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19(20):13641. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013641
Sy MP, Yao DP, Panotes A, Kaw J, Mendoza T (2023) Contemporary history: Progress and resilience of occupational therapy in the Philippines (2004–2020). WFOT Bulletin. 79(1):80–93. https://bulletin.wfot.org/wfot-bulletin/article/view/1503
Trinidad OS, Mendoza TC, Sy M (2025) History of occupational therapy in the Philippines. In Occupational Therapy in the Philippines. 16–34. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003321217-2
Tuliao AP, Ang AV, Garabiles MR, Tuliao MD, Samaco-Zamora MC (2020) Culture and mental health in the Philippines. Routledge.
Tursunova Z, Aguilar K, Caballero YD, Javate P (2022) Filipino family caregivers and aging patients for kapwa (shared identity). Journal of Peace Research. 54(1):1–29. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366164829
Whitaker E, Chessell C, Klapow M, et al (2025) A systematic review of guided, parent-led digital interventions for preadolescent children with emotional and behavioural problems. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. 28:414–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-025-00521-x
Ytreland K, Bania EV, Lydersen S, et al (2025) Parental involvement in child anxiety and depression: Exploring the impact of delivery format on modifiable parental factors. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-025-01814-6
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Althea Gaberielle C. De Leon, Gazelle Mae B. De Leon, Marivic G. Roxas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access).
