What is the Kawa Model?

The Kawa (river) model is an occupational therapy framework that uses the metaphor of a river to view a person's life circumstances. The water represents life flow, rocks are obstacles, driftwood represents strengths and liabilities, and the river banks and bed are the environmental factors that affect life.

What do the elements of the Kawa Model represent?

Mizu (water) is life flow and occupational performance; Iwa (rocks) are obstacles and challenges; Ryuboku (driftwood) are personal assets and liabilities; Kawa zoko (river walls and bed) are the immediate and ambient environment; Sukima (spaces) are where occupational therapy intervenes; and Wa (harmony) is the goal of optimum occupational performance.

How is the Kawa Model used in occupational therapy?

Therapy focuses on opening up the spaces (Sukima) between the elements in the river so that water can flow more freely, thereby improving the person's occupational performance.

Kawa Model — River of Life

Q: Who created the Kawa Model?

The Kawa Model was created by Dr. Michael Iwama in collaboration with Japanese occupational therapists in the late 1990s.

The Kawa (“river”) model was created by Dr. Michael Iwama in collaboration with Japanese occupational therapists in the late 1990s. It uses the metaphor of a river to view your life circumstances.

The water represents your life flow; the rocks are the obstacles you face; the driftwood represents both your strengths and liabilities; and the river banks and bed are the environmental factors that affect your life. Occupational therapy focuses on opening up the spaces between the elements so that water can flow more freely, improving occupational performance.

Kawa Model components

Kawa (River) — the river of life
Mizu (Water) — life flow, occupational performance
Iwa (Rocks) — obstacles, challenges, difficulties
Ryuboku (Driftwood) — personal assets and liabilities
Kawa zoko (River walls & bed) — immediate and ambient environment
Sukima (Spaces) — where occupational therapy intervenes
Wa (Harmony) — the goal: optimum occupational performance

This interactive Kawa Model tool requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript to build your own river.