FAQs

 

What is therapeutic recreation?

Recreational therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, is a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.

Recreational therapy includes, but is not limited to, providing treatment services and recreation activities to individuals using a variety of techniques including arts and crafts, animals, sports, games, dance and movement, drama, music, and community outings.

Recreational therapists treat and help maintain the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of their clients by seeking to reduce depression, stress, and anxiety; recover basic motor functioning and reasoning abilities; build confidence; and socialize effectively. Recreational therapists should not be confused with recreation workers, who organize recreational activities primarily for enjoyment.

What are the benefits of recreation therapy?

Benefits for children and young people

Being active not only keeps children and young people fit and healthy, but provides all kinds of social, emotional and intellectual benefits.

Children doing regular physical activity can have:

  • improved emotional wellbeing - helps young children feel more confident, happy and relaxed, with improved self-esteem and self-concept

  • improved health - encourages healthy growth and development of children's bodies, and similar benefits of physically active adults

  • improved mental health - improves concentration skills and ability to manage anxiety and stress

  • enhanced social skills - develops skills such as cooperation and teamwork, and a great way to have fun, meet new people and develop friendships

  • increased capacity for learning and productivity - active children are generally more motivated and better organised than children who are inactive, and physical activity has direct links to improved learning outcomes

  • a more positive school environment - active students are generally less aggressive and experience fewer discipline problems

  • a reduction in anti-social behavior - active children are less likely to smoke, use illicit drugs or be involved in criminal activity.

Benefits for adults

We all know that leading an active lifestyle is good for us. If you participate in regular moderate physical activity, you can expect to enjoy numerous health and social benefits, including:

  • reduced risk of heart disease and stroke

  • reduced risk of developing high blood pressure

  • reduced blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure

  • prevention of some cancers

  • reduced risk of becoming overweight

  • reduced risk of developing diabetes and prevention and treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes - it has been estimated that 30 to 50 percent of new cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented by appropriate physical levels of activity

  • better bone and muscle development and prevention of osteoporosis

  • improved muscle flexibility, strength and endurance

  • reduced risk of dying prematurely

  • reduced risk of falling, and improved mobility and strength for older adults

  • improved quality of sleep.

Physical activity can also help:

  • encourage social interaction

  • improve concentration and learning

  • increase personal confidence and self-awareness

  • reduce feelings of depression and anxiety

  • enhance self-esteem

  • improve quality of life.

How to become a recreational therapist?

Qualified professionals are certified through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC), which requires a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university, a formal internship and the passing of a national certification examination. A CTRS must maintain their credential every five years through the NCTRC recertification process. Academic programs in Therapeutic Recreation or Recreational Therapy emphasize course work in the physical, biological, and behavioral sciences and recreation and leisure theory.

The NCTRC offers the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential. Candidates may qualify for certification through one of three pathways. The first option requires a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy, completion of a supervised internship of at least 560 hours, and passing an exam. The other options also require passing an exam, but allow candidates with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated subject to qualify with various combinations of education and work experience. In order to maintain certification, therapists must either pass an exam or complete work experience and continuing education requirements every 5 years.

Visit www.nctrc.org for more details.