Therapeutic Recreation: A Helping Profession

The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

Therapeutic Recreation

• describe the therapeutic relationship
• describe the underlying humanistic values of therapeutic recreation
• apply the phenomenological perspective to the helping process
• compare and contrast formal and informal helping relationships in therapeutic recreation

Philosophy of Therapeutic Recreation

• describe leisure as a right, as meeting a developmental need
• comprehend the leisure related concepts of: flow, self determination, choice, perceived freedom, internal locus of control
• analyse the growth and development of therapeutic recreation philosophy and practice of the past 50 years

Therapeutic Recreation Process

• describe the TR process; Assess, Plan, Implement, Evaluate (APIE)
• describe the purpose and process of client assessment
• describe methods of observation
• develop observation skills
• identify leisure assessment methods

Therapeutic Recreation Service Models

• define therapeutic recreation
• describe the historical foundations of therapeutic recreation as a service
• compare and contrast therapeutic recreation service models, including: the Leisure Ability Model and the Health Protection/Health Promotion Model
• apply the Leisure Ability Model to the therapeutic recreation service within a specific agency

Professional Behaviour and Self-Awareness

• demonstrate knowledge of professional ethics and values
• demonstrate knowledge of the difference between personal and professional relationships
• describe the importance of self-awareness in the helping relationship
• identify helping skill strengths and limitations

The Leisure Interview/ Counselling Process  and Skills

• describe the characteristics of a counselling relationship and explain the phases of counselling
• explain the importance of and demonstrate the core conditions of warmth, empathy and genuineness
• demonstrate the ability to contract with a client
• demonstrate the ability to preplan an interview session
• develop and categorize a series of leisure interview questions
• identify common leisure problems
• conduct leisure interview
• explain the importance of active listening and methods to overcome listening problems
• demonstrate attending paraphrasing and summarize skills
• describe the importance of silence
• explain the importance of emotions
• define and demonstrate empathy
• demonstrate appropriate self disclosure
• demonstrate open, closed and indirect questions
• identify key areas of leisure and leisure lifestyle for probing
• demonstrate questioning skills
• describe the elements of empowering clients
• demonstrate empowering skills
• describe when and how to use challenge skills
• demonstrate versatility with a range of skills and strategies
• adapt helping strategies to fit the needs of diverse populations