Course Description
This course identifies leisure education and leisure counselling as emerging trends within the therapeutic recreation service system. The philosophy, theories and methods of a variety of leisure education and leisure counselling orientations will be explored. Students will plan and facilitate a leisure education group s well as individual leisure counselling sessions.
Course Content
Leisure Education
- describe current theories and methods of leisure education
- describe the benefits of leisure education
- describe the components of a leisure education program, including leisure awareness, self awareness, leisure skills (activity, problem solving, interpersonal, planning, etc.) and awareness of leisure resources
- design a 4-6 session leisure education program for a specific group
Leisure Counselling: Theory
- review the theoretical constructs of leisure
- review the theories and practices of interviewing and counselling
- synthesize leisure theory and counselling practices to create a model for leisure counselling
Leisure Counselling: Applied
- create a counselling relationship with one individual
- demonstrate appropriate questioning skills during a leisure interview
- demonstrate active listening skills, including: attending, use of silence, paraphrasing, showing empathy and summarizing during a series of leisure counselling sessions
- demonstrate empowering skills including: searching for strengths, supporting, teaching and information giving during a series of leisure counselling sessions
- demonstrate values clarification skills
- describe the phases of leisure counselling
- demonstrate the skills of challenging, including: confrontation and action planning
- self-evaluate leisure counselling skills
- assess the client and develop, with the client, an individual program plan
- implement and evaluate the individual program plan
Learning Activities
- Lecture/discussion
- Group work
- Demonstrations/practice sessions
- Community practice
Means of Assessment
Evaluation is consistent with Douglas College Course Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course.
This is a graded course.
Learning Outcomes
The student will:
- describe current theories, models and application of leisure education
- review and synthesize leisure theory and counselling practices, to create a theoretical base and a skill set necessary for the application of leisure counselling
- design a leisure education program for a specific client group
- plan and conduct a series of one-to-one leisure counselling sessions
Textbook Materials
A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.
- Selected readings from a variety of therapeutic recreation practice textbooks
- Selected audio-visual and computer resources
- Selected readings from books and journals
- Therapeutic Recreation fine arts and adaptive equipment and supplies