Stay ConnectedLessons Learned
Lessons Learned: An Open Letter to Recreational Therapy Students and Practitioners provides a personalized approach and a fresh, bold guide for students and practitioners in recreational therapy.
The author gives a personal account of his lessons learned in the areas of understanding recreational therapy, approaches to recreational therapy, conceptual foundations of recreational therapy, working with groups, the recreational therapist, techniques for recreational therapists, social psychology and recreational therapy, and what to do and not to do as a recreational therapist. The book is full of tips and advice, and it raises issues that will help to guide practice in recreational therapy in years ahead.
Beyond higher education, the author has authored or coauthored of several widely used recreational therapy textbooks. He also served professional organizations such as the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, the Society of Park and Recreation Educators, and the Academy of Leisure Sciences. This book is a valuable resource for students and practitioners.
Understanding Recreational Therapy
Chapter 1: Recreational Therapy is a Lot More than Diversion!
Chapter 2: Our Mission Includes Health Promotion
Chapter 3: What Makes RT Therapeutic?
Chapter 4: Do You Know Who We Are?
Chapter 5: Recreational Therapists Need a Philosophy of Practice
Chapter 6: The Importance of Recreation and Leisure
Approaches to Recreational Therapy
Chapter 7: Recreational Therapists Use a Strength-Based Approach
Chapter 8: Client Strengths Include Traits and Resources
Chapter 9: Recreational Therapy is Action Oriented, but the Emphasis is on the Client and Not on the Activity
Chapter 10: Recreation and Leisure Activities Provide Fun with a Purpose
Chapter 11: The Therapeutic Relationship is at the Heart of Recreational Therapy
Chapter 12: Recreational Therapy Offers a Unique, Caring Atmosphere
Chapter 13: Recreational Therapy is Customized Care
Chapter 14: Recreational Therapy as a Dress Rehearsal for Life
Conceptual Foundations for Recreational Therapy
Chapter 15: The WHO Definition of Health and Its Acceptance by Recreational Therapists
Chapter 16: Carl Rogers: The Grandfather of Recreational Therapy
Chapter 17: Positive Psychology and Recreational Therapy
Chapter 18: Freud and Skinner Weren’t Completely Wrong
Working With Groups
Chapter 19: The New Recreational Therapist’s Anxiety in Group Leadership
Chapter 20: Recreational Therapy Groups Offer Participants Numerous Benefits
Chapter 21: Group Processing Should Be Regularly Completed with RT Groups
Chapter 22: Techniques When Clients Don’t Participate in Group Discussions
Chapter 23: Get a Background in Group Dynamics, Because You’ll Need It
The Recreational Therapist
Chapter 24: Recreational Therapists are Models for Clients
Chapter 25: Is Recreational Therapy an Art or a Science, or Both?
Chapter 26: Enthusiasm
Chapter 27: Extroversion
Chapter 28: Dare to Share
Chapter 29: Learn to Relax
Chapter 30: Value Values
Chapter 31: Gaining Cultural Competence
Chapter 32: Maintaining Confidentiality
Chapter 33: Burnout
Chapter 34: Why Clients Like RTs: The Norm of Reciprocity
Chapter 35: Clinical Supervision
Chapter 36: Self-Awareness
Chapter 37: Being a Team Player
Chapter 38: Being Professional
Chapter 39: Being an Advocate for Our Profession
Techniques for Recreational Therapists
Chapter 40: Learning by Doing
Chapter 41: It’s Good to Give Feedback
Chapter 42: When Clients Change
Chapter 43: Engage Your Clients
Chapter 44: Aggression Begets Aggression
Chapter 45: Use Self-Disclosure Sparingly and in a Timely Fashion
Chapter 46: Be Supportive of Clients
Chapter 47: The Use of Gimmicks Can Be Good
Chapter 48: Employ and Foster Intrinsic Motivation
Chapter 49: Here and Now
Chapter 50: Build Self-Esteem
Chapter 51: Leisure Counseling
Chapter 52: Activities Spur Conversation
Chapter 53: Use Touch Therapeutically
Chapter 54: Therapeutic Recreation Skills Are Not Esoteric
Chapter 55: My Favorite Approaches to Effective Listening
Chapter 56: Top Teaching Principles
Social Psychology and Recreational Therapy
Chapter 57: Recreational Therapists as Applied Social Psychologists
Chapter 58: The Overjustification Effect
Chapter 59: Self-Efficacy: Why Some Clients Try and Others Don’t
Chapter 60: Social Facilitation
Chapter 61: Self-Handicapping
Chapter 62: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Chapter 63: Learned Helplessness
What to Do and Not Do as an RT
Chapter 64: Evidence-Based Practice: A Concept RT Should Embrace
Chapter 65: Say “Yes” to RT Research
Chapter 66: Never Become Sexual with Clients
Chapter 67: Never Become Anti-Intellectual
Chapter 68: (Almost) Never Make Choices for Clients
Chapter 69: Cherish the Opportunity to Do Recreational Therapy