The function of Recreational Therapy in Mental Health Treatment

Recreational Therapy has developed into a popular component of treatment for many health fields, including mental health. The American Therapeutic Recreation Association defines it as “a treatment service meant to restore, remediate and rehabilitate a person’s amount of functioning and independence in your life activities, to market overall wellness and also reduce or eliminate the activity limitations and restrictions to participation in your life situations due to a sickness or disabling condition.” (American Therapeutic Recreation Association, July 2009) Recreational Therapy services are provided in several mental health treatment settings, including inpatient, outpatient, and residential care. Certified therapists have earned at least a bachelor’s degree from the field and have passed national certification exam.


Recreational Therapists make use of a variety of techniques to help alleviate symptoms of mental illness and help the quality of an consumer’s life. Leisure education can often be provided, which will help consumers identify what forms of leisure they’re thinking about in order to find community helpful information on participation. Lots of people who’re experiencing signs of a mental illness have mislaid touch making use of their leisure lifestyles and have become socially isolated. Leisure education can also improve social skills to improve enjoyment and invite customers to build better relationships. Many Recreational Therapists also employ recreation participation as being a treatment modality. Therapists will participate in leisure activities using the consumer to improve leisure skills and practice social skills from the moment. In the group setting, therapists uses leisure based activity to discover patterns of behavior and teach healthy coping skills.

For emotional blunting, Recreational Therapy can be a versatile treatment addressing various issues. Leisure activity can provide improved daily structure when participating in activities like volunteer work, classes, or social groups. Certain leisure activities offer opportunities for social interaction and support. Physical exercises and exercise will help increase your mood. Exercise along with other leisure activities may also give you a feeling of accomplishment. Many of the concepts reinforced in Recreational Therapy align with leading edge treatments like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The abilities of mindfulness, regular participation in pleasant events, and building mastery are typical core components both in DBT and Recreational Therapy. Finally, leisure involvement can provide a sense purpose and meaning in one’s life, and also strengthening individual identity or one’s feeling of who they are. A leisure Therapist can motivate and guide someone experiencing mental health difficulties to leisure that delivers the precise benefits suitable for their requirements. Recreational Therapy services are contained in most excellent mental health programs.
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