What is Recreation Therapy?

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Enjoying life and participating in recreation and leisure activities is important for everyone's health and well-being. Individuals with health barriers may need support to make leisure more meaningful and rewarding, this is the purpose of Recreation Therapy.

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Recreation Therapy is a process that utilizes functional intervention, education and recreation participation to enable persons with physical, cognitive, emotional and/or social limitations to acquire and/or maintain the skills, knowledge and behaviours that will allow them to enjoy their leisure optimally, function independently with the least amount of assistance and participate as fully as possible in society. (Therapeutic Recreation Ontario, 2022)

Recreation Therapists use a variety of leisure activities to accomplish this, such as adaptive exercises, arts and crafts, animal therapy, sports, games, dance, music, baking, reminiscing, mindfulness, and community outings. Each activity is tailored to the interests and needs of the client to help them lead an active and fulfilling life.

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Recreation Therapy enables individuals with diverse abilities to flourish and experience a life worth living, rather than merely existing. Recreation Therapists are trained to address the complex needs of all clients, no matter their health barrier.

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The Recreation Therapy profession is nationally recognized by the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association. The profession in Ontario is counselled by an association known as Therapeutic Recreation Ontario.