Both the Recreational Therapist and Music Therapist are the health professionals who help the patients by giving treatments to recover from certain problems. Even though the two professionals are working in the same medical field, their professions differ in many ways. Recreational Therapists are the medical professionals who analyze and treat the patients with disabilities or disorders by giving recreational activities. Music Therapists are the medical practitioners who give treatments to individuals with any disorders by using the music therapy.

Recreational Therapist Course and Career opportunities

Recreational therapy is a sub-field in medicine which involves the treatment and diagnosis of certain conditions in patients through the recreational activities. The medical professionals who practice in this field are called the recreational therapists. They help the patients to recover from illness or disabling conditions and to improve their physical, emotional and mental comfort, thus reducing the depression, anxiety or stress. Their treatment techniques will include arts and crafts, drama, music, sports, animals and community outings.

Recreational therapists help the individuals to built confidence, overcome basic functioning and analytical abilities and socialize effectively. They are also called therapeutic recreation specialists who conduct different treatment methods compared to the usual recreation workers. They give treatments to patients by assessing details from their medical records, observations, patients’ families and the patient itself. The candidates must complete at least an undergraduate degree in therapeutic recreation or related field to become a Recreational therapist.

Music Therapist Course and Career opportunities

Music therapy is also an associated field in the medical field which involves mainly scientific researches. The field studies the relationship between the method of clinical therapy and music theory, aesthetics of music, musical acoustics, etc. It can be said as an interpersonal process. The professionals who are trained and practices using these therapy methods are called the music therapists. They use the music and all of its features to help the patients to improve their medal health. Sometimes they are also called recreational therapists.

They mainly help the patients to develop their observable level of performances and self-reported value of life in diverse domains by using the music experiences. Most of the clients to music therapists are referred by the other medical practitioners such as psychologists, occupational therapists or general physicians. They can be found in any area of helping professions. They mainly use the music to help the patients to overcome from their physical, mental, behavioral, social and emotional problems. Candidates must complete at least a concerned college degree and six months related clinical internship training programme to become a Music therapist.

Key differentiators between a Recreational Therapist and a Music Therapist

• Recreational therapists are the medical practitioners who help the patients to recover from certain conditions like physical, mental or behavioral problems by using recreational activities whereas Music therapists are those medical professionals who help the patients to overcome their problems through music therapy.
• Recreational therapists’ treatment includes the techniques such like arts and crafts, animals, sports, community outings, etc. whereas Music therapists’ treatments can be said as the combination of clinical therapy and facets of music.

Although the recreational therapists and music therapists work in the same field, their job nature and treatment techniques differ a lot.