Recreational Therapists make use of recreational activities to treat the patients with disabilities. They will go through the medical record of the patients to know about the disability. They will also collect information from the patients, their family and the medical staff. Based on all these information, they will decide the therapy to be given to the patient. Their therapy will be related to the interests of the patients like music, drama, games, arts, sports and crafts.

Through this type of therapy, these therapists will try to reduce the stress, depression and anxiety of the patients so that they can obtain a confident mind. They will also persuade the patients to involve in community recreational activities. Recreational Therapists will also record the progress in these patients attained through this therapy. Recreational Therapists can work in Hospitals, Rehabilitation centers, Health centers and Psychiatric Institutions.

Qualifying Exam

Recreational Therapists should need a Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation. There are also several Master’s and Doctoral programs available related to this field. After obtaining any Master’s or Doctoral Degree, these therapists can work in a better organization with good salary. There are also several certifications available in this field.

Who are eligible to apply?

Candidates who want to pursue Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation should pass plus two with the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Then they can apply for the Bachelor’s Degree course in Therapeutic Recreation at any college in India which offers this course. After obtaining this degree they can apply for Master’s Degree in any related field at any Institution which offers the concerned course. They can pursue any Doctoral program related to this field after that if it is needed. They can also write any certification examination to obtain certification in any related field.

Key elements in the process

• Pass plus two with the subjects Physics, Chemistry and Biology
• Obtain Bachelor’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation
• Obtain any Master’s or Doctoral Degree in the related field (optional)
• Apply for the job

Skills required for a Recreational Therapist

Recreational Therapist can acquire skills through experience in this field. They should be easily adaptable with the environment prevailing in any organization so that they can easily co- ordinate with the staff and the patients. They can decide the therapeutic plans only if they maintain co-ordination with these people. They should possess good observational skills to understand the disabilities of the patients. Some patients may suffer from speech deformity. Recreational Therapists should possess a skill to recognize the speech of those people. They should maintain the medical record of the patients very well as it may be needed for future reference.